Comparison

Netflix vs Apple TV

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

Head to head
About

Netflix

Stream award-winning series, movies, documentaries, and stand-up specials from around the world. Get personalized recommendations and enjoy a safe kids' experience. Watch on your device while traveling or taking a break.

Highlights
  • Award-winning series, movies, documentaries
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Kids' safe watching experience
  • Stream on any device
  • New titles added regularly
  • Notifications for new releases
Read full description

Looking for the most talked about TV shows and movies from around the world? They're all on Netflix. Discover award-winning series, movies, live events, podcasts, and games on the go - all in the mobile app. Now, you'll never miss a moment from the world of Netflix while you travel, commute, or just take a break. What you'll love about Netflix: - Smooth navigation with bottom shortcuts to quickly browse or jump back into your favorites. - A new way to discover what's next, including an upcoming clips feed. - A full world of entertainment in one place - series, movies, live events, games, and podcasts. - Keep track of everything you love, from your favorite moments to 'My List', in the 'My Netflix' tab. - Personalized recommendations based on your ratings. Instant notifications for new releases, episodes, and live events. Netflix membership is a month-to-month subscription that begins at sign-up. You can easily cancel anytime, online, 24 hours a day. There are no long-term contracts or cancellation fees. We just want you to love what you watch. Please note that the App Privacy information applies to information collected through the Netflix iOS, iPadOS, and tvOS apps. See the Netflix Privacy Statement (link below) to learn more about information we collect in other contexts, including account registration. Privacy policy: www.netflix.com/privacy Terms of use: www.netflix.com/terms Phone Number: +18667160414 Email: iosappstore@netflix.com

About

Apple TV

This app is a central hub for exclusive original series, movies, and live sports like Formula 1 and MLB. It also aggregates content from your favorite streaming services, allowing you to buy or rent titles and discover new shows.

Highlights
  • Exclusive Apple Originals
  • Live Formula 1 & MLB
  • Buy or rent movies
  • Aggregate streaming services
  • Personalized recommendations
  • Continue Watching feature
Features
Read full description

Apple TV is the home of exclusive Apple Original shows and movies, Formula 1®, MLS, Friday Night Baseball, thousands of movies to buy or rent, and all the best programming from your favorite streaming services — all in one place. With an Apple TV subscription: • Stream thousands of hours of Apple Originals—thrilling dramas, epic sci-fi, and feel-good comedies, all with no ads—including Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, Shrinking, Slow Horses, and F1 The Movie. • Enjoy new releases weekly, with no ads. • Watch every Formula 1 Grand Prix™ live—with all-access coverage for every practice, qualifying, Sprint, and race. • Watch Friday Night Baseball, with live MLB matchups every Friday of the regular season. • Watch every Major League Soccer match live throughout the regular season, the entire playoffs, and Leagues Cup, all with no blackouts. Discover more to watch: • Buy or rent newly released movies, and browse the Apple TV Store with over 100,000 movies and shows—including the largest selection of 4K HDR titles. • Add Apple TV Channels subscriptions and stream seamlessly in the Apple TV app — no additional apps, accounts, or passwords needed. • Connect over 100 video streaming apps to access all your favorite shows and movies in one place. Apple TV app makes all your TV watching easier: • Get personalized recommendations across everything you watch. • With Continue Watching, pick up where you left off across all your subscriptions and devices. • Add to Watchlist to keep track of what you want to watch later. • Browse sports to see live and upcoming matchups, and choose your favorite teams to automatically add games to Continue Watching and receive notifications for close games and more. • Easily find all of your purchased movies and shows in the Library. • Enjoy the best picture and sound quality in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos when available. • Stream over a Wi-Fi or cellular connection, or download to watch offline. • Find the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac, as well as smart TVs and streaming devices. Requirements: • iOS devices using iOS 12.3 or later • Some features require internet access over a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection • HDR video playback may not be available for all content or on all devices Apple TV subscription does not include third party-branded subscription services or content available for rental or purchase in the Apple TV app. In select regions, an Apple TV subscription may only be available as part of an iCloud+ subscription. If you subscribe to any Apple TV channels, payment will be charged to your Apple Account at the confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless they are canceled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. Simultaneous streams may be limited on a per-subscription basis. The availability of Apple TV features, channels, and related content may vary depending on the country or region from which you attempt to access them. You can manage and cancel your subscriptions by going to your Settings on the Apple TV app after purchase. See https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww for the Privacy Policy. Apple TV app Terms and Conditions can be found at https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/us/terms.html

Screenshots

Netflix4 screens
Apple TV4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Apple TV at none against Netflix's 11. Apple TV also leads on iOS requirement (10.2 vs 18.0). Netflix's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (59% vs 43%). On price, rating, ads 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. Netflix sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Apple TV asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Netflix against 4.8 for Apple TV. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7.3M and 1.9M respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Netflix's written reviews are positive against 43% of Apple TV's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Netflix ships an update weekly, Apple TV every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Netflix versus Apple TV: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetflixApple TV
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (7.3M ratings)4.8 (1.9M ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.7% of reviews — better43.2% of reviews
Number of ratings7.3M — better1.9M
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#10 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS18.010.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size194 MB8 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperNetflix, Inc.Apple

Customer experience

Netflix

All ratings7,303,368 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews16,094 reviews
Positive58.7%
Neutral8.6%
Negative32.7%

Apple TV

All ratings1,859,783 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral2.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews5,473 reviews
Positive43.2%
Neutral8.8%
Negative48.0%

User reviews

Netflix

From 7.3M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great selection of movies and TV shows
  • 👍 Convenient offline viewing
  • 💡 Customizable profiles for different users
  • 🚀 Smooth streaming experience

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Glitches and bugs in the app
  • 🔋 High data usage and battery drain
  • 🤔 Inconsistent rating system and content availability
  • 😡 Removing popular shows and movies

Apple TV

From 1.9M App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Decent quality viewing experience
  • 👍 Impressive 4K and audio quality
  • 🤩 Fantastic original content

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable app
  • 🤯 Confusing and unintuitive interface
  • 💰 Misleading pricing and pay-to-watch content
  • 🤔 Lack of user-friendly features
  • 😡 Terrible customer support

Bugs and requests

Netflix

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes
  • Offline downloads not working as expected
  • Profile switching issues
  • Playback controls not functioning properly

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add a teen-friendly section
  • Allow removing items from 'Continue Watching'
  • Improve content management and availability
  • Provide better account management options

Apple TV

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes frequently
  • Playback issues and random freezes
  • Incorrect episode/content display
  • Syncing problems across devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to save/bookmark content for later
  • Improved content organization and navigation
  • Sync playback progress across devices
  • Chromecast/casting support
  • User profiles and personalized recommendations

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Netflix

Subscriptions5
  • Netflix$19.991 Month
  • Netflix 2 Screens - Unlimited Streaming3 variants$19.991 Month
  • Netflix Standard$19.991 Month
Show 2 more
  • Netflix 4 Screens - Unlimited Streaming2 variants$26.991 Month
  • Netflix Premium$26.991 Month
None

Apple TV

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Netflix free?
Netflix is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Apple TV free?
Apple TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Netflix or Apple TV?
Apple TV is rated higher. Netflix averages 4.7 out of 5 from 7.3M ratings, while Apple TV averages 4.8 from 1.9M ratings.
Do Netflix or Apple TV have ads?
Both Netflix and Apple TV show ads.
Which is updated more often, Netflix or Apple TV?
Netflix ships an update weekly, and Apple TV every 2 months. Most recently, Netflix was updated on September 24, 2026 and Apple TV on September 24, 2026.

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