DSDir vs Network Explorer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DSDir
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DSDir lets you connect and manage all kinds of file services the way you use a desktop. Synology NAS, SMB, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP and iCloud Drive all live on one desktop. Stop juggling a separate app for every server. DSDir is a full file manager for your NAS and servers: browse, search, upload, download, rename, move and copy files across Synology, Windows shared folders (SMB), WebDAV, FTP, SFTP and iCloud Drive, all from one desktop with multiple windows. Stream your videos and music straight from the NAS without downloading, save them to your device to enjoy offline, upload photos to your NAS, and pass files between sites in a few taps. • Desktop Mode: It opens on the desktop by default: multiple windows, a dock, and your own wallpaper (a solid color, a gradient or a picture). Drag files between windows to move or copy them, create new folders, and use an external display with your phone as the trackpad. Next time you open it, it remembers whether you were on the desktop or the list. • Copy and paste between sites: Copy or cut in one site and paste in another, in any mix of Synology, SMB, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP and iCloud Drive. You can also drag between desktop windows. A small progress bar in the bottom-right corner shows the transfer and can be cancelled any time. If you leave the app, it keeps transferring as long as the system allows, and progress also shows on the lock screen and at the top of the display. Files with the same name are both kept, never overwritten. • One list for every site: Sites are no longer grouped by type. They sit in a single list, each marked with a tag: Synology, SMB, WebDAV, FTP, SFTP or iCloud Drive. • Your sites, your order: Sort the site list by name or type, or drag sites into the order you like. Edit mode makes tidying up and removing easy. • Protocols built in-house: SMB, WebDAV, FTP and SFTP are all implemented by us, with no third-party libraries. SFTP supports password and private-key sign-in and asks you to confirm the host key on first connection. • File management: Multi-select, cut / copy / paste, rename, delete, upload, download and new folders. List and grid views with thumbnails, plus file search, sorting and grouping. • Video and music streaming: Tap a video to stream it without downloading first. Browse music by album cover and keep listening with the mini player while you browse. • Offline manager: Save music folders and videos to your device and play them without a connection. You can limit downloads to Wi-Fi. • Synology extras: QuickConnect or IP / DDNS connection, the download center (Download Station) and Synology Drive / Cloud Station sync status. • Share extension: Tap Share in other apps to send a URL or a file straight to one of your sites. • theirdrop: Send photos, videos and files from the share sheet straight to a Windows PC on the same network, with no pairing. • 10 languages: English, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, Russian, Spanish, German and Portuguese. • Your site list on every device: Your site list and quick-share settings sync to your other devices through your own iCloud account. Passwords stay in the device Keychain and are never synced through iCloud. Works with: Synology NAS (DSM 6 and 7, QuickConnect, IP and DDNS), Windows shared folders, any NAS or server that offers SMB, WebDAV, FTP or SFTP (SSH), and iCloud Drive. DSDir collects no user data. All connection information stays on your own devices and in your own iCloud account.
Network Explorer
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Network Explorer brings the command-line network tools you rely on to iPhone and iPad. NETWORK • Ping over ICMP, or TCP to any port for hosts that block ICMP • Traceroute over ICMP, UDP or TCP, with the AS number and owner of each hop and optional reverse DNS • Whois for domains, IP addresses and AS numbers, following referrals from IANA to the right registry • HTTP requests like curl: status, protocol (HTTP/1.1, 2 or 3), TLS version and certificate chain, a timing breakdown, redirects, headers and the body DNS • Look up A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, NS, SOA, TXT, SRV, CAA, PTR, HTTPS/SVCB, DS, DNSKEY and more • Query your network's DNS server, Cloudflare, Google, Quad9 or any server you choose, over UDP or TCP • See TTLs, response codes, flags and query times, like dig WI-FI/MOBILE • Your connection type, local IPv4 and IPv6 addresses, gateway and DNS servers • Your public IPv4 and IPv6 addresses and the network they belong to • One-tap ping tests to your router and to the internet EVERY TOOL • IPv4 and IPv6, with automatic or forced selection • Export any result as a plain-text report, labelled with the device it ran on No account, no ads, no tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Network Explorer at Free against DSDir's $1.99. On ads, in-app purchases, 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
Network Explorer is free to download; DSDir costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | DSDir | Network Explorer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | USHIO FUJIMURA | Chris Murray |
In-app purchases
DSDir
No in-app purchases
Network Explorer
No in-app purchases





