Swiftfin vs Paperback
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Swiftfin
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.
- Native iOS/iPadOS video player
- Connects to Jellyfin media servers
- Stream video collection
- Easy-to-use interface
- Watch Live TV (with hardware)
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Swiftfin is a fast, native video player that works with Jellyfin, the open source free software media server. To use the app, you must have a Jellyfin server set up and running. Find out more at https://jellyfin.org With a Jellyfin server, you can: - Watch Live TV and recorded shows from your Jellyfin server (additional hardware/services required) - Stream your video to your iOS/iPadOS device - View your collection in an easy to use interface This is an official Jellyfin companion app. Thank you for using Jellyfin!
Paperback
This app provides an ad-free reading experience for comics and manga from a Komga server. It offers extensive customization through a scripting API, allowing users to extend its functionality with TypeScript or JavaScript.
- Ad-free reading
- Komga server support
- TypeScript/JavaScript scripting API
- Extensible functionality
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An Ad-Free Komga client for iOS. Supports an extensive scripting API using TypeScript/JavaScript to extend the app functionality.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Paperback at 4.3 against Swiftfin's 3.8. Paperback also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Paperback holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 267 and 569 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 53% and 54% positive.
Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, Paperback every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swiftfin | Paperback |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (267 ratings) | 4.3 (569 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.3% of reviews | 53.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 267 | 569 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Anthony Lavado | Faizan Durrani |
Customer experience
Swiftfin
Paperback
User reviews
Swiftfin
From 267 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Paperback
From 569 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Fantastic app with great features
- 👍 Clean and efficient UI
- 🔒 No ads or in-app purchases
- 🎨 Customizable themes and settings
- 📚 Wide range of manga/comics sources
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Confusing setup and onboarding process
- 🔄 Unreliable library sync and update features
- 🕰️ Slow download and loading speeds
- 📱 Compatibility problems on some devices
Bugs and requests
Swiftfin
Reported bugs
5 issues- 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
5 requests- 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
Paperback
Reported bugs
3 issues- JSON token errors when interacting with server
- Inability to add/remove manga from library
- Disappearing navigation UI elements
Requested features
4 requests- Bookmark/resume reading feature
- Panel-by-panel/smart panel reading mode
- Sync reading progress across devices
- Better documentation and support resources
In-app purchases
Swiftfin
No in-app purchases
Paperback
No in-app purchases
