Files by Google vs Cleaner – Clean Phone: what 5,725 reviews say

Files by Google vs Cleaner – Clean Phone: the numbers side by side

Where do Files by Google and Cleaner – Clean Phone differ most?

• Ads, pop-ups and pushy screens is a bigger issue for Cleaner – Clean Phone (26.1% of low ratings) than for Files by Google (3.1%).
• Slowness, crashes and bugs is a bigger issue for Files by Google (22.7% of low ratings) than for Cleaner – Clean Phone (8%).
• The app not working or doing little is a bigger issue for Files by Google (26.9% of low ratings) than for Cleaner – Clean Phone (19.4%).
• Billing, trials and cancelling is a bigger issue for Cleaner – Clean Phone (9.2% of low ratings) than for Files by Google (3.5%).
• Privacy and permission worries is a bigger issue for Cleaner – Clean Phone (8.3% of low ratings) than for Files by Google (5%).

Both are compared on Android. Files by Google browses and shares files and suggests old chat-app photos, duplicate files and other items to delete; Cleaner – Clean Phone analyses storage, recommends files to delete and works as a file manager.

Are Files by Google and Cleaner – Clean Phone improving?

Files by Google went from 3.26 stars in 2026-Q2 to 4.34 in 2026-Q4, with billing at 4.1% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. Cleaner – Clean Phone went from 4.35 stars in 2025-Q3 to 4.39 in 2026-Q3, with billing at 20% of its latest 1–2★ reviews. On Google Play, Cleaner – Clean Phone's developer answers more unhappy reviewers (100% against 57.6%).

Where are Files by Google and Cleaner – Clean Phone alike?

There is no complaint theme where the two apps are within two points of each other, which is unusual. 18.4% of Files by Google's reviews are 1★ and 58.8% are 5★; for Cleaner – Clean Phone the split is 9.3% and 80.8%, so Files by Google has noticeably more very angry reviewers.

What do happy users praise in each?

26.5% of Cleaner – Clean Phone's 4–5★ reviews say it works, compared with 19.1% for Files by Google. 11.3% of Cleaner – Clean Phone's 4–5★ reviews say it is fast, compared with 4.2% for Files by Google. 3% of Files by Google's 4–5★ reviews say organising photos, compared with 0.2% for Cleaner – Clean Phone.

Which is cheaper, Files by Google or Cleaner – Clean Phone?

Files by Google: no prices listed. Cleaner – Clean Phone: Google Play (US) $0.99 to $99.99 per item, with ads. Files by Google costs nothing to use. Billing makes up 3.5% of Files by Google's 1–2★ reviews and 9.2% of Cleaner – Clean Phone's.

What reviewers say about Files by Google and Cleaner – Clean Phone

• Files by Google: "no ads, easy to use and cleans unnecessary files and photos." (5★, Google Play, US, Oct 2026)
• Files by Google: "very bad... not even opening a single files, just loading. frustrated I have to use other 3rd party file manager" (1★, Google Play, US, Jul 2026)
• Cleaner – Clean Phone: "Just installed but so far so good! I might even buy the ad free version. Need to check under the couch cushions!!" (5★, Google Play, US, Jun 2021)
• Cleaner – Clean Phone: "My phone is real slow the battery was not staying up and y'all clean my phone and it works great thank you" (5★, Google Play, US, Oct 2023)

Picked from the ads, pop-ups and pushy screens and slowness, crashes and bugs themes, where the two differ most.

Should you choose Files by Google or Cleaner – Clean Phone?

On ratings alone, Cleaner – Clean Phone is the safer bet on the evidence here, with 12.7% fewer 1–2★ reviews. If ads, pop-ups and pushy screens is what worries you most, Files by Google has the better record on it.