Both the apps boast of over 100 million downloads and claim to be 200 times faster than the conventional Bluetooth connection. Plus, not to mention the fact that the duo sees their share of regular updates. So, it seems only fair that we pit both the apps against each other and see who wins at the end.
Overview
If we dig deeper, SHAREit and Xender are more than just file transfer applications. While SHAREit also works as an app manager and a video player, Xender lets you listen to songs, thanks to its integration of Hungama Music. After this brief overview, let’s have a quick roundup of the common tools of both the apps.
Common Features
1. File Transfer Speed
Xender and SHAREit are both known to have high transfer speeds. In fact, SHAREit claims that its maximum speed can go as high as 20MB/s. On the contrary, Xender’s maximum speed is somewhere near 40MB/s. However, let’s not forget that the transfer speed depends on the Wi-Fi interference, the read-write speed of the device, and the distance between the nodes. Hence, you might not get a speed as high as claimed by the developers. When it drills down to the comparison, the speed of both the apps is almost at par with each other.
2. Types of Files Supported
Both Xender and SHAREit support a majority of the file types such as videos, pictures, apps, music app, and documents like pdf or zip files. Xender goes a notch higher when it comes to file support. Apart from the above, it supports a number of file formats such as .apk, .epub, .txt, .ebk, and the standard doc formats .doc or .ppt.
3. Interface and Ease of Use
When it comes to the interface, I would side with Xender for its beautiful categorization of apps, photos, and music. Sending over selected media or apps is also as easy as pie with this app. All you need to do is tap on Send and wait for the receiver to confirm the drop. On the other hand, the more popular SHAREit has a clunky interface on top. The homepage is riddled with ads. While you do get the same categorization in SHAREit as you’d see on Xender, it’s hidden under a layer of ads. When it comes to the ease of use, selecting photos and apps on SHAREit is easier. A gentle tap on the picture and it would be added to the list of Selected files regardless of the type.
4. Multiple Device Sharing
Both the apps have the support for multiple file sharing. Xender goes the conventional way of Web Share, where you can share files to connected devices by connecting them to a portable Wi-Fi network. An alternate way is to scan a given QR code. SHAREit makes use of a feature, which goes by the name of Group Share. All you have to do tap on Create a Group and wait for your buddies to join the group and the rest will be taken care of by the app. If I were to compare the ease of group share, I would side with Xender in this one for easy Web Share feature.
5. Multiple File Type Sharing
Again, the effectiveness of a file-sharing app can be perceived over how many files and the type of files one can share at one go. SHAREit lets you send over a variety of files at one go. Whether it’s an image, an app or a video, just select your file from the different categories and tap on Send. This is where Xender falls short. It can only send files of a particular type. So, if your buddy wants two apps and a video file from you, you’d have to share the documents in two separate sessions. Though an alternate method does exist where you’d need to add the files, hit Send and deny to enable the Turn hotspot on option. Continue this for all the files and send all of them together at the end. But as I said, this method is not seamless. When it comes to multiple file sharing, SHAREit wins the round.
Uncommon Features
1. Folder Transfer
SHAREit boasts of a handy feature, which goes by the name of folder transfers. So, if you have your music or movies piled up in one folder, you can transfer the whole folder (or a number of them) over to your buddy without breaking a sweat. The same holds true for the picture folders as well. All you have to do is select the folder option where it’s applicable, select the folder(s) and hit Send. Though Xender displays the system folders on your device, it doesn’t let you select any of them. A tap on a system folder will merely reveal the contents inside it, which you’ll have to send using the old-school method.
2. Peeking into Your Buddy’s Phone
What makes Xender interesting is that both the sender and receiver can see the apps, videos and music files on the other phone. This is a bit creepy if you ask me. If you would want to get some of the files or apps that your friend has on his or her phone, you can tap on the Get button beside the desired app. Xender transfers only the apk files of the apps, the installation should be done manually. For music files, a mere tap on the Get button will be enough. Thankfully, Xender doesn’t display video details that are on your friend’s phone. It scans the number of videos and informs both the sender and the receiver about the count. The video peek asks for explicit permission for sharing and that’s a relief. While this feature is a tad creepy, especially if you are sharing files with someone you barely know or someone from your workplace. I personally would avoid this feature.
3. Hide Files
A useful feature of Xender is that it lets you hide files. So, for the files that you wouldn’t want to be displayed on the app home page, all you have to do is select the files, tap on the three-dot or hamburger menu and select Hide. Just make sure that the Hidden file feature is set up before you start hiding files. The app doesn’t ask for any complex password, just a 4-digit PIN to unhide them.
4. Dedicated App for PC
SHAREit nails it when it comes to having a dedicated app for PC. So, if you’d like to transfer files and pictures from your phone to PC or vice versa, this tool is smooth as silk. The transfers are done at the speed of light. Plus, the interface is neat and easy to understand. When it comes to Xender, though it doesn’t have a dedicated app, it has a nifty solution in the name of Xender Web. Much like WhatsApp Web, all you have to do is scan the QR code on your PC with your phone and you’ll be able to transfer files between the two devices.
Who Wins?
Here comes the main question … who is the winner? Well, it depends on what more features you’d like to see in these apps. If you are looking for an easy way to transfer files and folders without bothering about how the app looks, SHAREit is the obvious answer to your question. Plus, it has a dedicated app for PC. When it comes to Xender, features such as folders peek, ease of use, and the support for multiple file formats wins the case. However, it falls short when the features such as folder share or multiple format share come in question. Since both these apps are free, you can’t escape the wrath of in-app ads. At the end of the day, it depends on how you’d like to use these apps. So, which one of these file-sharing apps will find its way to your Android? Do drop us a line or two in comments. The above article may contain affiliate links which help support Guiding Tech. However, it does not affect our editorial integrity. The content remains unbiased and authentic.
