Comparison

Swiftfin vs tofa

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

tofa

Read full description

tofa plays the movies and shows you already own. You run a tofa server on a computer at home and point it at your media folders. Sign in to this app with your tofa account and your server is there, with your libraries, your artwork, and your place in every episode. WATCH ON EVERY SCREEN Your progress follows you. Start a film on Apple TV, finish it on your phone on the train. There is nothing to copy across and nothing to sync by hand. BUILT FOR YOUR LIBRARY Movies and shows are organized automatically, with posters, backdrops, descriptions, and cast. Seasons and episodes land in the right order. When something is named unusually, you can correct the match yourself and it stays corrected. PLAYS YOUR FILES AS THEY ARE Most of your library plays exactly as it sits on disk, which means the best picture your device can show. When a file needs converting, your server handles it and playback keeps up. PICTURE AND SOUND Dolby Vision, HDR10, and 4K on the hardware that supports them. Surround audio passes through to your receiver. Pick the audio track and subtitles you want, and tofa remembers the choice. SUBTITLES THAT WORK Text and image subtitles both render, including styled subtitles. Sidecar files sitting next to your media are picked up automatically. SHARE WITH PEOPLE YOU TRUST Give family or friends access to some or all of your libraries. Everyone gets their own profile, their own watch history, and their own place in each show. YOUR MEDIA STAYS YOURS tofa does not host any content. It plays the files on the server you run. We do not track you across apps or websites, we do not serve ads, and we do not sell your data. You need a tofa server to use this app. Setting one up takes about ten minutes.

Screenshots

Swiftfin4 screens
tofa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: tofa at every 3 days against Swiftfin's every 3 months. Swiftfin's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, tofa every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Swiftfin versus tofa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwiftfintofa
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.8 (276 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews53.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings276 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS18.6 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size186 MB54 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnthony LavadoTofa Software ehf.

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

tofa

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Swiftfin

No in-app purchases

None

tofa

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Swiftfin free?
Swiftfin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is tofa free?
tofa is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Swiftfin or tofa have ads?
Neither Swiftfin nor tofa shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swiftfin or tofa?
Swiftfin ships an update every 3 months, and tofa every 3 days. Most recently, Swiftfin was updated on October 23, 2026 and tofa on October 10, 2026.

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