# Floatplane vs Swiftfin

The clearest difference is monetization model: Swiftfin at free against Floatplane's freemium. Floatplane's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.1 vs 3.8). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Floatplane holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 394 and 267 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 51% of Floatplane's written reviews are positive against 53% of Swiftfin's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Floatplane ships an update every 3 weeks, Swiftfin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Floatplane | Swiftfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/floatplane/id1472071280/reviews)** | [3.8 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **394** | 267 |
| Positive reviews | 50.7% of reviews | **53.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 45 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.4** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Floatplane Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472071279) | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) |

## What reviewers say

### Floatplane

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/floatplane/id1472071280)

This platform allows users to support content creators directly, offering an ad-free and high-quality video viewing experience. The mobile app extends this premium content access to users on the go.

**Highlights:** Ad-free viewing, High-quality video, Support content creators, Personal premium experience, Mobile access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and simple UI
- 🚀 Stable video playback
- 💡 Exclusive content access
- 🔒 Secure platform for creators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🔍 Lack of search/discovery features
- 📱 Limited iPad support
- 🔇 No background audio playback
- 🖥️ No Apple TV/Chromecast support

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent video loading indicators
- Unreliable login/sign-up process
- Orientation issues on iPad
- Casting/mirroring problems

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Resume playback across devices
- Notification settings
- Offline video downloads
- Improved video scrubbing


### 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 Floatplane free?

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

### Is Swiftfin free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Floatplane or Swiftfin?

Floatplane is rated higher. Floatplane averages 4.1 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while Swiftfin averages 3.8 from 267 ratings.

### Do Floatplane or Swiftfin have ads?

Neither Floatplane nor Swiftfin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Floatplane or Swiftfin?

Floatplane ships an update every 3 weeks, and Swiftfin every 3 months. Most recently, Floatplane was updated on September 15, 2026 and Swiftfin on September 22, 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.*