Comparison

Swiftfin vs Panel Flow

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

Panel Flow

This app offers a unique comic and manga reading experience, automatically detecting panels and speech bubbles to guide you through the story. It supports various file formats, offers text-to-speech narration and translation, and syncs your library across Apple devices.

Highlights
  • Panel and speech bubble detection
  • Text-to-speech narration
  • Speech bubble translation
  • iCloud sync across devices
  • Supports CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT, and PDF files
  • Customizable themes
  • New chapter alerts
Features
Read full description

Panel Flow is a comic and manga reader that follows the story panel by panel. Version 3.0 brings it to iPhone, iPad and Mac, with your library synced through iCloud. Bring your own collection: import CBZ, CBR, CB7, CBT and PDF files, or browse your own comic servers (OPDS-compatible). Panel Flow organizes it all and keeps your place. GUIDED READING - Panel and speech bubble detection: Panel Flow finds the panels on each page and moves through them in reading order, zooming in on one panel at a time. - Steady focus that reframes when you rotate the device and respects Reduce Motion. - Left-to-right, right-to-left for manga, and vertical scroll for long-strip comics. LISTEN AND TRANSLATE - Text-to-speech reads the speech bubbles aloud, and guided reading can move along with the voice, bubble by bubble. - Speech bubble translation shows the translated text right on the page. - On supported devices with Apple Intelligence, ask for an on-device description of the current page. YOUR LIBRARY, ON EVERY DEVICE - iCloud sync, once you turn it on: collections, reading progress and metadata follow you across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Downloaded pages and imported files stay on each device. - A personal reading shelf, collections, search, sorting and a metadata editor. - New chapter alerts: turn them on and Panel Flow checks your series from online sources in the background and lets you know about new chapters (your own comic servers are not included). - One Activity Queue for downloads and image enhancement, with several chapters downloading at once. - A Storage screen shows what each publication uses and frees space by type, chapter or publication. - Optional progress tracking with anime and manga tracking services. MADE TO FIT YOU - Themes from manga to noir, with accessible contrast in every one. - Shortcuts and Siri: Open Library and Continue Reading. - VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and Reduce Motion support. - Available in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with an original sample comic to try first. PRIVACY Anonymous usage analytics are off by default; you choose whether to turn them on in Settings > Privacy.

Screenshots

Swiftfin4 screens
Panel Flow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Panel Flow at 5.0 against Swiftfin's 3.8. Panel Flow also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). Swiftfin's advantage is ratings volume (278 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 27.0). 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

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

Panel Flow holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swiftfin has 278 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, Panel Flow every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Swiftfin versus Panel Flow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwiftfinPanel Flow
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (278 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings278 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS18.6 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB136 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperAnthony LavadoTap4Mobile do Brasil

Customer experience

Swiftfin

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

Panel Flow

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Panel Flow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Swiftfin

No in-app purchases

None

Panel Flow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swiftfin free?
Swiftfin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Panel Flow free?
Panel Flow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Swiftfin or Panel Flow?
Panel Flow is rated higher. Swiftfin averages 3.8 out of 5 from 278 ratings, while Panel Flow averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Swiftfin or Panel Flow have ads?
Neither Swiftfin nor Panel Flow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swiftfin or Panel Flow?
Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, and Panel Flow every 2 weeks. Most recently, Swiftfin was updated on November 7, 2026 and Panel Flow on October 30, 2026.

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