# M3Player vs Cathode Player

The clearest difference is price: Cathode Player at Free against M3Player's $3.99. M3Player's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (589 vs 5). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Cathode Player is free to download; M3Player costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

M3Player holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: M3Player has 589 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of M3Player's written reviews are positive against 67% of Cathode Player's.

M3Player ships an update every 11 days, Cathode Player weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | M3Player | Cathode Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (589 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m3player-m3u-iptv-player/id1470774095/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathode-player/id6765878641/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **589** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **84.5% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 27 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jianfeng Wu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1435210283) | [Zabir Raihan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890301412) |

## What reviewers say

### M3Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m3player-m3u-iptv-player/id1470774095)

Listen to YouTube playlists and videos in audio-only mode, saving your device's screen and battery. Record streams for offline playback, ensuring uninterrupted listening without data or signal concerns.

**Highlights:** Background audio playback, Audio-only mode, Screen and battery saving, Record video streams, Offline playback, No data/signal required for offline

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for audiobooks
- 🚀 Works fantastic
- 👍 Solves problems perfectly
- 👍 Excellent app
- 👍 Fantastic, useful app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes when trying to upload
- 🐛 Hangs when encountering partially played songs
- 🔒 Limited to 100 videos per playlist

**Reported bugs**

- Playlist import not working
- Time display issues when using for audiobooks

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Watch
- Add option to change playback speed
- Add in-app download and save for offline listening
- Add sleep timer
- Add shuffle feature for playlists


### 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 M3Player free?

M3Player costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Cathode Player free?

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

### Which has better reviews, M3Player or Cathode Player?

M3Player is rated higher. M3Player averages 4.7 out of 5 from 589 ratings, while Cathode Player averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do M3Player or Cathode Player have ads?

Neither M3Player nor Cathode Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, M3Player or Cathode Player?

M3Player ships an update every 11 days, and Cathode Player weekly. Most recently, M3Player was updated on September 26, 2026 and Cathode Player on September 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.*