Comparison

File Manager & Browser vs Files

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

Head to head
About

File Manager & Browser

This app acts as a virtual USB drive and file manager for your iPhone and iPad. It allows you to easily view, organize, and share various document types, including Office and iWorks files, as well as media. It also offers cloud integration and secure file protection.

Highlights
  • Integrated PDF Reader
  • Microsoft Office & Apple iWorks support
  • Multiple cloud integrations
  • Passcode file protection
  • Wi-Fi file transfer
  • Create and extract ZIP files
Features
Read full description

File Manager is a FREE file manager and virtual USB drive for the iPhone and iPad. Easily view images, audio, videos, PDF documents, Word documents, Excel documents, ZIP/RAR files and more. FEATURES - Integrated PDF Reader - Supports Microsoft Office, Excel, Powerpoint - Supports Apple iWorks documents - Multiple clouds (Dropbox, OneDrive and more) - Integrated music player - Copy, move and zip multiple files - Passcode protect files - Supports iTunes USB File Sharing - Transfer files from your PC/Mac using Wi-Fi - Built-in search feature - Sort files by "Name","Date","Size" or "Kind" - Share files by email, bluetooth and Facebook. - "Open in" feature allows you to open files in other apps - Create and extract ZIP files and much more... ---------------------------------------- TAPMEDIA PRO SUBSCRIPTION - You will receive access to the apps in the TapMedia PRO bundle for the duration of the subscription. - Subscription length: Monthly (includes one week free trial). - Subscriptions with a free trial period will automatically renew to a paid subscription. - Payments will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period and identify the cost of the renewal. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - All prices are subject to change without notification. We occasionally run promotion prices as incentives or limited time opportunities for qualifying purchases made during the promotional time period. Due to the time sensitive and promotional nature of these events, we are unable to offer price protection or retroactive discounts or refunds for previous purchases in the event of a price reduction or promotional offering. - Any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription - You may cancel a subscription during its free period via the subscription setting through your iTunes Account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Please visit http://support.apple.com/kb/ht4098 Privacy Policy: http://tapmedia.co.uk/privacy.htm Terms of Use: http://tapmedia.co.uk/terms.htm

About

Files

Manage files from your device, cloud storage, or external drives in one place. Organize with tags, search, and access recent documents easily. Share files and connect to network drives.

Highlights
  • Access files from device, cloud, and external drives
  • Recents view with high-resolution thumbnails
  • Organize files with tags
  • Search and navigate folders
  • Connect to cloud services (Dropbox, OneDrive, etc.)
  • Connect to file servers (SMB)
  • Pin favorite folders
Read full description

Access and organize your files no matter where they’re located — on your device, in the cloud, on an external drive or file server— with Files. The Recents view displays the files you’ve been working on lately in high-resolution thumbnails. Use the powerful Browse view to navigate folders, organize your files with tags, move files between folders, and search. Files also makes it easy to access iCloud Drive and third-party cloud storage services such as Dropbox, Box, and OneDrive. Features • Press the Files icon in the Dock or Home screen to quickly open a file from anywhere • Connect an external drive or SD card to your device to access the files • Connect to a file server at work or a home PC using SMB from Files • Use tags to organize files stored with different cloud providers and across different apps. • Pin your favorite folders in Browse view for quick access to the ones you use most. • Give people access to any file stored in iCloud Drive by sharing a link from the Files app • Drag and drop to select files and organize them into folders

Screenshots

File Manager & Browser4 screens
Files4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: File Manager & Browser at 4.5 against Files's 2.9. File Manager & Browser also leads on review sentiment (48% vs 14%) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Files's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. File Manager & Browser sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Files asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

File Manager & Browser holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: File Manager & Browser has 54K ratings behind it against 7.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 48% of File Manager & Browser's written reviews are positive against 14% of Files's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

File Manager & Browser ships an update every 2 months, Files every 6 months. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
File Manager & Browser versus Files: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFile Manager & BrowserFiles
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (54K ratings) — better2.9 (7.5K ratings)
Positive reviews48.3% of reviews — better14.0% of reviews
Number of ratings54K — better7.5K
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size87 MB5 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperTapMedia LtdApple Inc.

Customer experience

File Manager & Browser

All ratings54,361 ratings
Positive87.2%
Neutral3.8%
Negative9.0%
Written reviews482 reviews
Positive48.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative43.8%

Files

All ratings7,425 ratings
Positive41.8%
Neutral9.1%
Negative49.1%
Written reviews2,545 reviews
Positive14.0%
Neutral10.1%
Negative75.9%

User reviews

File Manager & Browser

From 54K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Compatible with older devices
  • 🚀 Great file organization
  • 📁 Useful for storing and managing files
  • 🔒 Secure file storage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Bugs not fixed
  • 🐛 Issues with file management features
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing files
  • 💰 Subscription model changes
  • 🔍 Lack of intuitive interface

Files

From 7.5K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Smooth performance
  • 💡 Useful for storing and organizing files
  • 🔒 Secure file storage

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 Files disappearing or not saving properly
  • 🐛 Unreliable sync with cloud services
  • 🐛 Limited functionality compared to desktop file managers
  • 🐛 Buggy PDF annotation and editing

Bugs and requests

File Manager & Browser

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Images changing to last uploaded image
  • Inability to see files on device
  • Wifi sync feature crashing after update
  • Note feature not working properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add option to move files within the app
  • Improve search functionality
  • Enhance audio playback controls
  • Provide a 'delete' folder option

Files

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Files app not showing any files after iOS 15 update
  • Inability to delete downloaded files
  • Keyboard glitches when editing documents
  • Inconsistent behavior when transferring files to external storage

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to view file extensions
  • Improve search functionality
  • Allow more customization of the interface
  • Integrate better with other Apple apps and services
  • Add support for more cloud storage providers

In-app purchases

2 purchases

File Manager & Browser

Subscriptions1
  • TapMedia PRO - 1 Month3 Days trial$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Upgrade$2.99
None

Files

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is File Manager & Browser free?
File Manager & Browser is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Files free?
Files is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, File Manager & Browser or Files?
File Manager & Browser is rated higher. File Manager & Browser averages 4.5 out of 5 from 54K ratings, while Files averages 2.9 from 7.5K ratings.
Do File Manager & Browser or Files have ads?
File Manager & Browser shows ads; Files does not.
Which is updated more often, File Manager & Browser or Files?
File Manager & Browser ships an update every 2 months, and Files every 6 months. Most recently, File Manager & Browser was updated on October 20, 2026 and Files on October 20, 2026.

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