# MEGA vs ES File Explorer

The clearest difference is ads: ES File Explorer at none against MEGA's shown. ES File Explorer also leads on review sentiment (64% vs 46%) and device support (4 vs 2). MEGA's advantage is chart position (#42 vs unranked) and ratings volume (107K vs 15K). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MEGA sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.49 per month and ES File Explorer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for MEGA against 4.6 for ES File Explorer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MEGA has 107K ratings behind it against 15K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of MEGA's written reviews are positive against 64% of ES File Explorer's.

MEGA ships an update every 2 weeks, ES File Explorer every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | MEGA | ES File Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (107K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mega-encrypted-cloud-storage/id706857885/reviews) | [4.6 (15K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/es-file-explorer/id1441621965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **107K** | 15K |
| Positive reviews | 45.7% of reviews | **63.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#42** | — |
| Size | 387 MB | 263 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Mega Networks LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6804926365) | [Beijing Xiaoxiong Bowang Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435277197) |

## What reviewers say

### MEGA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mega-encrypted-cloud-storage/id706857885)

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Grossing · Productivity, #78 Top Free · Productivity (US App Store)

Securely store, sync, and share your files with end-to-end encryption. Communicate privately with encrypted chat and video calls. Access your data from any device, anywhere.

**Highlights:** End-to-end encrypted cloud storage, Secure one-on-one and group chat, Encrypted audio and video calls, File upload, download, and sharing, Real-time folder updates, Cross-device access

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO LITE Monthly | $6.49 | per month |
| MEGA PRO I | $12.49 | per month |
| PRO I Monthly | $12.49 | per month |
| MEGA PRO II | $24.99 | per month |
| PRO II Monthly | $24.99 | per month |
| PRO III Monthly | $37.49 | per month |
| PRO LITE Yearly | $79.99 | per year |
| PRO I Yearly | $124.99 | per year |
| PRO II Yearly | $249.99 | per year |
| PRO III Yearly | $374.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient coding
- 🔒 Encrypted and decrypted automatically
- 👍 Easy to organize files into folders
- 👍 User-friendly interface with flawless functionality
- 🚀 Generous free storage

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Thumbnails take forever to load
- 🐛 Video playback issues and glitches
- 🐛 Insufficient transfer quota limits downloads
- 🐛 Freezing and crashing issues
- 🐛 Unreliable file uploads and downloads

**Reported bugs**

- Login circle with no reaction
- Inability to view recent file uploads
- Incorrect file order in offline downloaded folders
- Inconsistent behavior when opening links in the app
- Deleted files not actually removed from account

**Requested features**

- Background downloading support
- Ability to delete chats and group chats
- Custom folder icons
- Separate camera upload folders for each device
- Better Apple Files integration


### ES File Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/es-file-explorer/id1441621965)

Manage local and network files with this comprehensive tool. It offers file transfer, compression, built-in media players, cloud storage integration, and editing capabilities for various document and code formats.

**Highlights:** File management and sorting, WiFi and face-to-face file transfer, ZIP, RAR, 7Z compression/decompression, Built-in audio/video player, Cloud storage aggregation, Remote service access (SMB, FTP, WebDAV), PDF and code editor

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ES Pro(1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| ES Pro(1 month) | $6.99 | per month |
| ES Pro(1 year) | $29.99 | per year |
| ES Pro(1 year） | $29.99 | per year |
| ES remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| ES lifetime vip | $4.99 | one-time |
| ES lifetime vip | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful file management
- 📁 Extensive file format support
- 🔒 Secure folder access
- 🎵 Excellent built-in media player
- 🔗 Seamless network connectivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🔍 Search functionality issues
- 🔇 Music playback problems
- 🔌 Connectivity issues with FTP/SFTP

**Reported bugs**

- Deleted all user files after update
- Unable to connect to SMB servers
- Video playback issues with certain file types
- Inconsistent behavior when using VPN

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved file compression tools
- More customization options
- Better integration with Apple ecosystem
- Enhanced audio/video playback controls


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MEGA free?

MEGA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ES File Explorer free?

ES File Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MEGA or ES File Explorer?

MEGA and ES File Explorer are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 107K and 15K ratings respectively.

### Do MEGA or ES File Explorer have ads?

MEGA shows ads; ES File Explorer does not.

### Which is updated more often, MEGA or ES File Explorer?

MEGA ships an update every 2 weeks, and ES File Explorer every 3 weeks. Most recently, MEGA was updated on September 24, 2026 and ES File Explorer on September 24, 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.*