# zFuse vs ntPlayer

The clearest difference is rating: zFuse at 4.7 against ntPlayer's 4.1. zFuse also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 85) and review sentiment (80% vs 72%). ntPlayer's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 4 weeks) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. zFuse sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ntPlayer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

zFuse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: zFuse has 1.2K ratings behind it against 85, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of zFuse's written reviews are positive against 72% of ntPlayer's.

zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, ntPlayer every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | zFuse | ntPlayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zfuse-media-player/id1054505347/reviews)** | [4.1 (85 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntplayer/id1613758141/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 85 |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 71.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Every 8 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 156 MB | 103 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [s-joys Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1252722512) | [Beijing Hengdian Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1613758143) |

## What reviewers say

### zFuse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zfuse-media-player/id1054505347)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove ads | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


### ntPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ntplayer/id1613758141)

Stream live TV, on-demand videos, TV series, and shows on your iPhone and iPad. This media player supports various playlist formats and offers features for easy channel management and quick access to favorites.

**Highlights:** Supports M3U, M3U8, TXT files, Add playlists via local files, LAN, or URLs, Manage channels by groups, Favorite channels, Watch live TV, VOD, series, and shows

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 免广告会员 | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Generally good IPTV player
- 👍 Free and functional
- 👍 Smooth playback
- 👍 Good for live TV
- 👍 Simple and convenient interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes/freezing
- 🐛 No sound in new version
- 🐛 In-app ads are intrusive
- 🐛 Some sources not playable
- 🐛 Favorites disappear after restart

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on iOS 14
- No sound in new version
- App crashes after updating to black icon version
- App crashes after updating to latest version
- App crashes when updating m3u list

**Requested features**

- Add Apple TV version
- Add macOS version
- Add iPad version
- Add picture-in-picture
- Add background playback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is zFuse free?

zFuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ntPlayer free?

ntPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, zFuse or ntPlayer?

zFuse is rated higher. zFuse averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while ntPlayer averages 4.1 from 85 ratings.

### Do zFuse or ntPlayer have ads?

Both zFuse and ntPlayer show ads.

### Which is updated more often, zFuse or ntPlayer?

zFuse ships an update every 4 weeks, and ntPlayer every 8 days. Most recently, zFuse was updated on October 26, 2026 and ntPlayer on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*