Comparison

zFuse vs Infuse

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

Infuse

A versatile video player that supports a vast array of formats and streaming options. Enjoy smooth playback, HDR, and Dolby audio, with integrated subtitle downloads and Trakt sync. Stream content from various devices and cloud services without conversion.

Highlights
  • Plays virtually any video format
  • Stream from Mac, PC, NAS, and cloud services
  • Supports HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby/DTS audio
  • Integrated subtitle downloads
  • Trakt 2-way sync
  • AirPlay & Google Cast support
Features
Read full description

Ignite your video content with Infuse – the beautiful way to watch almost any video format on your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Vision. No need to convert files! Infuse is optimized for iOS 27, with powerful streaming options, Trakt sync, and unmatched AirPlay & subtitle support. Gorgeous interface. Precise controls. And silky-smooth playback. - PLAY MORE VIDEO TYPES A powerful video player that plays just about anything, including MP4, MKV, M4V and MOV – plus many others. Includes support for HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, plus Dolby and DTS audio. - STREAM FROM OTHER DEVICES Browse and play videos stored on your Mac, PC, NAS, Wi-Fi hard drive, apps like Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin, or from cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, pCloud, Yandex.Disk, MEGA, Aliyun Drive, and others – no syncing required! - AIRPLAY & GOOGLE CAST OPTIONS Stream a wide variety of videos types such as MKV, MP4, M4V, and others over AirPlay & Google Cast with full surround sound and subtitles. - TRAKT 2-WAY SYNC Connect with Trakt to sync watched history, submit ratings and post comments. - OPTIMIZED SUBTITLES POWERED BY OPENSUBTITLES Bring your own subtitles, or download them on the fly (for free) in virtually any language. ===== “Looks great, plays anything you throw at it...surprisingly powerful” - Lifehacker “The best media player for iPhone and iPad...superior to VLC.” - Cult of Mac “I can't give the UI high enough praise. It's great.” - 9to5Mac “I see no reason whatsoever to remove Infuse from my Home screen anytime soon.” - iDownloadBlog “A beautiful UI.” - Trakt co-founder “A mini Kodi!” - Infuse user ===== MORE THAN JUST A PRETTY FACE THE BASICS - Silky-smooth video player (plays full 4K w/ HDR & Dolby Vision) - Stream from a Mac, PC, NAS or Wi-Fi enabled hard drive - Connect with Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi (XBMC), WMC and other media servers - Beautiful layout with quick access to video info - Artwork and metadata added automatically - Split View & PIP - Spatial audio SUPPORTED FORMATS - Video: 33GP, AVI, AV1, ASF, BDMV, DIVX, DVDMEDIA, DVR-MS, FLV, H.264 (AVC), H.265 (HEVC), ISO/IMG, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MTS/M2TS, MXF, OGM, OGV, RMVB, TS, VC1, VIDEO_TS, VOB, VP9, WEBM, WMV, WTV - Audio: AAC, AC3/E-AC3, DOLBY TRUEHD, DTS, DTS-HD MA, FLAC, MP3, OGG, PCM, WMA - Subtitles: DVB, DVDSUB, MICRODVD, MPL2, PGS, SMI, SSA/ASS, SRT, SUB, SUP, TIMED TEXT, TXT, VOBSUB, VTT, XSUB PLAYER FEATURES - Multiple audio tracks - Chapters - Gesture controls - 8 video zoom options - Continuous playback - TV out via HDMI or VGA adapter - Deinterlacing EXTRAS - Folders - One-click subtitle downloads from OpenSubtitles - Scrobble plays to Trakt - Download videos from networked devices - Drag and drop uploads via web browser - Get extra onboard storage with SanDisk iXpand and other USB drives GET MORE WITH INFUSE PRO! - Play even more video formats - Stream video trailers for movies and TV shows - Enjoy high-resolution Dolby® and DTS® audio - Access videos stored in cloud services like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, OneDrive, pCloud, Yandex.Disk, MEGA, Aliyun Drive, and more - Stream a wide variety of video types over AirPlay and Google Cast - Sync libraries, settings, watched history, and playback progress between devices ==== Note: DRM-protected movies & TV shows purchased from the iTunes store are not supported. Metadata and artwork provided by TMDB, which is a community maintained movie and TV show database. ==== Infuse Pro is available as a optional subscription, and includes a free trial period that begins once your purchase has been confirmed with your iTunes Account. When the trial period concludes, your subscription will start and renew automatically. Your iTunes Account will be charged for the upcoming period unless you disable auto-renew or cancel your subscription in your Account Settings at least 24-hours prior to the end of the current period. Visit firecore.com/terms-privacy for full terms and privacy policy.

Screenshots

zFuse4 screens
Infuse4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Infuse at none against zFuse's shown. Infuse also leads on ratings volume (28K vs 1.2K) and chart position (#196 vs unranked). zFuse's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 60%) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). On price, rating, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. zFuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Infuse sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

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 Infuse. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Infuse has 28K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of zFuse's written reviews are positive against 60% of Infuse's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, Infuse fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
zFuse versus Infuse: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterzFuseInfuse
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (1.2K ratings)4.7 (28K ratings)
Positive reviews80.4% of reviews — better60.5% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K28K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#196 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size156 MB198 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developers-joys Co., Ltd.Firecore, LLC

Customer experience

zFuse

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

Infuse

All ratings28,172 ratings
Positive92.2%
Neutral2.1%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews2,656 reviews
Positive60.5%
Neutral8.2%
Negative31.4%

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

Infuse

From 28K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent video playback
  • 🔍 Automatic metadata fetching
  • 👍 Seamless integration with Apple devices
  • 🔊 Supports high-quality audio formats
  • 📂 Easy file management and organization

Room to improve

  • 🔒 Subscription model
  • 🐛 Metadata issues and incorrect tagging
  • ⏱️ Slow library loading and indexing
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🤔 Confusing user interface

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

Infuse

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Frequent crashes and freezes
  • Connectivity issues with network shares
  • Playback problems with certain video formats
  • Sync issues between devices
  • Unreliable subtitle downloads

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to edit metadata manually
  • Support for more media file types (photos, music)
  • Improved TV show organization and episode handling
  • Picture-in-picture controls and gestures
  • Customizable library views and sorting options

In-app purchases

1 purchases

zFuse

One-time1
  • Remove ads$9.99
7 purchases

Infuse

Subscriptions4
  • Infuse Pro - Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Infuse Pro - Monthly1 Month trial$1.991 Month
  • Infuse Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$16.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Infuse Pro - Yearly1 Year trial$16.991 Year
One-time3
  • Dolby AudioFree
  • DTS AudioFree
  • Infuse Pro - Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is zFuse free?
zFuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Infuse free?
Infuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, zFuse or Infuse?
zFuse and Infuse are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1.2K and 28K ratings respectively.
Do zFuse or Infuse have ads?
zFuse shows ads; Infuse does not.
Which is updated more often, zFuse or Infuse?
zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, and Infuse fortnightly. Most recently, zFuse was updated on September 25, 2026 and Infuse on September 26, 2026.

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