Comparison

File Manager vs File Explorer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

File Manager

Manage files across cloud services, network drives, and your device. Supports numerous archive formats, media playback, and secure folder protection. Offers Wi-Fi and FTP transfer capabilities for seamless data management.

Highlights
  • Cloud service integration (GoogleDrive, Dropbox, etc.)
  • Network service support (SMB, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV)
  • Archive format support (Zip, Rar, 7z, tar, gz, bz2)
  • Media playback for video and audio
  • Password protection for folders and files
  • Wi-Fi and FTP file transfer
  • File and folder management (copy, move, rename, compress)
Features
Read full description

Try a file manager that’s unmatched in functionality and reliability. It was created to manage your cloud services like GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Box, OneDrive, Yandex.Disk, and network services like SMB, FTP, SFTP, WebDAV, DLNA, photo galleries and files on your device. Manage all of your stored data like sub-folders - copy, move, rename or compress to archive your folders and files. It supports all possible archive formats: Zip, Rar, 7z, tar, gz, bz2. You can protect your folders and files with a password and view photo, video and audio content, as well as documents. This application will be a great help for everyday tasks. Copy a folder from one cloud service to any other - easy! Quickly move a folder from an archive to a cloud service - easy! Copy your gallery to a network or cloud service - easy! File Manager Features: ■ Compatible with all popular archive formats (rar, zip, 7z, gz, tar ...) ■ Intuitive interface ■ iTunes integration ■ File sorting(by name, by extension, by size, by date) ■ Searching files in subfolders ■ Create, move, copy, rename, pack/unpack, delete file/folder options ■ File/folder search ■ Preview mediafiles cover Player features: ■ Wide range of supported video formats(mkv, avi, mov, wmv, mp4, m4v, mpeg, rmvb, 3gp, divx, ts, flv ...) ■ Wide range of supported audio formats(mp3, m4a, wav, wma, wv, ape, ogg, flac, aiff, aac, au ...) ■ Supports popular playlist formats(cue, m3u, m3u8 ...) ■ Supports popular external and internal subtitle formats ■ 10 bands equalizer with large collection of presets ■ Spectrum analyzer ■ Hight application stability ■ Automatic recovery bad and non standard files ■ User friendly navigation by gestures ■ Brightness control by gestures ■ Opening documents from external applications ■ Wi-Fi transfer ■ FTP transfer Wi-Fi Transfer Features: ■ Intuitive interface ■ Create, move, rename, delete file/folder options ■ Downloading/uploading few media files with one click ■ Display upload progress Feel free to ask questions, report bugs or request new features: support@develsoftware.com

About

File Explorer

Organize, view, and protect your important files on your iPhone or iPad. Easily transfer files via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or iCloud, and preview various document types. Secure your data with passcode protection.

Highlights
  • Wi-Fi file transfer
  • Bluetooth file exchange
  • iCloud file management
  • Multi-format file preview
  • Passcode protection
  • File compression
Features
Read full description

File Explorer is the privacy app to organize and view all your files on your iPhone or iPad. Always have your important files with you, protect your privacy perfectly file. Features: * Upload/download files by using web browser in computer via Wifi connection. And you can enable http access password to protect the privacy * Exchange files with other iDevices (having Share installed in the device) via BLUETOOTH. NOTE: no WIFI or 3G connection needed in this scenario and no extra fees. * Upload/download files to iCloud * Quick preview many kind of files (music, video, documents, PDF, images) * Open files in other apps and vise versa * Create/delete/move/rename operations are all supported * Compress files and send them via email * App could be protected by passcode √ Upload/download files via iTunes √ Easy WiFi Transfer √ Import from Photo App(Camera Roll) √ In App Camera √ Bluetooth Transfer between Devices(Both devices must install iVault) We value the user experience of every customer, but we cannot respond to you based on your comments. If you have any questions or suggestions regarding usage, please feel free to contact our customer service email at any time AppDev365@gmail.com Contact us and we will do our best to provide you with services.

Screenshots

File Manager4 screens
File Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: File Manager at none against File Explorer's shown. File Manager also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 12.0). File Explorer's advantage is review sentiment (65% vs 56%). On price, rating, ratings volume and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. File Manager sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and File Explorer sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for File Manager against 3.9 for File Explorer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 79 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 56% of File Manager's written reviews are positive against 65% of File Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

File Manager ships an update every 3 weeks, File Explorer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
File Manager versus File Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFile ManagerFile Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (30 ratings) — better3.9 (79 ratings)
Positive reviews55.7% of reviews65.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3079 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS10.0 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size147 MB21 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperLTD DevelSoftware农 葛

Customer experience

File Manager

All ratings30 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews176 reviews
Positive55.7%
Neutral6.8%
Negative37.5%

File Explorer

All ratings79 ratings
Positive67.1%
Neutral12.7%
Negative20.3%
Written reviews20 reviews
Positive65.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative30.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

File Manager

One-time3
  • Thank the Developer$0.99
  • Appearance Customization$1.99
  • Pro Version$4.99
2 purchases

File Explorer

One-time2
  • Remove advertisement$0.99
  • Vedio Player$1.99

Questions

Is File Manager free?
File Manager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is File Explorer free?
File Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, File Manager or File Explorer?
File Manager is rated higher. File Manager averages 4.0 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while File Explorer averages 3.9 from 79 ratings.
Do File Manager or File Explorer have ads?
File Explorer shows ads; File Manager does not.
Which is updated more often, File Manager or File Explorer?
File Manager ships an update every 3 weeks, and File Explorer every 3 months. Most recently, File Manager was updated on October 5, 2026 and File Explorer on September 29, 2026.

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