Comparison

zFuse vs zFuse

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

zFuse

Play any video format without conversion, with advanced subtitle effects and direct media streaming from your PC or NAS. Enjoy gesture controls, folder encryption for privacy, and extensive file management features. Supports TV casting and popular media servers.

Highlights
  • Plays all video formats without conversion
  • Supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles
  • Streams media directly from PC/NAS
  • Gesture controls for playback and settings
  • Folder encryption for privacy
  • File download and management
  • TV casting and media server support
Features
Read full description

- zFuse can play all video formats and encodings, allowing you to play video files on your mobile device without the need to convert to MP4. - zFuse supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles, enabling you to experience full subtitle effects just like on your PC/Mac. - zFuse features powerful networking technologies that allow you to play media from your PC or NAS directly, without occupying any space on your limited device storage and without needing to download anything. - zFuse also allows you to easily download files or directories directly from your PC or NAS, making it the perfect companion for your trips. - zFuse supports a variety of gestures - simply move your fingers to adjust playback position, font size, volume, and brightness. - zFuse carefully protects your privacy with folder encryption, so you no longer need to worry about privacy issues. - zFuse's detailed features include: * SMB/CIFS playback and discovery (easily play media files from your PC). * Download media files or directories from SAMBA/DLNA/WebDAV/FTP directly. * UPnP/DLNA playback and discovery. * Emby and Jellyfin media server support. * AirPlay playback. * Picture-in-Picture mode support. * iPad split-screen multitasking support. * Hardware acceleration. * HDR Tone Mapping support on non-HDR displays. * Subtitle effects support. * 0.5x-3.0x playback speed control. * 0.5x-5.0x screen zoom. * Media preview while seeking. * Built-in audio enhancement. * Multi-soundtrack selection. * Embedded/external subtitle track selection. * Subtitle synchronization. * Audio synchronization. * External subtitle font selection support. * Playlist file preview before playback. * Blu-ray directory playback. * Real-time playlist management and editing. * Screen mirroring. * File Management: - Delete, move, rename, create folders. - Wi-Fi file transfer support without USB cable connection. - Streaming media playlist creation support. - File decompression support: 7z, zip, rar, tar, bz, bz2, etc. * Gesture Controls: - Horizontal drag: adjust playback position. - Vertical drag on left side: adjust volume. - Vertical drag on right side: adjust brightness. - Pinch to zoom: adjust screen size. - Double-tap: play/pause. - Two-finger double-tap: change video aspect ratio. * External Keyboard Support: - Space: pause/play. - Left Arrow: backward seek. - Right Arrow: forward seek. - Esc: exit playback. - S: change playback speed. - B: play previous. - N: play next. - Z: change screen scale. * Supported Video Formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, FLV, RMVB, ASF, OGV, Blu-ray ISO and more. * Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE and more. * Supported Subtitle Formats: SRT, SSA, ASS, SUP, VTT. * Supported Image Formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC and more. * Supported eBook Formats: EPUB, TXT, PDF. * Code Editor Supported Languages: JSON, HTML, XML, C/C++, Lua, Java, Objective-C, Swift, Python, JavaScript. * Supported Document Formats: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, RTF, CSV.

About

zFuse

Play any video format and encoding directly from your device or network storage without conversion. Enjoy advanced subtitle effects, gesture controls, and file management features. Supports media servers, TV casting, and privacy protection.

Highlights
  • Plays all video formats and encodings
  • Supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles
  • Network playback from PC/NAS
  • Gesture controls for playback and settings
  • Folder encryption for privacy
  • File download and decompression
  • TV casting and media server support
Features
Read full description

- zFuse can play all video formats and encodings, allowing you to play video files on your mobile device without the need to convert to MP4. - zFuse supports ASS/SSA/SUP effect subtitles, enabling you to experience full subtitle effects just like on your PC/Mac. - zFuse features powerful networking technologies that allow you to play media from your PC or NAS directly, without occupying any space on your limited device storage and without needing to download anything. - zFuse also allows you to easily download files or directories directly from your PC or NAS, making it the perfect companion for your trips. - zFuse supports a variety of gestures - simply move your fingers to adjust playback position, font size, volume, and brightness. - zFuse carefully protects your privacy with folder encryption, so you no longer need to worry about privacy issues. - zFuse's detailed features include: * SMB/CIFS playback and discovery (easily play media files from your PC). * Download media files or directories from SAMBA/DLNA/WebDAV/FTP directly. * UPnP/DLNA playback and discovery. * Emby and Jellyfin media server support. * AirPlay playback. * Picture-in-Picture mode support. * iPad split-screen multitasking support. * Hardware acceleration. * HDR Tone Mapping support on non-HDR displays. * Subtitle effects support. * 0.5x-3.0x playback speed control. * 0.5x-5.0x screen zoom. * Media preview while seeking. * Built-in audio enhancement. * Multi-soundtrack selection. * Embedded/external subtitle track selection. * Subtitle synchronization. * Audio synchronization. * External subtitle font selection support. * Playlist file preview before playback. * Blu-ray directory playback. * Real-time playlist management and editing. * Screen mirroring. * File Management: - Delete, move, rename, create folders. - Wi-Fi file transfer support without USB cable connection. - Streaming media playlist creation support. - File decompression support: 7z, zip, rar, tar, bz, bz2, etc. * Gesture Controls: - Horizontal drag: adjust playback position. - Vertical drag on left side: adjust volume. - Vertical drag on right side: adjust brightness. - Pinch to zoom: adjust screen size. - Double-tap: play/pause. - Two-finger double-tap: change video aspect ratio. * External Keyboard Support: - Space: pause/play. - Left Arrow: backward seek. - Right Arrow: forward seek. - Esc: exit playback. - S: change playback speed. - B: play previous. - N: play next. - Z: change screen scale. * Supported Video Formats: MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, FLV, RMVB, ASF, OGV, Blu-ray ISO and more. * Supported Audio Formats: MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE and more. * Supported Subtitle Formats: SRT, SSA, ASS, SUP, VTT. * Supported Image Formats: JPG, PNG, BMP, TIFF, GIF, HEIC and more. * Supported eBook Formats: EPUB, TXT, PDF. * Code Editor Supported Languages: JSON, HTML, XML, C/C++, Lua, Java, Objective-C, Swift, Python, JavaScript. * Supported Document Formats: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Numbers, Keynote, Pages, RTF, CSV.

