# StuffIt Expander vs Archive Utility

The clearest difference is price: StuffIt Expander at Free against Archive Utility's $2.99. StuffIt Expander also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 45 months) and review sentiment (20% vs 0%). Archive Utility's advantage is rating (3.9 vs 3.1). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

StuffIt Expander is free to download; Archive Utility costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Archive Utility holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 8 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 20% of StuffIt Expander's written reviews are positive against 0% of Archive Utility's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

StuffIt Expander ships an update every 9 days, Archive Utility every 45 months. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StuffIt Expander | Archive Utility |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stuffit-expander/id479292116/reviews) | **[3.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archive-utility/id1409613331/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | **20.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 45 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 13 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smith Micro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300453044) | [RootRise Technologies Pvt. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/594431033) |

## What reviewers say

### StuffIt Expander

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stuffit-expander/id479292116)

Easily open and manage compressed files from various cloud storage services like iCloud, Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. View, share, or move expanded content to your preferred cloud provider. It also supports opening archives directly from the Files app.

**Highlights:** Open StuffIt and Zip archives, Integrates with iCloud, Box, Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, View expanded contents, Email and share files, Move expanded content to cloud providers, Open archives from Files App

**In-app purchases:** none


### Archive Utility

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/archive-utility/id1409613331)

This utility app allows users to create ZIP files and decompress a wide variety of archive formats on their iPhone and iPad. It features a document browser for easy file management, including cloud storage integration and drag-and-drop functionality.

**Highlights:** Create ZIP files, Decompress multiple archive formats, Document browser view, Cloud storage integration, File management (move, delete, rename), Drag and drop functionality

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StuffIt Expander free?

StuffIt Expander is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Archive Utility free?

Archive Utility costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, StuffIt Expander or Archive Utility?

Archive Utility is rated higher. StuffIt Expander averages 3.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Archive Utility averages 3.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do StuffIt Expander or Archive Utility have ads?

Neither StuffIt Expander nor Archive Utility shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StuffIt Expander or Archive Utility?

StuffIt Expander ships an update every 9 days, and Archive Utility every 45 months. Most recently, StuffIt Expander was updated on September 16, 2026 and Archive Utility on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*