# iFiles vs ES file explorer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iFiles at 45% against ES file explorer's 0%. iFiles also leads on rating (4.7 vs 1.8) and ratings volume (3.2K vs 10). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. iFiles sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days and ES file explorer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iFiles holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iFiles has 3.2K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of iFiles's written reviews are positive against 0% of ES file explorer's.

iFiles ships an update every 3 weeks, ES file explorer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iFiles | ES file explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ifiles-file-manager-browser/id908003044/reviews)** | [1.8 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/es-file-explorer/id1620305556/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.2K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **45.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 98 MB | 44 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Yajing Qian](https://appshunter.io/developer/566517066) | [alkesh dudhat](https://appshunter.io/developer/1599434938) |

## What reviewers say

### iFiles

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ifiles-file-manager-browser/id908003044)

Organize, view, convert, and secure all your files in one powerful app. Includes a document scanner, PDF reader, media players, and file conversion tools. Manage files from cloud storage and network servers with ease.

**Highlights:** File management and organization, Document scanning and PDF editing, File conversion for documents and media, Built-in music and video players, Web browser with file downloader, ZIP/RAR extraction and archiving, Cloud storage and network server integration

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Weekly Subscription | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Pro Upgrade | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💻 Useful file management
- 🔗 Good for file sharing
- 👍 User-friendly interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive
- 🌐 Connectivity issues
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes
- 📢 Excessive ads/pop-ups

**Reported bugs**

- Compatibility issues with older devices
- Freezing and crashing on login
- Inability to unzip files properly

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Improved file transfer and sharing
- Better compatibility with external devices


### ES file explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/es-file-explorer/id1620305556)

This app helps you organize and manage all files on your device. It allows you to view images, videos, audio, and documents, and sorts them into categories for easy access. Quickly find recently opened files and analyze your storage usage.

**Highlights:** Built-in viewers and players for various file types, Quick browsing by file type, downloads, recent, and large files, Storage usage analysis dashboard, Search photos by date, size, and creation/open dates, Multiple selection and sorting support

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly Premium Access | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iFiles free?

iFiles 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, iFiles or ES file explorer?

iFiles is rated higher. iFiles averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.2K ratings, while ES file explorer averages 1.8 from 10 ratings.

### Do iFiles or ES file explorer have ads?

Both iFiles and ES file explorer show ads.

### Which is updated more often, iFiles or ES file explorer?

iFiles ships an update every 3 weeks, and ES file explorer every 2 weeks. Most recently, iFiles was updated on September 21, 2026 and ES file explorer on September 8, 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.*