Comparison

Swiftfin vs WLED

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Native iOS/iPadOS video player
  • Connects to Jellyfin media servers
  • Stream video collection
  • Easy-to-use interface
  • Watch Live TV (with hardware)
Features
Read full description

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!

About

WLED

Control and manage all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This companion app works with the open-source WLED software for microcontrollers, offering automatic device detection, customizable names, and software update assistance.

Highlights
  • Automatic device detection
  • Centralized light list
  • Software update assistant
  • Customizable device names
  • Hide or delete devices
  • Light and dark mode
Features
Read full description

With the WLED app, you can easily and efficiently manage and control all your WLED light devices from your iPhone or iPad. This is a companion app for the free and open source WLED software for ESP8266/32 microcontrollers. WLED automatically detects and updates the device list, and offers customizable names, a hide or delete feature, and a light and dark mode. It can also help you install new software updates to your devices. Plus, it supports both phones and tablets. Main Features: - Automatic device detection (mDNS) - All lights are accessible from one list - Software Update Assistant - Custom names - Hide or delete devices - Light and dark mode

Screenshots

Swiftfin4 screens
WLED4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Swiftfin at 3.8 against WLED's 3.5. Swiftfin also leads on ratings volume (277 vs 12). WLED's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Swiftfin holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swiftfin has 277 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of Swiftfin's written reviews are positive against 51% of WLED's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, WLED every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Swiftfin versus WLED: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwiftfinWLED
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (277 ratings) — better3.5 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews53.0% of reviews — better50.5% of reviews
Number of ratings277 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TV — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony LavadoChristophe Gagnier

Customer experience

Swiftfin

All ratings267 ratings
Positive64.8%
Neutral10.9%
Negative24.3%
Written reviews366 reviews
Positive53.0%
Neutral14.8%
Negative32.2%

WLED

All ratings10 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews95 reviews
Positive50.5%
Neutral7.4%
Negative42.1%

User reviews

Swiftfin

From 277 App Store ratings

What 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

WLED

From 12 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Works flawlessly for some
  • 👍 Free and does the job
  • 👍 Great for managing multiple devices
  • 👍 Responsive and stable (for some)
  • 👍 Cleaner and modern UI

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues
  • 🐛 Randomly turns on/off
  • 🐛 Not user friendly
  • 🐛 Glitchy and poorly built
  • 🐛 Flickering lights after update

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

WLED

Reported bugs

42 issues
  • Unable to connect to LEDs
  • Lights randomly turn on
  • Connectivity issues, needs re-pairing
  • App doesn't work, glitchy
  • Brightness control issues
Show 37 more
  • Lights flicker after update
  • Cannot find discover lights option
  • Not connected to iPhone, setup issues
  • App won't load, vanishes
  • None of my devices show up
  • Shows up blank, manual add only
  • No longer finds WLED devices
  • App doesn't work, no devices showing
  • Confusing app, turns off
  • App is unusable after update, errors
  • App stopped picking up signal
  • Only connects when at home
  • Doesn't pick up esp8266
  • Sound react option missing
  • Time and macros section not working
  • Update won't update
  • Goes offline from time to time
  • Update breaks app, beta works
  • Drops connection, cannot adjust lights
  • Latest release freezes, unstable wifi
  • Loading WLED UI stuck
  • Inconsistent connection after new update
  • Lost all config after update
  • Lost all presets after update
  • Devices missing and disappearing
  • Update ruined everything, random disconnects
  • App constantly crashes, won't load
  • Stopped working after update
  • New upgrade feature killed device
  • Inconsistent, can't find boards
  • Cannot connect lights, IP address doesn't work
  • Missing schedule function
  • App doesn't work at all
  • Doesn't work properly with WLED 0.14
  • App won't allow changing anything, freezes
  • Hidden devices reappear
  • App goes offline and never connects again

Requested features

6 requests
  • User-friendly interface
  • Simple interface with advanced option
  • Widget features for Home Screen
  • Sound react option
  • Remote control when away from WiFi
Show 1 more
  • Timer or schedule function

In-app purchases

None

Swiftfin

No in-app purchases

None

WLED

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swiftfin free?
Swiftfin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is WLED free?
WLED is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Swiftfin or WLED?
Swiftfin is rated higher. Swiftfin averages 3.8 out of 5 from 277 ratings, while WLED averages 3.5 from 12 ratings.
Do Swiftfin or WLED have ads?
Neither Swiftfin nor WLED shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swiftfin or WLED?
Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, and WLED every 2 months. Most recently, Swiftfin was updated on November 3, 2026 and WLED on November 3, 2026.

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