# DS video vs SenPlayer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: SenPlayer at 84% against DS video's 27%. SenPlayer also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). DS video's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SenPlayer sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. DS video asks for nothing beyond the download.

SenPlayer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 1.3K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of DS video's written reviews are positive against 84% of SenPlayer's.

DS video ships an update every 2 months, SenPlayer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS video | SenPlayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (257 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-video/id540949418/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.3K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/senplayer-media-player/id6443975850/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 257 | **1.3K** |
| Positive reviews | 26.7% of reviews | **83.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [军 王](https://appshunter.io/developer/1651137259) |

## 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


### SenPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/senplayer-media-player/id6443975850)

This app is a powerful multimedia player supporting 4K/8K video, high frame rates, and HDR. It streams from various cloud services and media servers, offering a seamless playback experience with custom controls and advanced subtitle support.

**Highlights:** 4K/8K Ultra-HD playback, Supports Plex, Emby, Jellyfin media servers, Stream from cloud services (WebDAV, SMB, FTP), Custom gesture controls, Blu-ray ISO disc playback, Enhanced subtitle support, Cross-device sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro(Upgrade to Suite) | $6.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro(iPhone+iPad) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro(AppleTV) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro(Mac) | $9.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro(Suite) | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app with many features
- 🚀 Smooth and fast playback
- 💡 Highly customizable interface
- 🔒 No ads or data collection
- 🔥 Excellent Jellyfin/Emby support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or playback issues
- 🔋 High battery consumption on some devices
- 💤 Lack of AirPlay support
- 📚 Limited subtitle customization options

**Reported bugs**

- Playback issues with certain video formats (e.g., TS, ISO)
- SMB connection problems on some networks
- Subtitle display bugs in landscape mode
- Inconsistent behavior when using Bluetooth headphones

**Requested features**

- Add support for Plex, Google Drive, and other cloud storage
- Implement a playlist feature
- Allow dual subtitle display
- Provide an Apple TV version of the app
- Add a download option for media files


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS video free?

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

### Is SenPlayer free?

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

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

SenPlayer is rated higher. DS video averages 2.8 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while SenPlayer averages 4.7 from 1.3K ratings.

### Do DS video or SenPlayer have ads?

Neither DS video nor SenPlayer shows ads.

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

DS video ships an update every 2 months, and SenPlayer every 9 days. Most recently, DS video was updated on November 9, 2026 and SenPlayer on November 12, 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.*