# Nebula⁣ vs Swiftfin

The clearest difference is rating: Nebula⁣ at 4.8 against Swiftfin's 3.8. Nebula⁣ also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (14K vs 276). Swiftfin's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 16). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nebula⁣ sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Swiftfin asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nebula⁣ holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Nebula⁣ has 14K ratings behind it against 276, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 54% of Nebula⁣'s written reviews are positive against 53% of Swiftfin's.

Nebula⁣ ships an update fortnightly, Swiftfin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nebula⁣ | Swiftfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (14K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nebula/id1447033725/reviews)** | [3.8 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **14K** | 276 |
| Positive reviews | **54.4% of reviews** | 53.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Size | 63 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Standard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447033724) | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) |

## What reviewers say

### Nebula⁣

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nebula/id1447033725)

Access a curated collection of videos, podcasts, and classes from independent creators. Enjoy exclusive original content, extended cuts, and offline downloads. Support creators directly through this ad-free streaming platform.

**Highlights:** Full catalog access, Exclusive Nebula Originals, Nebula Plus extended content, Creator release notifications, Offline video downloads

**Features:** Family Sharing, SharePlay

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MONTHLY | $2.99 | per month |
| MONTHLY | $4.99 | per month |
| MONTHLY | $5.00 | per month |
| MONTHLY | $7.00 | per month |
| YEARLY | $9.99 | per year |
| YEARLY | $29.99 | per year |
| YEARLY | $30.00 | per year |
| YEARLY | $49.99 | per year |
| YEARLY | $60.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Ad-free experience
- 💡 Creator-owned platform
- 🚀 Smooth app performance
- 🤩 Excellent content quality
- 💰 Affordable subscription

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy app with crashes and glitches
- 🔍 Poor content discoverability
- 🔀 Confusing navigation and lack of user-friendly features
- 🔇 No background playback or audio-only mode
- 🔒 Lack of platform-wide login persistence

**Reported bugs**

- Downloaded videos disappearing from the app
- Inability to exit full-screen mode without restarting the app
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between portrait and landscape modes
- Frequent app crashes and freezes, especially on older devices

**Requested features**

- Add Chromecast and AirPlay support
- Implement a 'Watch Later' or 'Continue Watching' feature
- Allow users to adjust video quality and playback speed
- Introduce a comments section for user feedback
- Improve content organization and recommendation algorithms


### Swiftfin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728)

Stream your video collection from a Jellyfin media server to your iOS device. Enjoy an easy-to-use interface for your media library and watch live TV if you have the necessary hardware.

**Highlights:** Native iOS/iPadOS video player, Connects to Jellyfin media servers, Stream video collection, Easy-to-use interface, Watch Live TV (with hardware)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth and responsive UI
- 🚀 Fast and efficient media playback
- 🔒 Secure user profiles and pin protection
- 💡 Seamless switching between multiple user accounts
- 👍 Clean and modern app design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔋 Inconsistent battery performance
- 🔒 Difficulty changing server IP/domain
- 🐛 Issues with subtitle and audio track selection
- 🐛 Unreliable live TV and DVR functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Unable to connect to Jellyfin server after recent updates
- Sorting and filtering not working as expected
- Playback issues with certain video codecs and formats
- Home bar not disappearing during video playback
- Sync issues between iOS and tvOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add offline media download capability
- Implement Picture-in-Picture mode
- Introduce a shuffle option for episodes
- Integrate e-book and audiobook support
- Allow customization of media library views


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nebula⁣ free?

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

### Is Swiftfin free?

Swiftfin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nebula⁣ or Swiftfin?

Nebula⁣ is rated higher. Nebula⁣ averages 4.8 out of 5 from 14K ratings, while Swiftfin averages 3.8 from 276 ratings.

### Do Nebula⁣ or Swiftfin have ads?

Neither Nebula⁣ nor Swiftfin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nebula⁣ or Swiftfin?

Nebula⁣ ships an update fortnightly, and Swiftfin every 3 months. Most recently, Nebula⁣ was updated on October 28, 2026 and Swiftfin 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.*