Comparison · honest

OpenExtract vs iExplorer

iExplorer, from Macroplant, is iPhone transfer software for Mac and Windows, with a free demo and a paid license. OpenExtract is a free, open-source iPhone backup extractor. Both get messages, photos and contacts out of a backup. Here's where each one is the better pick.

Pick OpenExtract if

You want to export messages, photos or voicemails from a backup without paying.
You're on Linux, or want a tool whose code you can read.
A backup on your computer is all you have, or all you need.

Pick iExplorer if

You want to work with the iPhone itself: music, app files, disk mode.
You need calendars, reminders, voice memos or Safari bookmarks.
You have an older Mac. iExplorer lists macOS 10.10 or later; OpenExtract's Mac build needs Apple Silicon.
You want a vendor to call on for support.

Both read the same Apple backup format, so trying one doesn't rule out the other.

At a glance

	OpenExtract	iExplorer
Price	Free	From $39.99 per license, paid once
Free version exports messages & photos	Yes, all of them	No, view only
Open source	Yes (MIT)	No
Platforms	Windows · macOS (Apple Silicon) · Linux	Windows · macOS 10.10 or later
Reads backups on your computer	Yes	Yes
Encrypted backups	Yes	Yes
Messages (SMS / iMessage)	PDF, HTML, CSV, text	PDF, CSV, TXT
Photos & videos	Yes	Yes
Contacts	vCard	vCard
Call history	Yes, CSV	Yes, CSV or TXT
Notes & voicemail	Yes	Yes
Safari	History (encrypted backups)	History & bookmarks
Calendar, reminders, voice memos	No	Yes
Works with a connected iPhone	No, reads backups	Yes
Music & playlists to iTunes	No	Yes
Mount the iPhone as a drive	No	Yes
Support	Free · GitHub issues	Vendor, 7 days a week

Is iExplorer free?

You can download it for free, but the free version won't export your messages, contacts or photos. iExplorer's demo has no time limit and lets you browse messages, contacts, voicemails, notes, call history and photos. Exporting them needs a license. In the demo, music transfers go 10 tracks at a time and disk mounting stops at 150 MB. Macroplant spells this out on its free vs paid page and in its help center.

A license is $39.99 for one, $49.99 for two or $69.98 for five, each for Mac or Windows. Macroplant says a license is a one-time payment that covers every update to the current major version, iExplorer 4.

OpenExtract has no demo and no license. Exports work from the first launch, for every message, photo and voicemail in the backup.

Where OpenExtract wins

Exports are free.

Save every conversation, photo and voicemail without buying anything. iExplorer's demo shows them but won't export them.

Open source.

MIT-licensed. Read every line and check exactly what it does with your backup.

Linux.

OpenExtract runs on Linux as well as Windows and Mac. iExplorer is Windows and Mac.

One timeline of the backup.

Messages, calls, photos, voicemails, notes and web visits in one list by date, filtered by person or type.

Nothing to register.

No account and no license key. Nothing from your backup is uploaded.

Where iExplorer wins

The phone itself.

iExplorer connects to the iPhone directly: copy music and playlists to iTunes, browse app folders, mount the phone as a drive. OpenExtract works from backups: it can make one, but it doesn't browse the phone itself.

More kinds of data.

Calendars, reminders, voice memos and Safari bookmarks. OpenExtract doesn't read those.

Older Macs.

iExplorer lists macOS 10.10 or later. OpenExtract's Mac build needs an Apple Silicon Mac.

Vendor support.

Licenses come with support 7 days a week and a 30-day satisfaction guarantee. OpenExtract has GitHub issues.

Answered honestly

Can OpenExtract read the same backups as iExplorer?

Yes. iExplorer reads iTunes backups, and OpenExtract reads the same backups, whether iTunes, Finder or the Apple Devices app made them. Encrypted ones too. You don't need to make a new one.

Do I need my iPhone connected?

Not for OpenExtract. It works from a backup on your computer, so the phone can be lost, broken or already sold. iExplorer's music, app-folder and disk-mode features need the phone plugged in.

Can OpenExtract copy music off my iPhone?

No. OpenExtract reads backups; it doesn't move music. That's one of the things iExplorer is built for.

Is OpenExtract really free?

Yes. There's no demo, no license and no paid tier. It's open source under the MIT license.

Sources

Everything this page says about iExplorer comes from Macroplant's own website, checked on November 2, 2026:

iExplorer: platforms, features and the macOS 10.10 requirement.
iExplorer 4 pricing: license prices, updates, support and guarantee.
iExplorer 4 free vs paid: what the demo can and can't do.
What are the limits of the demo?: one-time payment for a lifetime license.
Messages, voicemail and contacts and notes, call history, Safari and calendar: export formats.
What do I enter for encryption password?: encrypted backups.
iExplorer license agreement: the software may not be modified.

Prices and features change. If something here is out of date, open an issue and we'll fix it.

Export it all. Free.

Free, open source, nothing uploaded. Mac · Windows · Linux.

Download OpenExtract →