# Chromecaster vs The Forge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Forge at none against Chromecaster's 9. The Forge also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chromecaster sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. The Forge asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chromecaster ships an update every 2 months, The Forge every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chromecaster | The Forge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (16K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chromecaster-get-streaming-tv/id1474236946/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **16K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 9.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 220 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [TV Cast Pte. Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1626984840) | [First Response Mental Health](https://appshunter.io/developer/1518087142) |

## What reviewers say

### Chromecaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chromecaster-get-streaming-tv/id1474236946)

Stream web videos, photos, and music from your device to your TV. Enjoy your media on the big screen with HD and 4K quality. Offers full playback controls and cloud integration for easy access to your content.

**Highlights:** Stream & Cast to TV in HD, 4K, Connect and control media playback, Full playback controls, Cast from Camera Roll, Cast from Dropbox & Google Drive, Web video streamer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Premium | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium | $9.99 | per month |
| Premium | $24.99 | per year |
| Premium | $29.99 | one-time |
| Premium | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Useful for casting photos and videos
- 👍 Easy to connect to Chromecast

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and crashes
- 💰 Overly aggressive upselling of premium features
- 🚫 Limited functionality without paying for premium
- 🤔 Unclear if it's an official Google product

**Reported bugs**

- Screen mirroring issues, especially with audio
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
- Subscription management and cancellation problems

**Requested features**

- Ability to cast from more apps beyond YouTube
- Landscape mode support for screen mirroring
- Better remote control integration for streaming devices


### The Forge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-forge/id6752663939)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chromecaster free?

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

### Is The Forge free?

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

### Do Chromecaster or The Forge have ads?

Chromecaster shows ads; The Forge does not.

### Which is updated more often, Chromecaster or The Forge?

Chromecaster ships an update every 2 months, and The Forge every 5 weeks. Most recently, Chromecaster was updated on October 27, 2026 and The Forge on October 25, 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.*