# File vs Samurai Search

The clearest difference is rating: Samurai Search at 5.0 against File's 2.6. Samurai Search also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (100% vs 68%). File's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. File sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Samurai Search asks for nothing beyond the download.

Samurai Search holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samurai Search has 25 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of File's written reviews are positive against 100% of Samurai Search's.

File ships an update every 2 weeks, Samurai Search every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | File | Samurai Search |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-drop/id815466873/reviews) | **[5.0 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-search-text-or-pdf/id1576636770/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **25** |
| Positive reviews | 68.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 22 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [典 熊](https://appshunter.io/developer/812126908) | [Michael Rourke](https://appshunter.io/developer/634812076) |

## What reviewers say

### File

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-drop/id815466873)

Easily transfer and manage files between your Apple devices and PCs. This app offers a simple yet powerful interface for seamless file sharing over Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, with built-in tools for previewing and organizing your data.

**Highlights:** Cross-device file transfer, File management, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, Multi-type file preview, Zip/unzip functionality, In-app photo/video sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ADs | $0.99 | one-time |


### Samurai Search

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samurai-search-text-or-pdf/id1576636770)

Efficiently search text and PDF files across your device, iCloud, and external storage. Preview matched files or open them in other applications. Supports advanced search options like regular expressions.

**Highlights:** Search text and PDF files, iCloud and external storage support, File preview, Regular expression support, Customizable file types, Saved search locations

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is File free?

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

### Is Samurai Search free?

Samurai Search is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, File or Samurai Search?

Samurai Search is rated higher. File averages 2.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Samurai Search averages 5.0 from 25 ratings.

### Do File or Samurai Search have ads?

Neither File nor Samurai Search shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, File or Samurai Search?

File ships an update every 2 weeks, and Samurai Search every 5 days. Most recently, File was updated on November 9, 2026 and Samurai Search on November 3, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*