When comparing OI File Manager vs Root Explorer, the Slant community recommends Root Explorer for most people. In the question“What are the best file explorers on Android?” Root Explorer is ranked 5th while OI File Manager is ranked 9th. The most important reason people chose Root Explorer is:
As the name would suggest root file access and editing is something Root File Explorer excels at. It was one of the first to have this function and is still one of the best.
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Pros
Pro Few permissions
It asks only for Storage permissions. No other things are required.
Pro Lightweight
The app takes only a few seconds to download, as its size is only about 1.5 MB to download and installed (on MIUI) takes only ~6 MB full size.
Pro Open Source
OI File Manager is available for free under the Apache License 2.0.
Pro ZIP file extraction support
OI File Manager supports extracting ZIP files.
Pro Root file access and editing
As the name would suggest root file access and editing is something Root File Explorer excels at. It was one of the first to have this function and is still one of the best.

Pro SMB/CIFS network share support
Root Explorer supports SMB/CIFS network sharing.
Pro 24 hour refund policy
The Root Explorer devs have a 24 hour refund policy despite Google's 2 hour policy. All one needs to do is e-mail the devs within that 24 hour period to ask for a refund.
Cons
Con No additional features (suite)
No other features such as networking connections, junk flies cleaner, built-in media player/viewer/editor. But that might be a pro, since nothing else is asked for this app permission.
Con Outdated
At this moment I'm writing, it was updated last in 2017.
Con Ugly UI
The GUI is old and deprecated. But what would you expect for such a small app?
Con UI feels dated
The UI of Root Explorer is not much to look at and feels a bit dated.
