# hPlayer vs Cathode Player

The clearest difference is price: Cathode Player at Free against hPlayer's $0.99. Cathode Player also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 weeks). hPlayer's advantage is ratings volume (69 vs 5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.1). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Cathode Player is free to download; hPlayer costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Cathode Player holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: hPlayer has 69 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of hPlayer's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cathode Player's.

hPlayer ships an update every 3 weeks, Cathode Player every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | hPlayer | Cathode Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (69 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hplayer-simple-and-powerful/id1462751886/reviews) | **[4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathode-player/id6765878641/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **69** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 65.6% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 46 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [成达 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462751885) | [Zabir Raihan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890301412) |

## What reviewers say

### hPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hplayer-simple-and-powerful/id1462751886)

A versatile media player that supports numerous video and audio formats without transcoding. Easily import files via WiFi or iTunes, manage them with folder support, and enjoy playback with intuitive gesture controls. It also includes document viewing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Supports many video formats, WiFi file import, iTunes file import, Folder management, Gesture controls for playback, Plays audio files, Views documents (PDF, Word, Excel)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Cathode Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathode-player/id6765878641)

A native video viewer for following channels and watching content across your Apple devices. Enjoy a fast, lightweight experience with features like picture-in-picture, background audio, and cross-device sync via iCloud. Discover new content with curated channel suggestions.

**Highlights:** Follow channels and view latest videos, Search for videos and channels, Native player with picture-in-picture and background audio, Save videos to Watch Later, Cross-device playback progress sync, Curated channel suggestions

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is hPlayer free?

hPlayer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cathode Player free?

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

### Which has better reviews, hPlayer or Cathode Player?

Cathode Player is rated higher. hPlayer averages 3.9 out of 5 from 69 ratings, while Cathode Player averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do hPlayer or Cathode Player have ads?

Neither hPlayer nor Cathode Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, hPlayer or Cathode Player?

hPlayer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Cathode Player every 5 days. Most recently, hPlayer was updated on October 24, 2026 and Cathode Player on October 24, 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.*