SMBDrop vs the iPhone Files app
By Isaac Griffiths, developer of SMBDrop ·
Disclosure: I make SMBDrop. The Files app is free and built into every iPhone, so it has a head start, and for plenty of people it's all they need. I'll say when that's you.
Since iOS 13, the iPhone's Files app has been able to connect to SMB shares: Browse → ⋯ → Connect to Server, type smb:// and an address, sign in. That's the same protocol SMBDrop uses. So why would you pay for an app to do it?
The short answer: the Files app is a file browser, and it's good at browsing. SMBDrop is a sender, built around getting photos, videos and files from the phone to a share intact. The longer answer depends on what you're moving.
At a glance
| SMBDrop | Files app | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2.99 once | Free, built in |
| Getting photos there | Picks straight from your photo library | Photos → Share → Save to Files → choose folder |
| Originals | Always the original file | Depends on the share sheet's format option |
| Live Photos | Both halves (photo and video) | Usually the still only |
| Leaving the app mid-transfer | Carries on in the background | Most reliable with the app open |
| If a transfer fails | Waits in a retry queue that survives interruptions | Work out what's missing and copy again |
| Name clashes on the share | Never overwrites an existing file | Asks you what to do |
| Browsing and opening files on the share | Browse and import files back, checked byte-for-byte | Excellent: open, preview, edit in place, move and rename |
| iPad | No, iPhone only | Yes |
When the Files app is all you need
- You mostly move documents. PDFs, spreadsheets and downloads are already files, so Save to Files and the Files app handle them perfectly, and you can open them in place on the share.
- You copy the odd photo. For a few pictures now and then, Save to Files is fine, especially if you set the share sheet's Options to Current to keep the original format.
- You don't care about Live Photo motion. If a still is enough, that limitation doesn't matter.
- You want to browse and manage the NAS from your phone: rename, move, delete and open files. Files is better at this than SMBDrop.
When SMBDrop is worth £2.99
- You're archiving a photo library. Hundreds or thousands of items, sent as originals, without picking the right format option each time.
- Live Photos matter to you. SMBDrop sends the still and the video, so the motion isn't lost on the NAS.
- You send big batches or long videos. You can start a send, switch apps or lock the phone, and anything interrupted waits to be retried instead of leaving you to work out which files made it.
- You want to bring files back safely. Imports are checked byte-for-byte and never overwrite a file on the phone.
Plenty of people use both: Files for documents and browsing, SMBDrop for photos and videos. They connect to the same shares with the same username and password.
Setup is the same for both
Both need an SMB share, its address, and a username and password. Neither discovers servers on its own: you type the address. SMBDrop's Find Shares then lists the shares on that server after you sign in, so you don't have to type the share name. The server-side setup guides apply to both: Synology, QNAP, UGREEN, Unraid and TrueNAS, Windows and Mac.
For more on where Connect to Server runs out, see what the Files app can and can't do.
FAQ
Can the iPhone Files app connect to a NAS?
Yes. In Files, tap Browse, then the three-dot menu, then Connect to Server, and enter smb:// followed by the NAS's address. It supports SMB 2 and later.
Does the Files app keep Live Photos?
Usually not. Saving a Live Photo to Files typically keeps only the still image. Apps that read the photo library directly, such as SMBDrop, can send both the photo and the video.
Is SMBDrop just the Files app with extra steps?
No. Both use SMB, but SMBDrop picks straight from your photo library, always sends originals including both Live Photo halves, keeps going in the background and has a retry queue. The Files app is better for browsing and managing files on the share.
Does SMBDrop find my NAS automatically?
No. Like the Files app, you enter the server's address and your sign-in. SMBDrop's Find Shares then lists the shares on that server so you can pick one.
More guides
- The iPhone Files app's Connect to Server: what it can and can't do
- Live Photos and original iPhone files on a NAS: what actually gets copied
- SMBDrop vs Synology Photos
- SMBDrop vs PhotoSync
- Best ways to back up iPhone photos to a NAS (2026)
- How to send iPhone photos and files to a Mac shared folder
Try SMBDrop
Send original photos, videos and files from your iPhone straight to your own SMB share. One purchase, no account, no subscription.
£2.99 once · no subscription · iOS 17+