# StuffIt Expander vs iDOS 3

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iDOS 3 at 69% against StuffIt Expander's 20%. iDOS 3 also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.1) and chart position (#170 vs unranked). StuffIt Expander's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 6 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

StuffIt Expander is free to download; iDOS 3 costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iDOS 3 holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iDOS 3 has 51 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of StuffIt Expander's written reviews are positive against 69% of iDOS 3's.

StuffIt Expander ships an update every 9 days, iDOS 3 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StuffIt Expander | iDOS 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stuffit-expander/id479292116/reviews) | **[4.3 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idos-3/id1580768213/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **51** |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | **69.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#170** |
| Size | 13 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Smith Micro Software, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/300453044) | [潮激 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/342075158) |

## 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


### iDOS 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idos-3/id1580768213)

**Currently charting:** #170 Top Paid · Utilities (US App Store)

Experience classic DOS games and applications on your iPhone and iPad. This app emulates a DOS PC, offering modern controls for enhanced playability. It also supports productivity tasks like word processing and programming.

**Highlights:** On-screen keyboard with custom layouts, Virtual gamepad with customizable bindings, Trackpad mouse emulation, MT-32 emulation and MIDI support, Bluetooth keyboard and gamepad support, Bluetooth mouse support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎮 Playable classic DOS games
- 🤖 Great DOS emulator functionality
- 🎨 Awesome interface and user experience
- 🔍 Supports mounting of various disk formats (floppies, ISOs)
- 🖥️ Works best on M1/M2/M4 iPads

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🕹️ Steep learning curve for casual users
- 🔧 Lacks support for some common disk formats (e.g. .img, .iso)
- 🎮 Issues with game controls and mapping
- 📁 Difficulty managing multiple floppy disk installers
- 🔍 Limited disk mounting options in landscape mode


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StuffIt Expander free?

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

### Is iDOS 3 free?

iDOS 3 costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, StuffIt Expander or iDOS 3?

iDOS 3 is rated higher. StuffIt Expander averages 3.1 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while iDOS 3 averages 4.3 from 51 ratings.

### Do StuffIt Expander or iDOS 3 have ads?

Neither StuffIt Expander nor iDOS 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StuffIt Expander or iDOS 3?

StuffIt Expander ships an update every 9 days, and iDOS 3 every 6 weeks. Most recently, StuffIt Expander was updated on September 16, 2026 and iDOS 3 on October 12, 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.*