Comparison

U vs iXflash

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

Head to head
About

U

Organize and manage files from your iPhone or iPad on external accessories. Features include a photo viewer with backup options, a music player with playlist generation, and robust file management tools like copy, move, and rename.

Highlights
  • Organize files on external accessories
  • Photo viewer with backup export
  • Music player with folder-based playlists
  • Copy, move, delete, and rename files
  • File transfer with Dropbox
  • Open files in other applications
Features
Read full description

U-Drive is one of the most capable application on your iOS device. It allows you to organize files from iPhone to external accessory. Features - Photo Viewer Tile view select to export photos for backup Short-key to instantly save photos into Camera Roll - Music Player Supports common format, such as AAC/AIF/MP4/M4A/MP3 Generates playlist of songs in the same folder - File Management Intuitive UI to manage files on iPhone/iPad Actions including Copy/Move/Delete/Rename File transfer between iOS devices and Dropbox Open-in allows user to open certain file type in another App

About

iXflash

This app extends your iPhone, iPad, or iPod storage with a compatible OTG drive. It allows for quick photo backups, direct recording of 4K videos, file transfers, and offline media playback, saving you from costly cloud storage fees.

Highlights
  • One-touch photo album backup
  • Live recording with 4K support
  • PC/Mac to iDevice file transfer
  • Offline music and movie playback
  • Read-only/write-protect drive option
  • Import iCloud photos and videos
Read full description

The iXflash app works with PIODATA's MFi certified iXflash OTG drive, which has been certified to work with all Apple “i” Devices (iPhone, iPad, iPod) utilizing the lightning port. The iXflash offers so many incredibly useful features, such as: • Quickly perform a complete back-up of your entire photo album with just one touch. o Supports Live Photo and burst photo. o Able to import and back-up all photos and videos stored in your iCloud storage for a complete back-up o Saves money eliminating the need for the costly monthly iCloud expanded storage fees. • Live Recording Plus – Able to take photos and videos directly to the iXflash: o Pause & Resume recording to maintain video continuity without stopping and restarting o Supports 4K recording o Switch between front and rear cameras during recording • Easily transfer files between PC/Mac computers and your iDevices. o Supports compression files such as Zip/7z/RAR formats, including any password protection used o Supports importing/sharing files from 3rd party apps, such as Line, Whatsapp, Facebook, Dropbox, WeChat, etc. o Support iOS Files app • Set the drive to read only / write protect o Prevent others from deleting or altering any content stored on the iXflash to ensure the safety and integrity of your personal photos, files, etc. • Enjoy your personal music and movie collections anytime without the need for an internet connection or using the limited memory on your iPhone, iPad, iPod. o Supports Hi-Resolution music playback, including FLAC and ALAC. o Supports most video formats for playback, and stores your video watch history to quickly continue playback from the last scene played. o Fully supports playing and recording H.265 videos. o Gesture control on video playback; fast forward, rewind, control volume and brightness just by tapping or swiping the screen • Plus many other convenient features that make the iXflash drive even more than just an extended flash storage for your iPhone, iPad, iPod. Intuitive file management The iXflash offers all the critical standard file operational functions. With its state of the art user interface, you can easily access your favorite files or continue working on your most recently opened file in one step. Your digital collection iXflash can be your extended digital library. With built-in media players, you can listen to your favorite music or watch your stored movies and video collections effortlessly. Storing these large files on the iXflash for easy playback means you won’t use up the limited storage memory on your iPhone, iPad, iPod. Plus, since you can access the iXflash without requiring the internet, it means you can play your music and movies while traveling on a plane or in locations that do not have internet connections. Why pay a monthly subscription for added cloud storage when the iXflash provides necessary added storage without charging a monthly fee like a cloud storage service. iXflash Camera You can record 4K videos and take photos using the built-in iXflash camera function. The videos and photos will be saved directly to the iXflash drive, saving precious memory and not occupying any memory on your iPhone, iPad, iPod. Even with all these great features, the PIODATA team promises to continue enhancing the app with more and more user-friendly features that will be released periodically in the future. Make sure you keep the App updated with the latest version for the latest features and benefits. Disclaimer: Due to restrictions set by Apple, this product may have limitations with older iOS devices.

Screenshots

U1 screens
iXflash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iXflash at 85% against U's 24%. iXflash also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and ratings volume (97 vs 19). U's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iXflash holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iXflash has 97 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 24% of U's written reviews are positive against 85% of iXflash's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

U ships an update every 5 weeks, iXflash every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
U versus iXflash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUiXflash
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (19 ratings)4.6 (97 ratings) — better
Positive reviews23.8% of reviews84.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1997 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB215 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMei-Hui WangVinpower Inc

Customer experience

U

All ratings19 ratings
Positive57.9%
Neutral10.5%
Negative31.6%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive23.8%
Neutral19.0%
Negative57.1%

iXflash

All ratings97 ratings
Positive89.7%
Neutral3.1%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%

In-app purchases

None

U

No in-app purchases

None

iXflash

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is U free?
U is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iXflash free?
iXflash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, U or iXflash?
iXflash is rated higher. U averages 3.3 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while iXflash averages 4.6 from 97 ratings.
Do U or iXflash have ads?
Neither U nor iXflash shows ads.
Which is updated more often, U or iXflash?
U ships an update every 5 weeks, and iXflash every 3 weeks. Most recently, U was updated on September 18, 2026 and iXflash on September 27, 2026.

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