# FileMate vs File Box

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FileMate at 75% against File Box's 30%. FileMate also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 8 months). File Box's advantage is iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FileMate sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and File Box sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FileMate holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FileMate has 378 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of FileMate's written reviews are positive against 30% of File Box's.

FileMate ships an update every 2 weeks, File Box every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FileMate | File Box |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (378 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filemate/id983467956/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-box-my-docs-vault/id1247388222/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **378** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **75.0% of reviews** | 30.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 94 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [JUNBO JIA](https://appshunter.io/developer/1893935666) | [泽辉 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/892030257) |

## What reviewers say

### FileMate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/filemate/id983467956)

This app is a powerful local file manager that allows you to browse, organize, and protect your documents, photos, and videos. It offers robust privacy features like file hiding and password protection, along with convenient file transfer and archive management.

**Highlights:** Local file management, Photo and video vault, File hiding and password protection, WiFi and iTunes file transfer, Archive and extract (7z, rar, zip), File search and marking, Customizable themes

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access, Removing Ad | $3.99 | per month |
| All Access, Removing Ad | $34.99 | per year |
| Removing Ad | $9.99 | one-time |
| Theme, Folder and Night Mode | $9.99 | one-time |
| Passcode Lock | $9.99 | one-time |
| Super Hidden | $9.99 | one-time |
| All Features & Removing Ad | $149.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 All projects in one place
- 👍 Few ads, good folder app
- 👍 Good customization options
- 👍 Real-time video playback
- 👍 Easy to use and access

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Too many prompts
- 👎 Limited file viewers
- 👎 Videos don’t play audio
- 👎 Ads are annoying
- 👎 Full-screen ads

**Reported bugs**

- Videos don’t play audio
- Files can be accessed by other apps
- Videos play without sound
- MKV files not playable
- MP4 file play without sound

**Requested features**

- Provide multiple purchase options
- Add Face ID and Touch ID for hidden files
- Improve file viewer features (thumbnails, playlists, adjustments)
- Add folder locking to prevent accidental deletion
- Implement folder download from PC


### File Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/file-box-my-docs-vault/id1247388222)

Securely store and manage your private pictures, videos, and documents. This app offers gesture encryption to protect your personal privacy and supports importing files from your phone's album or other applications.

**Highlights:** Gesture encryption for privacy, Import pictures and videos from album, Import files from other apps, Universal format support, Organize documents, videos, and pictures

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Permanently Remove ads | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FileMate free?

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

### Is File Box free?

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

### Which has better reviews, FileMate or File Box?

FileMate is rated higher. FileMate averages 4.6 out of 5 from 378 ratings, while File Box averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do FileMate or File Box have ads?

Both FileMate and File Box show ads.

### Which is updated more often, FileMate or File Box?

FileMate ships an update every 2 weeks, and File Box every 8 months. Most recently, FileMate was updated on October 19, 2026 and File Box on October 9, 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.*