# 8player vs Mediastation

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mediastation at none against 8player's 1. Mediastation also leads on iOS requirement (8.1 vs 16.6). 8player's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. 8player sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year. Mediastation asks for nothing beyond the download.

8player ships an update fortnightly, Mediastation every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | 8player | Mediastation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[2.8 (168 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8player/id375860275/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **168** | — |
| Positive reviews | 43.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 96 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **8.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [8soft Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/425721905) | [Sporty Apps](https://appshunter.io/developer/502628486) |

## What reviewers say

### 8player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/8player/id375860275)

This versatile media player allows you to stream, download, and enjoy videos, music, and photos from various sources. It offers a clean interface, offline playback, and supports a wide range of file formats across iOS and Apple TV devices.

**Highlights:** Stream from cloud and network services, Download for offline playback, Supports DLNA/UPnP, SMB, FTP, Wide range of video, audio, and image format support, Create and manage music playlists, Cast to DLNA and Chromecast devices

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Annual | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 💡 Supports wide range of file formats
- 🎨 Elegant and visually appealing interface
- 🔌 Seamless DLNA/UPnP connectivity

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🚫 Lack of support for certain video codecs
- 🔍 Limited search and browsing functionality
- 🔇 Unreliable Bluetooth speaker connectivity
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly during use

**Reported bugs**

- SMB connectivity issues after recent updates
- Subtitles not displaying correctly for some video files
- Playback freezes or stops when minimizing the app
- Inconsistent behavior when playing next/previous tracks

**Requested features**

- Add gapless playback for music
- Implement a more robust file sorting/browsing system
- Integrate Chromecast support
- Introduce an equalizer for audio customization
- Add password/security protection options


### Mediastation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mediastation/id687485891)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is 8player free?

8player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mediastation free?

Mediastation is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do 8player or Mediastation have ads?

Neither 8player nor Mediastation shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, 8player or Mediastation?

8player ships an update fortnightly, and Mediastation every 8 months. Most recently, 8player was updated on October 17, 2026 and Mediastation on October 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*