Comparison

Phone Drive vs FileMate

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

Head to head
About

Phone Drive

Transform your mobile device into a wireless flash drive and comprehensive file manager. Easily store, view, and manage local and cloud files, transferring them wirelessly to your computer via Wi-Fi. Stream media and utilize built-in tools for documents and file organization.

Highlights
  • Wireless file transfers via Wi-Fi
  • Manage local and cloud storage
  • Built-in media player and document viewer
  • File organization and security features
  • Support for multiple cloud services
  • Create playlists and stream media
Features
Read full description

Move files between your iPhone, iPad and computer over Wi-Fi, then keep them organized in Phone Drive. Store documents, view PDFs, play music and manage local files alongside your connected cloud accounts. TRANSFER FILES TO PC OR MAC Connect your iPhone or iPad and computer to the same Wi-Fi network. Open the address shown in Phone Drive in your computer's web browser to upload or download files. No USB cable or separate desktop app is needed for browser transfers. KEEP FILES ORGANIZED Create folders for work, study and everyday life. Copy, move, rename, delete and share files. Create ZIP archives or unzip received files, and keep the documents you need stored in Phone Drive for offline access. VIEW DOCUMENTS AND PHOTOS Read PDFs and preview supported Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Pages, Numbers and Keynote files. View images and text files in the app. Edit plain text and source code with the built-in text editor. PLAY YOUR MUSIC AND VIDEOS Listen to your own music with playlists, shuffle, repeat and background playback. Watch supported videos or stream compatible media from connected cloud services. CONNECT YOUR CLOUD STORAGE Access supported Dropbox, OneDrive, Box, iCloud Drive and Yandex Disk accounts, plus FTP and WebDAV servers. Manage files across connected locations from the same app. ADD A PASSCODE Restrict access to Phone Drive with a passcode and unlock with Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices. FILES FOR WORK AND EVERYDAY LIFE Bring a presentation to a meeting, carry PDFs for a trip, or move photos and music from your computer to your phone. Import photos from your library and keep related files together in folders. Phone Drive is free to download. Some features, including cloud connections and device-to-device sharing, require in-app purchases. Check the options available in the app. For local Wi-Fi transfers, keep Phone Drive 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

FileMate

This app is a powerful local file manager that allows you to browse, organize, and protect your documents, photos, and videos. It offers robust privacy features like file hiding and password protection, along with convenient file transfer and archive management.

Highlights
  • Local file management
  • Photo and video vault
  • File hiding and password protection
  • WiFi and iTunes file transfer
  • Archive and extract (7z, rar, zip)
  • File search and marking
  • Customizable themes
Features
Read full description

FileMate – Local File Manager FileMate is a powerful local file manager for iPhone that helps you easily manage, browse, transfer, and protect files. View documents, photos, videos, and archives in one place. Keep your private files safe with built-in privacy protection and password lock. Simple, fast, and designed for everyday file management. -------- Core Features File Browser Quickly view and preview many file types: • Office documents and PDF files • Text files: txt, json, js, log, java, php, swift, xml • High-resolution images and long screenshots • Audio and video playback with an efficient media player -------- File Manager Powerful tools to organize your files: • Create folders and files • Rename, copy, move, and delete files • View file attributes • Hide files for privacy Sort files by name, type, time, or size. -------- Privacy Protection Protect your private files inside the app. • Hide sensitive files • Files remain isolated from other apps • Optional password protection -------- Key Functions Add Files Add files to FileMate in multiple ways: • Create folders, text files, photos, and videos directly in the app • Import files from Photos, Files, or other apps • Transfer files between PC and iPhone via WiFi • Transfer files between Mac and iPhone using Finder or iTunes -------- Archive & Extract FileMate supports common archive formats: • 7z • rar • zip • tar Password-protected archives are supported. -------- File Search Quickly find files using: • Fuzzy search • Multi-keyword search -------- File Marking Mark important files for faster access and display them in custom sorting views. -------- Hidden Files Private files can be set as hidden. Hidden files are not shown by default and can be revealed when needed. -------- Password Lock Protect access to the app: • App password lock • Face ID / Touch ID unlock • Custom authentication timeout settings -------- Super Hidden Mode Hide all settings related to hidden files so only you know these features exist. -------- Additional Features Sharing Panel • Import files into the app in batches • Share files to other apps Theme Settings • Customize themes • Adjust folder style, menus, and text size Unread Reminder • Set reminder times for unread files -------- Contact & Feedback If you have any questions or suggestions about the product, please feel free to contact us. Email: orange_family@icloud.com QQ group: 398168949 -------- [Auto-renewable subscription service] 1. Service: All Access, Removing Ad (1 Month) 2. Period: 1 Month 3. Price: $0.99 / Month 4. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase 5. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period 6. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal 7. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase 8. Terms of Use: http://www.orangestall.com/folder/subscription.html 9. Privacy Policy: http://www.orangestall.com/legal/privacy.html 1. Service: All Access, Removing Ad (1 Year) 2. Period: 1 Year 3. Price: $9.99 / Year 4. Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase 5. Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period 6. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal 7. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase 8. Terms of Use: http://www.orangestall.com/folder/subscription.html 9. Privacy Policy: http://www.orangestall.com/legal/privacy.html

