Comparison

File Doctor vs Lode

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

Head to head
About

File Doctor

This app acts as a comprehensive file manager, document scanner, and converter for your mobile device. It allows you to view, clean, and convert various file types locally and privately, without needing cloud storage.

Highlights
  • Open multiple document types
  • Scan to PDF with edge detection
  • Convert files between formats
  • Merge, split, and compress PDFs
  • Create and extract ZIP archives
  • Built-in media player
  • Compress media and remove duplicates
Features
Read full description

File Doctor is your all-in-one file opener, document scanner, cleaner and converter for iPhone and iPad. View, manage, clean and convert documents, archives, media, spreadsheets and PDFs—privately, on device. SUPPORTED FORMATS • PDF, DOC / DOCX, XLS / XLSX / CSV, PPT / PPTX • TXT and RTF • ZIP & RAR archives (view & extract in-app) • MP3 audio, photos and videos from your library KEY FEATURES • Open multiple document types without switching apps • Scan to PDF: fast camera scans with edge detection, auto-crop and multi-page • Convert files: Image → PDF, Word/Excel/PPT → PDF (and more) • PDF tools: merge, split, compress and unlock PDFs you own • Archive tools: create ZIP, extract ZIP/RAR and preview contents in-app • Media tools: built-in player for audio/video and Video → MP3 • Local & private — everything runs on your device (no mandatory cloud) • Quick Access, Favorites, Recents, and powerful file cleaning tools DOCUMENT SCANNER • Turn paper into clean, share-ready PDFs • Auto edge detection & perspective crop • Multi-page capture with reorder and delete • Filters (color, grayscale, B&W) and export to PDF DOC CLEANER • Compress photos & videos to save storage • Auto-detect and remove screenshots • Scan & delete duplicate photos, videos and files • Find and remove large unwanted files • Clean duplicate contacts with missing details NEW TOOLS (More Tools) • PDF → Word (convert PDF to editable Word) • PDF → Excel (convert tables to Excel) • PDF → Text (extract text from PDFs) • Video → MP3 (extract audio from video) • Create PDF (blank editor) • Create ZIP (package files into a ZIP) WHO IS IT FOR • Students — convert notes, compress files and prepare PDFs for submission • Professionals — manage office docs, merge reports and clean device storage • Everyday users — open media, extract archives, delete junk and free up space WHY CHOOSE FILE DOCTOR Powerful document viewing, fast scanning, smart cleaning and reliable conversion tools—all offline and designed to keep your files private and organized. Explore More Tools and tell us what to build in next update.

About

Lode

Features
Read full description

Type a note, record a voice memo, scan a document — and every one becomes a plain, open file you own: Markdown, .m4a audio, or PDF, synced through your own iCloud. No account, no lock-in, no tracking. CAPTURE ANYWHERE • Write Markdown notes, organized with familiar folders and #tags. • Record voice memos and turn them into text on-device (offline, private). Timed recordings stop by themselves; weekly reminders can start a recording with one tap. • Scan Text (OCR) or Scan Documents straight into a note as a PDF — right from the notes list. • Add photos, videos, sketches, and any file as attachments; pick several photos at once. • Picture folders: keep a folder of photos or screenshots, then recognize the text in every picture at once — one Markdown note per picture, on device. • Share into Lode from Safari, Mail, Files, and more. PLAY, LOOP & FOCUS • Play your own audio and music — recordings, lectures, language lessons, podcasts — with background playback and Lock Screen / Control Center controls. • Drop MP3s into the Lode/mp3 folder in iCloud Drive and they show up ready to play; no import step. • A-B repeat: loop just one section of a track, perfect for language practice or learning a passage. • Sleep timer: stop playback after a set time, or when the current track ends. • Build playlists, shuffle, and repeat. Great for looping a listening set. YOUR FILES, YOUR RULES • Notes are real .md files; recordings are real .m4a; scans are real PDFs. • Export any note to a self-contained HTML, PDF, or TextBundle, or share the raw Markdown. • Stored in iCloud Drive, so they sync across your devices and survive a reinstall. • Delete safely: notes go to a recoverable Trash, deleted recordings can be restored, and every save keeps a version history you can revert to. BUILT FOR iPHONE AND iPAD • On iPad: a desktop-class three-column layout (folders -> notes -> editor), keyboard shortcuts, multi-window, and drag & drop to and from other apps. • A live Markdown preview, document outline, and side-by-side diff for comparing files. • Viewer opens any text file in your Lode iCloud folder, even huge logs and subtitle files. WORKS THE WAY YOU THINK • Tags and wiki-style [[links]] connect your notes. • An Inbox collects everything you share into Lode; tap to open text, subtitles, Markdown and images right there. • Open formats mean your notes and audio are ready for any AI tool or editor you like — today and ten years from now. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • No account, no login, no ads, no tracking. • Speech-to-text runs fully on-device. Your data never leaves your device unless you sync it through your own iCloud. Lode keeps your raw material in your hands, in formats that outlast any single app.

Screenshots

File Doctor4 screens
Lode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: File Doctor at fortnightly against Lode's every 2 months. File Doctor also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

File Doctor ships an update fortnightly, Lode every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
File Doctor versus Lode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFile DoctorLode
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBRINDER SINGHRUEI YI WU

In-app purchases

None

File Doctor

No in-app purchases

None

Lode

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is File Doctor free?
File Doctor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lode free?
Lode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do File Doctor or Lode have ads?
Neither File Doctor nor Lode shows ads.
Which is updated more often, File Doctor or Lode?
File Doctor ships an update fortnightly, and Lode every 2 months. Most recently, File Doctor was updated on November 5, 2026 and Lode on October 31, 2026.

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