pCloud vs Filen
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
pCloud
Securely store and access your photos, videos, and documents from any device. Automatically back up media to free up phone space and stream content on the go. Share large files easily with others.
- Up to 10 GB free storage
- Automatic photo and video backup
- Stream HD videos and music
- Send and receive large files
- Offline file access
- Military-grade encryption
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pCloud - Secure Cloud Storage for Your Files pCloud is the secure place for your photos, videos, and documents - all in one app. Access your files anytime, anywhere, and keep everything safely stored and organized across all your devices. Back up your memories automatically, free up space on your phone, and enjoy your content on the go. Preview and edit your photos, stream HD videos, and listen to your music without downloading. Easily share large files with anyone, even if they don’t use pCloud. Start with up to 10 GB of free storage. Optionally, you can expand up to 10 TB of storage with monthly, annual or lifetime plans. Features: • Up to 10 GB free storage upon registration • Store and access photos, videos, and files • Automatic photo and video backup • Access your files anytime, anywhere • Stream videos and music instantly • Share large files with a link • Sync across all your devices • Simple, intuitive and easy to use • Add zero-knowledge encryption Terms of service: https://www.pcloud.com/terms_and_conditions.html Privacy policy: https://www.pcloud.com/privacy_policy.html
Filen
Securely store photos, videos, and documents with military-grade encryption. Access files on any device, share them easily, and enjoy features like offline access and encrypted notes. Offers a free tier with 10 GB storage.
- 10 GB free storage
- Unlimited pro storage
- Secure client-side encryption
- Offline file access
- Cross-device file access
- Encrypted notes and chats
- Automatic camera upload
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Filen is everything you need for storing your photos, videos and documents secure and encrypted in the cloud. Get 10 GB storage for free when you create an account. Features: - Get 10 GB when you create an account - Get unlimited storage with our pro offerings - Easily share files with family, friends and colleagues, even if they are not Filen users - Military grade client sided AES 256 bit encryption, your files truly belong to you - only you - Make files available offline for easy access wherever, whenever - Stream and preview your photos, documents, images and audio files straight from the cloud - Access your files on every device - Encrypted notes - Encrypted chats - Clean, easy to use interface for easy file management - Dark mode available for those who work at night or just love the darker look! - Automatic camera upload - Share target - Files app integration Terms of service: https://filen.io/terms Privacy policy: https://filen.io/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: pCloud at 4.7 against Filen's 3.8. pCloud also leads on ratings volume (8.1K vs 123) and review sentiment (62% vs 48%). Filen's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 13). On price, update cadence, ads and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. pCloud sells 13 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Filen asks for nothing beyond the download.
pCloud holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: pCloud has 8.1K ratings behind it against 123, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of pCloud's written reviews are positive against 48% of Filen's.
pCloud ships an update every 3 weeks, Filen fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | pCloud | Filen |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (8.1K ratings) — better | 3.8 (123 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 62.4% of reviews — better | 47.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8.1K — better | 123 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 112 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | PCLOUD LTD | Filen Cloud Dienste UG (haftungsbeschraenkt) |
Customer experience
pCloud
Filen
User reviews
pCloud
From 8.1K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fast uploads and downloads
- 🔒 Secure and encrypted storage
- 👍 Convenient app integration across devices
- 💰 Affordable lifetime plans
- 📂 Flexible file organization
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unreliable auto-upload feature
- 🔍 Lacking advanced search and organization tools
- 🔇 Subpar media player functionality
- 🔒 Encryption features behind paywall
- 🤔 Confusing free storage limits
Filen
From 123 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption and privacy-focused design
- 💰 Affordable pricing with generous storage tiers
- 🌍 Open-source and transparent service
- 🚀 Fast upload/download speeds
- 👍 Clean and intuitive UI design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent app crashes during uploads
- 📸 Photo/video upload failures and inconsistencies
- 🔄 Auto-upload feature unreliable and incomplete
- ⚠️ Data loss issues in Notes feature
- 🔐 Thumbnail cache exposed in Files app (security concern)
Bugs and requests
pCloud
Reported bugs
4 issues- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Inconsistent file syncing across devices
- Issues with downloading and sharing files
- Missing metadata and HEIC file support
Requested features
5 requests- Improved photo/video management and viewing
- Background sync and auto-upload
- Sorting and filtering options for files
- Built-in text editor and note-taking
- Gapless audio playback
Filen
Reported bugs
18 issues- App crashes when uploading photos/videos
- Music pauses when app is minimized
- Photo upload stuck at specific file counts (e.g., 42 photos)
- Notes lose data during sync
- Note type conversion deletes text content
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- Video thumbnails not displaying correctly
- Cannot open audio files in app
- App stuck on opening screen
- Login credentials not working on iOS despite working elsewhere
- Upload progress not visible in latest update
- File upload stalls at 'finishing' stage
- Camera upload fails with VPN enabled
- Rich text editor loses data on sync
- Share public link toggle does nothing
- Media not found error when uploading images
- App unable to load albums page
- Password reset link not sending
- Automatic account deletion after inactivity
Requested features
12 requests- Video streaming/playback within app
- Read-only file mode option
- Back-sync feature (delete from phone, delete from cloud)
- Multi-select file upload capability
- iPad split-screen view support
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- Shared folder system like Dropbox/Google Drive
- Album-to-folder mapping for camera uploads
- iOS Files app integration/mounting
- Audio file playback within app
- Dark mode following system settings
- Magnetic link download support
- Better gallery navigation and filtering
In-app purchases
pCloud
- Premium$4.991 Month
- pCloud Encryption$4.991 Month
- Premium7 Days trial$4.991 Month
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- Premium1 Month trial$4.991 Month
- Premium Plus$9.991 Month
- Ultra 10TB Monthly$29.991 Month
- Premium$49.991 Year
- pCloud Encryption$49.991 Year
- Premium Plus$99.991 Year
- pCloud Encryption$149.99
- Premium$199.99
- Add Extra 2TB Lifetime Storage$279.00
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- Premium Plus$399.99
Filen
No in-app purchases
