Comparison

Phone Drive Pro vs File Explorer & Player

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Phone Drive Pro

Transform your iOS device into a wireless flash drive. Effortlessly manage local and cloud files, stream media, and transfer data via WiFi from your computer. Includes a robust file manager, document viewer, and media player.

Highlights
  • Wireless flash drive functionality
  • Cloud storage integration
  • Multimedia streaming and playback
  • Comprehensive file management
  • Document viewing and editing
  • Secure passcode lock with biometrics
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into a wireless file drive. Phone Drive Pro helps you transfer files to your computer, organize documents and media, read PDFs and play music in one app. TRANSFER FILES OVER WI-FI Move files between Phone Drive Pro and your Mac or Windows PC over the same Wi-Fi network. Start the transfer feature in the app and open its address in your computer's web browser. Upload and download files without a USB cable or separate desktop app. ORGANIZE YOUR FILES Create folders for projects, work documents, photos and music. Copy, move, rename, delete and share files. ZIP related files together or unzip an archive you receive. Keep local files in Phone Drive Pro available for offline access. READ DOCUMENTS AND EDIT TEXT Open PDFs and preview supported Microsoft Office and iWork documents, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers and Keynote files. View images, create text files and edit plain text or source code. ENJOY YOUR MUSIC AND VIDEOS Build playlists from your own audio files and listen with shuffle, repeat and background playback. Watch supported videos and stream compatible music or video from connected cloud storage. CONNECT CLOUD ACCOUNTS AND SERVERS Access supported Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, iCloud Drive and Yandex Disk accounts, plus FTP and WebDAV servers. Browse connected storage and move files between supported locations. Cloud connections require additional in-app purchases. PROTECT ACCESS TO THE APP Set a passcode and use Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices to restrict access to Phone Drive Pro. KEEP USEFUL FILES CLOSE Carry reference documents to a meeting, organize photos from your library or keep PDFs and music ready for a trip. Use your iPhone or iPad as a place to store, open and manage the files you need. Phone Drive Pro is the paid edition of Phone Drive. Optional cloud connections are sold separately through in-app purchases. For local Wi-Fi transfers, keep the app open and your device awake until the transfer finishes. Cloud services require an internet connection and a supported account. Learn more: https://sixbytes.io/products/phone-drive Privacy Policy: https://sixbytes.io/products/phone-drive/legal/privacy-policy Terms of Use: https://sixbytes.io/products/phone-drive/legal/terms

About

File Explorer & Player

Access and stream files from your Mac wirelessly on your iPhone or iPad. View photos, documents, and play videos directly from your computer. Transfer files and even use your iOS device as a portable drive.

Highlights
  • Stream video from Mac
  • View photos and documents
  • Transfer files to iOS
  • Use iOS as a drive
  • Wireless Mac access
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad into the wireless flash drive for your Mac. Have full access to your Mac files – use your iOS device to stream videos, view photos and documents, from anywhere within your home. AT A GLANCE - Stream any video directly from your Mac; - View photos or documents stored on your Mac; - Transfer files between your Mac and your iOS device; - Store anything on your iOS device and take it with you on the go; - Mount your iOS device as drive on your Mac or Windows machine using WebDAV; - Use the Personal Hotspot of your iOS device to control your Mac when you don’t have access to other networks. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS - Mac with macOS 10.10 or above and Helper app installed; - iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with iOS 11 or above; - Shared wireless network connection between your computer and iOS device. TERMS OF USE https://cherpake.com/tos Ratings are like gold for indie developers like me, please give the app a quick rating on the App Store.

Screenshots

Phone Drive Pro4 screens
File Explorer & Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Phone Drive Pro at none against File Explorer & Player's shown. Phone Drive Pro also leads on ratings volume (2.3K vs 124) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Phone Drive Pro sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and File Explorer & Player sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Phone Drive Pro against 4.6 for File Explorer & Player. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Phone Drive Pro has 2.3K ratings behind it against 124, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 77% and 78% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Phone Drive Pro versus File Explorer & Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhone Drive ProFile Explorer & Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.3K ratings) — better4.6 (124 ratings)
Positive reviews77.4% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.3K — better124
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB85 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperEightythree TechnologyRemote Sunrise LTD

Customer experience

Phone Drive Pro

All ratings2,265 ratings
Positive92.6%
Neutral2.4%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews1,599 reviews
Positive77.4%
Neutral6.2%
Negative16.4%

File Explorer & Player

All ratings124 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.5%
Written reviews46 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral2.2%
Negative19.6%

User reviews

Phone Drive Pro

From 2.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy file transfer
  • 🚀 Convenient file organization
  • 🚀 Versatile file management
  • 🚀 Useful for storing and accessing files
  • 🚀 Excellent app for its purpose

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes after updates
  • 🐛 Unreliable cloud integration and sync
  • 🔒 Requires subscription for full functionality
  • 🐛 Issues with file transfer and playback
  • 🐛 Removal of useful features like EQ and browser

File Explorer & Player

From 124 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and understand
  • 🚀 Fast streaming of files
  • 👍 Seamless connection across devices
  • 👍 Works well on Apple devices (iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro)
  • 💰 Inexpensive and good value

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Free version is limited/useless
  • 🐛 Does not work for PC
  • 🐛 No external access (from outside home network)
  • 🐛 Paid version download issues reported
  • 🐛 Lack of clear instructions for new features

Bugs and requests

Phone Drive Pro

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Crashes on launch after updates
  • Freezes when trying to transfer files
  • Inability to access cloud storage
  • Corrupted or missing files after sync
  • Playback issues with audio and video files
Show 1 more
  • Unreliable connection between devices

Requested features

7 requests
  • Bring back EQ feature
  • Improve cloud integration and sync
  • Add more cloud storage options
  • Enhance audio playback controls
  • Improve file transfer speed and reliability
Show 2 more
  • Restore removed features like browser
  • Provide better organization and navigation

File Explorer & Player

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Paid version download issues reported
  • Free version does nothing
  • Poor support response to feature inquiries

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add NAS support
  • Enable external access (remote access from outside home network)
  • Add Chinese language option
  • Allow file renaming
  • Improve PC compatibility

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Phone Drive Pro

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Cloud Service Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Premium Cloud Service Yearly$6.991 Year
One-time2
  • Reset Password$1.99
  • Premium Cloud Service Lifetime$49.99
4 purchases

File Explorer & Player

Subscriptions2
  • Upgrade to Pro Version - 1M$1.991 Month
  • Upgrade to Pro Version1 Month trial$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Remove Ads$19.99
  • Upgrade to PRO$19.99

Questions

Is Phone Drive Pro free?
Phone Drive Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is File Explorer & Player free?
File Explorer & Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phone Drive Pro or File Explorer & Player?
Phone Drive Pro is rated higher. Phone Drive Pro averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.3K ratings, while File Explorer & Player averages 4.6 from 124 ratings.
Do Phone Drive Pro or File Explorer & Player have ads?
File Explorer & Player shows ads; Phone Drive Pro does not.
Which is updated more often, Phone Drive Pro or File Explorer & Player?
Phone Drive Pro ships an update fortnightly, and File Explorer & Player fortnightly. Most recently, Phone Drive Pro was updated on October 29, 2026 and File Explorer & Player on October 29, 2026.

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