# JRemote vs Swiftfin

The clearest difference is price: Swiftfin at Free against JRemote's $12.99. Swiftfin also leads on ratings volume (267 vs 28). JRemote's advantage is review sentiment (63% vs 53%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Swiftfin is free to download; JRemote costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.8 for JRemote against 3.8 for Swiftfin. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Swiftfin has 267 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of JRemote's written reviews are positive against 53% of Swiftfin's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JRemote | Swiftfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jremote/id486222633/reviews) | [3.8 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 28 | **267** |
| Positive reviews | **62.7% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 53 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [JRiver](https://appshunter.io/developer/1009392671) | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) |

## What reviewers say

### JRemote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jremote/id486222633)

Control your JRiver Media Center library remotely from your iOS devices. Manage playback, edit metadata, and stream audio, even outside your home network. Supports DLNA devices and CarPlay.

**Highlights:** Full remote control of JRiver Media Center, DLNA device control and zone management, Automatic and manual server setup, Edit and view file metadata, Playback controls with HUD, Audio streaming to iOS device, CarPlay enabled

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent remote control
- 🔒 Stable and reliable
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Great companion to JRiver Media Center

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and connection issues
- 🐛 Compatibility problems with latest iOS versions
- 🐛 Bugs with video playback
- 🐛 Settings revert unexpectedly
- 🔋 High battery consumption

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when trying to play videos
- Inability to connect to media server
- Inconsistent behavior when changing media server IP
- Playback issues with certain audio formats
- Album art not updating when song changes

**Requested features**

- Offline music playback
- Ability to control DSP settings
- Customizable views and layouts
- Gapless playback
- Playlist creation and management


### Swiftfin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Smooth and responsive UI
- 🚀 Fast and efficient media playback
- 🔒 Secure user profiles and pin protection
- 💡 Seamless switching between multiple user accounts
- 👍 Clean and modern app design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔋 Inconsistent battery performance
- 🔒 Difficulty changing server IP/domain
- 🐛 Issues with subtitle and audio track selection
- 🐛 Unreliable live TV and DVR functionality

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JRemote free?

JRemote costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Swiftfin free?

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

### Which has better reviews, JRemote or Swiftfin?

JRemote and Swiftfin are both rated 3.8 out of 5 on the App Store, from 28 and 267 ratings respectively.

### Do JRemote or Swiftfin have ads?

Neither JRemote nor Swiftfin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, JRemote or Swiftfin?

JRemote ships an update every 3 months, and Swiftfin every 3 months. Most recently, JRemote was updated on October 15, 2026 and Swiftfin on October 14, 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.*