Screenshots

zFuse4 screens
zFuse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: zFuse at Free against zFuse's $4.99. zFuse also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (1.2K vs 220). zFuse's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

zFuse is free to download; zFuse costs $4.99 up front. zFuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. zFuse asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

zFuse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: zFuse has 1.2K ratings behind it against 220, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of zFuse's written reviews are positive against 80% of zFuse's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

zFuse ships an update every 3 weeks, zFuse every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on September 22, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
zFuse versus zFuse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterzFusezFuse
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (220 ratings)4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.7% of reviews80.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2201.2K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.1
Further details — not scored
Size152 MB156 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developers-joys Co., Ltd.s-joys Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

zFuse

All ratings220 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative8.6%
Written reviews242 reviews
Positive77.7%
Neutral6.2%
Negative16.1%

zFuse

All ratings1,194 ratings
Positive92.4%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.5%
Written reviews474 reviews
Positive80.4%
Neutral5.1%
Negative14.6%

User reviews

zFuse

From 220 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast video playback and loading speeds
  • 👍 Excellent format support (various codecs and containers)
  • 🎬 Strong HDR video handling
  • 📁 Reliable network file access (SMB, NAS)
  • 🎯 Clean and simple user interface

Room to improve

  • 🎨 Outdated UI design (looks from 2010)
  • 🐛 Frequent bugs introduced with updates
  • 💔 Lack of customer support responsiveness
  • 🔌 No Chromecast/casting support
  • ⚠️ Inconsistent feature availability across platforms

zFuse

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast and smooth playback
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
  • 💡 Supports a wide range of video formats
  • 🚀 Excellent video decoding and hardware acceleration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
  • 🔍 Lacking advanced video settings (color, contrast, etc.)
  • 🔍 Limited subtitle support
  • 🔍 Inconsistent network file sharing performance
  • 🔍 Cluttered UI with too many ads in some versions

Bugs and requests

zFuse

Reported bugs

19 issues
  • Playback speed switching causes audio stuttering and crackling
  • Video snapshots getting lost (long-standing bug)
  • Green pixel artifacts on iPad Pro M4
  • Pop-out video player discoloration after updates
  • Back and forward seeking stopped working
Show 14 more
  • SMB crashes with large file counts
  • DLNA/UPnP not detecting NAS devices
  • SAMBA unable to read external USB drives
  • Movie channel unresponsive/not clickable
  • Device selection option disappeared after update
  • Subtitle menu difficult to access on Apple TV
  • Long filename display issues
  • Slow response time on video selection
  • Password error handling missing feedback
  • Screen orientation settings not working
  • Progress bar control difficult with remote touchpad
  • Excessive volume sensitivity
  • Unable to cache files from certain network sources
  • App crashes on tvOS 14.5

Requested features

18 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Segment/A-B repeat functionality
  • Persistent zoom and aspect ratio settings on loop
  • System time display during playback
  • Subtitle display in picture-in-picture mode
Show 13 more
  • Seamless playback speed switching without pausing
  • Batch file selection and management
  • Persistent subtitle brightness settings
  • Poster wall/cover art display
  • WebDAV support
  • Plugin support
  • Ability to rename favorites
  • History disable option
  • Original quality streaming options for cloud services
  • HDR support on Apple TV
  • Automatic photo/video playback from same folder
  • Custom passcode for Security Space
  • Live stream source subscription support

zFuse

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback issues with certain video codecs
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between files
  • Inability to remember last playback position
  • Compatibility problems on older devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add picture-in-picture mode
  • Implement a more robust subtitle management system
  • Provide more video customization options
  • Improve network file sharing stability and speed
  • Optimize UI for better user experience

In-app purchases

None

zFuse

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

zFuse

One-time1
  • Remove ads$9.99

Questions

Is zFuse free?
zFuse costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is zFuse free?
zFuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, zFuse or zFuse?
zFuse is rated higher. zFuse averages 4.4 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while zFuse averages 4.7 from 1.2K ratings.
Do zFuse or zFuse have ads?
zFuse shows ads; zFuse does not.
Which is updated more often, zFuse or zFuse?
zFuse ships an update every 3 weeks, and zFuse every 4 weeks. Most recently, zFuse was updated on September 22, 2026 and zFuse on September 22, 2026.

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