# DS video vs Swiftfin

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS video | Swiftfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (257 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-video/id540949418/reviews) | **[3.8 (276 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 257 | **276** |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | **53.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 35 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) |

## What reviewers say

### DS video

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-video/id540949418)

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.

**Highlights:** Stream video collection from Synology NAS, Automatic movie information retrieval, Organized video libraries, Record and manage TV programs, Remote TV schedule management

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Simple and fast
- ⭐ Excellent ability to stream to Chromecast
- ⭐ Automatically fetches metadata
- ⭐ Allows sharing with family/friends
- ⭐ Works flawlessly with Synology NAS

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- Playback controls not working on Apple TV
- Subtitle display issues
- Inability to play videos over encrypted connections
- Synology NAS integration problems

**Requested features**

- 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


### 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 DS video free?

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

### Is Swiftfin free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DS video or Swiftfin?

Swiftfin is rated higher. DS video averages 2.8 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while Swiftfin averages 3.8 from 276 ratings.

### Do DS video or Swiftfin have ads?

Neither DS video nor Swiftfin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS video or Swiftfin?

DS video ships an update every 2 months, and Swiftfin every 3 months. Most recently, DS video was updated on October 25, 2026 and Swiftfin on October 23, 2026.

---

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