Comparison

zFuse vs nPlayer

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 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.

About

nPlayer

Play virtually any video or audio file format without conversion. Stream media from remote devices and cloud services, and control playback with intuitive gestures. Offers extensive subtitle and audio codec support for a seamless viewing experience.

Highlights
  • Plays all video and audio formats without conversion
  • Streams media from network devices and cloud services
  • Supports DTS and Dolby audio codecs
  • Advanced subtitle customization and synchronization
  • Gesture-based playback controls
  • Hardware acceleration for H.264, HEVC, AV1
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

** nPlayer officially supports DTS (DTS HD ), DTS Headphone:X. ** nPlayer supports Dolby (AC3, E-AC3). ** nPlayer is the universal app. You can install it in any other iOS device without additional purchase. - You don't need to convert video files to MP4 to play them in your mobile device. nPlayer enable you to play all kinds of video formats and codecs without file converting efforts. - You don't need to store video files in your device with limited storage space. nPlayer's powerful and various network technologies will help you to stream them from remote devices. - With your finger tip, you can adjust playback position, move to previous and next subtitle position, adjust location and font size of subtitles, control volume and brightness. - Experience nPlayer, thousands of users recommendations. * Features - Supports officially DTS audio codec (DTS HD) - Supports Dolby audio codec (AC3, E-AC3) - Supports iXpand Drive - Supports Chromecast - Supports video cast for Smart TV - Supports HDMI output - Supports video files : MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, WMV, ASF, FLV, OGV, RMVB, TP etc. - Supports audio files : MP3, WAV, WMA, FLAC, APE etc. - Supports subtitle files : SMI, SRT, SSA, IDX, SUB, LRC, SUP, MLP2 etc. - Supports image files : JPG, PNG, BMP, GIF, TIFF etc. - Supports playlist files : CUE, M3U, PLS - Supports WebDAV, FTP, SFTP, HTTP, SMB/CIFS, NFS - Supports UPnP/DLNA (supports subtitles if DLNA server provides subtitles information.) - Supports cloud service (Box, Dropbox, OneDrive, Yandex.Disk) - Supports in-app web browser - Supports iTunes video/audio play (except for DRM contents) - Supports videos and pictures in Album - Playback speed control : 0.5x ~ 4.0x - Resume playback - AB repeat(specific section repetition) - Screen lock - Supports AV1/HEVC/H.264/MPEG4 Hardware acceleration - Supports 3D video mode - Screen flip horizontally, vertically. brightness and saturation control - Aspect ratio : Default, 1:1, 3:2, 4:3, 5:3, 16:9, 1.85:1 etc - Supports multi-track audio - Supports audio boost - Supports audio sync - Supports lyrics display - Supports Dolby, DTS HDMI Bitstream (Passthru) - Supports embedded subtitles - Supports multi-track subtitles - Supports user’s selection of subtitle files - Supports addition of optional subtitle files while playback - Supports subtitles font, color, shadow, outline customization - Supports subtitles sync - Supports external subtitle fonts - Supports SAMI(SMI) tag - Supports SSA/ASS with full styling, embedded subtitles - File management : Delete, Move, Rename, Create a folder - Playlist management : Add, Delete, Modify - Supports recently played list - Folder lock - Supports Open-in - Supports UI theme * Gesture Features - Tap : Menu - Double tap : Pop-up play - Drag horizontally : Playback position adjustment - Drag vertically on right half of the screen : Volume control - Drag vertically on left half of the screen : Brightness control - Pinch on the screen : Screen size adjustment - Drag horizontally on subtitle text : Move to previous/next subtitle text - Drag vertically on subtitle text : Subtitle position adjustment - Pinch on subtitle text : Subtitle font size adjustment - Supports finger gesture customization

Screenshots

zFuse4 screens
nPlayer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: zFuse at Free against nPlayer's $4.99. zFuse also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 54%). nPlayer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On rating, ratings volume and device support 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; nPlayer costs $4.99 up front. zFuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. nPlayer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for zFuse against 4.7 for nPlayer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.2K and 1.9K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of zFuse's written reviews are positive against 54% of nPlayer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, nPlayer every 9 days. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
zFuse versus nPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterzFusenPlayer
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.7 (1.2K ratings)4.7 (1.9K ratings)
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better53.8% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K1.9K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksEvery 9 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#7 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB61 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developers-joys Co., Ltd.Newin Inc.

Customer experience

zFuse

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

nPlayer

All ratings1,904 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral2.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews729 reviews
Positive53.8%
Neutral12.6%
Negative33.6%

User reviews

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

nPlayer

From 1.9K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Stable and fast
  • 👍 Comprehensive features
  • 🔒 Secure file management
  • 💡 Excellent network integration
  • 👍 Customizable interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes
  • 🔋 Battery drain issues
  • 🐛 Chromecast connectivity problems
  • 🐛 Subtitle issues when casting
  • 🐛 Metadata display bugs

Bugs and requests

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

nPlayer

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Playback position not saved after app exit
  • Inability to connect to some network drives
  • Inconsistent behavior when playing certain video formats
  • Subtitles not displayed correctly in some cases

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add support for Apple TV
  • Improve Chromecast support
  • Implement sleep timer for audio
  • Allow customization of subtitle size/color
  • Add option to disable metadata fetching
Show 1 more
  • Improve file sorting and playlist management

In-app purchases

1 purchases

zFuse

One-time1
  • Remove ads$9.99
None

nPlayer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is zFuse free?
zFuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is nPlayer free?
nPlayer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, zFuse or nPlayer?
zFuse and nPlayer are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 1.9K ratings respectively.
Do zFuse or nPlayer have ads?
zFuse shows ads; nPlayer does not.
Which is updated more often, zFuse or nPlayer?
zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, and nPlayer every 9 days. Most recently, zFuse was updated on September 25, 2026 and nPlayer on September 25, 2026.

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