Swiftfin vs Pixelcade
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!
Pixelcade
This companion app allows users to manage their Pixelcade LED and LCD marquees. Browse, update, and change settings for your marquee artwork and access widgets. Connect wirelessly over Wi-Fi for a seamless experience.
- Browse Pixelcade artwork
- Update marquee artwork
- Change marquee settings
- Access Pixelcade widgets (LED only)
- Wi-Fi connectivity
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The Pixelcade Companion App enhances your experience with Pixelcade LED and LCD marquees by allowing you to browse Pixelcade artwork, update artwork, change settings, and access Pixelcade widgets (LED only). Connect seamlessly to your Pixelcade marquee over Wi-Fi, ensuring both devices are on the same network. Please note, Pixelcade LED software version 5.8 or higher is required for Pixelcade LED marquees. Learn more about Pixelcade arcade marquees at http://pixelcade.org.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Pixelcade at every 8 days against Swiftfin's every 3 months. Pixelcade also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.8) and iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.6). Swiftfin's advantage is ratings volume (267 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.
Pixelcade holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swiftfin has 267 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, Pixelcade every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swiftfin | Pixelcade |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (267 ratings) | 4.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 267 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Anthony Lavado | OPEN GADGETS LLC |
Customer experience
Swiftfin
Pixelcade
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
Pixelcade
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Swiftfin
No in-app purchases
Pixelcade
No in-app purchases
