# DS video vs Emby

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DS video at none against Emby's 3. DS video also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Emby's advantage is rating (3.1 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emby sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. DS video asks for nothing beyond the download.

Emby holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 257 and 654 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of DS video's written reviews are positive against 31% of Emby's.

DS video ships an update every 2 months, Emby every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS video | Emby |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (257 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-video/id540949418/reviews) | **[3.1 (654 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emby/id992180193/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 257 | **654** |
| Positive reviews | 27.7% of reviews | **30.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 35 MB | 126 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Emby Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/992180192) |

## 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


### Emby

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emby/id992180193)

Unite your personal videos, music, and photos into a single, accessible library. Stream your media to any device with automatic on-the-fly conversion and elegant organization. Share with friends and family, and manage access with robust parental controls.

**Highlights:** Personal media aggregation, On-the-fly media conversion, Elegant media organization, Media sharing with friends/family, Parental controls, Cloud-synced media streaming

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emby Premiere | $6.99 | per month |
| Unlock Playback | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Awesome interface
- 🚀 Flawless performance
- 🚀 Smooth playback
- 👍 Customizable home screen

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Unreliable Chromecast support
- 🔒 Paywall for basic functionality
- 🐛 Playback issues

**Reported bugs**

- Playback errors
- Inability to play certain file formats
- Disconnection issues
- Syncing problems
- Crashes on launch

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture mode
- Swipe gestures for navigation
- Improved music management
- Offline playback enhancements
- Chromecast improvements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS video free?

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

### Is Emby free?

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

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

Emby is rated higher. DS video averages 2.8 out of 5 from 257 ratings, while Emby averages 3.1 from 654 ratings.

### Do DS video or Emby have ads?

Neither DS video nor Emby shows ads.

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

DS video ships an update every 2 months, and Emby every 3 weeks. Most recently, DS video was updated on October 8, 2026 and Emby on October 17, 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.*