Swiftfin vs Canopy for Plex
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!
Canopy for Plex
This app provides a safe and distraction-free interface for families to enjoy their existing movie and TV show library. It offers age-appropriate browsing, parental controls, and screen time management, all while connecting to your Plex Media Server.
- Distraction-free interface
- Age-appropriate browsing
- PIN-protected parental controls
- Content rating filtering
- Offline viewing
- Screen time controls
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Your Plex library, built for families. Canopy for Plex gives your family a beautiful, distraction-free interface to watch the movies and shows you already own — without giving them access to everything in your library. A better viewing experience: - Simple, full-screen video player with big, easy-to-tap controls - Continue Watching — picks up right where they left off - Favorites — save their go-to shows - Age-appropriate browsing with no hidden surprises Parents stay in control: - PIN-protected parental controls — change settings only when you're ready - Filter your library by content rating so only approved content appears - Download videos for offline viewing — perfect for travel or no-Wi-Fi zones - Screen time controls to set daily limits Works with your existing Plex setup: Canopy connects directly to your Plex Media Server. No extra subscriptions. No new content to buy. Just a safer way for your family to watch what you already have. Requires an existing Plex Media Server. Plex Pass not required.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Swiftfin at Free against Canopy for Plex's $4.99. Swiftfin also leads on ratings volume (267 vs 1). Canopy for Plex's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Swiftfin is free to download; Canopy for Plex costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Canopy for Plex holds the better App Store score, 5.0 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, Canopy for Plex weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Swiftfin | Canopy for Plex |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 3.8 (267 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 267 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 16.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 186 MB | 106 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Anthony Lavado | Ashton Lance |
Customer experience
Swiftfin
Canopy for Plex
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
Canopy for Plex
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Swiftfin
No in-app purchases
Canopy for Plex
No in-app purchases
