DS video vs Swiftfin
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DS video
Stream your video collection from your Synology NAS to your mobile device. Automatically retrieves movie information and organizes content into libraries. Record and manage TV programs remotely if you have compatible HDHomeRun devices connected to your NAS.
- Stream video collection from Synology NAS
- Automatic movie information retrieval
- Organized video libraries
- Record and manage TV programs
- Remote TV schedule management
Read full descriptionHide full description
**You must own a Synology NAS to run this app, and be running the latest Video Station 2.3.0 to get the complete set of features** Use DS video to stream your video collection on your DiskStation from your iOS mobile device. Browsing is made easy as your videos are sorted in different libraries, and each movies has its information retrieved online automatically. And if you have connected HDHomeRun devices with DVB-T standard to the same local area network as your Synology NAS, you will also be able to record TV programs, as well as view the TV program to manage the recording schedule even when on the move. Find all detailed features about the app on our website: www.synology.com > NAS > DSM 7.1 > Apps > Mobile Apps > Software Specs https://www.synology.com/dsm/software_spec/mobile#DSvideo
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)
Read full descriptionHide 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!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Swiftfin at 3.8 against DS video's 2.8. Swiftfin also leads on review sentiment (53% vs 27%). DS video's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 18.6). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Swiftfin holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 276 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of DS video's written reviews are positive against 53% of Swiftfin's.
DS video ships an update every 2 months, Swiftfin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DS video | Swiftfin |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.8 (257 ratings) | 3.8 (276 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | 53.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 257 | 276 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 186 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synology Inc. | Anthony Lavado |
Customer experience
DS video
Swiftfin
User reviews
DS video
From 257 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ⭐ Simple and fast
- ⭐ Excellent ability to stream to Chromecast
- ⭐ Automatically fetches metadata
- ⭐ Allows sharing with family/friends
- ⭐ Works flawlessly with Synology NAS
Room to improve
- 🐛 Unstable, crashes frequently
- 🐛 Playback issues, video doesn't start or stops unexpectedly
- 🐛 Doesn't support common video formats like MKV, HEVC, DTS
- 🐛 Transcoding/download issues, videos don't play properly
- 🐛 Buggy on newer iOS/tvOS versions
Swiftfin
From 276 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 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
Room to improve
- 🐛 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
Bugs and requests
DS video
Reported bugs
4 issues- Playback controls not working on Apple TV
- Subtitle display issues
- Inability to play videos over encrypted connections
- Synology NAS integration problems
Requested features
6 requests- Add support for more video formats
- Improve playback controls (skip forward/backward, resume, etc.)
- Implement auto-play next episode for TV shows
- Add Picture-in-Picture support on iPad
- Improve Chromecast and AirPlay support
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Enhance parental controls and content filtering
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
In-app purchases
DS video
No in-app purchases
Swiftfin
No in-app purchases