Screenshots

Phone Drive4 screens
FileMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Phone Drive at none against FileMate's shown. Phone Drive also leads on ratings volume (1.8K vs 380). FileMate's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). 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 sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and FileMate sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 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 against 4.6 for FileMate. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.8K and 380 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 73% of Phone Drive's written reviews are positive against 75% of FileMate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phone Drive ships an update fortnightly, FileMate every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Phone Drive versus FileMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhone DriveFileMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.8K ratings) — better4.6 (380 ratings)
Positive reviews73.1% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.8K — better380
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size131 MB94 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperEightythree TechnologyJUNBO JIA

Customer experience

Phone Drive

All ratings1,815 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral2.9%
Negative4.4%
Written reviews882 reviews
Positive73.1%
Neutral6.7%
Negative20.2%

FileMate

All ratings378 ratings
Positive91.3%
Neutral3.2%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews52 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral7.7%
Negative17.3%

User reviews

Phone Drive

From 1.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast file transfers
  • 📁 Convenient file management
  • 🎵 Good audio playback
  • 👍 User-friendly interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 💰 Paywalled features
  • 🔄 Inconsistent updates
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing files

FileMate

From 380 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 All projects in one place
  • 👍 Few ads, good folder app
  • 👍 Good customization options
  • 👍 Real-time video playback
  • 👍 Easy to use and access

Room to improve

  • 👎 Too many prompts
  • 👎 Limited file viewers
  • 👎 Videos don’t play audio
  • 👎 Ads are annoying
  • 👎 Full-screen ads

Bugs and requests

Phone Drive

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Frequent app crashes
  • Unreliable file transfers
  • Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

Requested features

4 requests
  • Playlist management options
  • Video playback support
  • Improved cloud storage integration
  • Customizable file organization

FileMate

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Videos don’t play audio
  • Files can be accessed by other apps
  • Videos play without sound
  • MKV files not playable
  • MP4 file play without sound
Show 9 more
  • Thumbnail blank, video black screen with sound
  • Import photos not working after update
  • Sharing files not working after update
  • More ads than before
  • Full-screen ads
  • Shake to hide doesn't jump out of hidden directories
  • App stays in background for a long time without being killed
  • Single directory with over 5000 images causes crash
  • Basic functions removed after update

Requested features

20 requests
  • Provide multiple purchase options
  • Add Face ID and Touch ID for hidden files
  • Improve file viewer features (thumbnails, playlists, adjustments)
  • Add folder locking to prevent accidental deletion
  • Implement folder download from PC
Show 15 more
  • Display folder space usage and phone storage remaining
  • Add file property viewing
  • Improve handling of large numbers of images in a directory
  • Add reverse sorting option
  • Improve batch selection for importing files
  • Allow font size adjustment
  • Add progress bar for document viewing
  • Enhance support for landscape mode
  • Add manual language selection
  • Allow password lock on shake to hide feature
  • Improve video playback (swipe to next, no sound issue)
  • Auto-hide hidden items after a period of inactivity
  • Fix import photos issue
  • Fix sharing files issue
  • Fix more ads than before

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Phone Drive

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Cloud Service Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Premium Cloud Service Yearly$6.991 Year
One-time3
  • Reset Password$1.99
  • Upgrade to Full Version$4.99
  • Premium Cloud Service Lifetime$49.99
7 purchases

FileMate

Subscriptions2
  • All Access, Removing Ad$3.991 Month
  • All Access, Removing Ad$34.991 Year
One-time5
  • Removing Ad$9.99
  • Theme, Folder and Night Mode$9.99
  • Passcode Lock$9.99
Show 2 more
  • Super Hidden$9.99
  • All Features & Removing Ad$149.99

Questions

Is Phone Drive free?
Phone Drive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is FileMate free?
FileMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Phone Drive or FileMate?
Phone Drive is rated higher. Phone Drive averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.8K ratings, while FileMate averages 4.6 from 380 ratings.
Do Phone Drive or FileMate have ads?
FileMate shows ads; Phone Drive does not.
Which is updated more often, Phone Drive or FileMate?
Phone Drive ships an update fortnightly, and FileMate every 2 weeks. Most recently, Phone Drive was updated on November 1, 2026 and FileMate on November 1, 2026.

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