# Awful vs Swiftfin

The clearest difference is rating: Awful at 4.9 against Swiftfin's 3.8. Awful also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 53%) and update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Awful holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 239 and 267 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Awful's written reviews are positive against 53% of Swiftfin's.

Awful ships an update every 8 days, Swiftfin every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Awful | Swiftfin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (239 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609/reviews)** | [3.8 (267 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/swiftfin/id1604098728/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 239 | **267** |
| Positive reviews | **86.6% of reviews** | 53.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 102 MB | 186 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dale Stonall-Mellor](https://appshunter.io/developer/1583171231) | [Anthony Lavado](https://appshunter.io/developer/1480192617) |

## What reviewers say

### Awful

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/awful-sa-forums-browser/id567936609)

This app provides a streamlined browsing experience for the Something Awful forums on iOS devices. It offers access to all forums, bookmarked threads, private messages, and includes features like image uploads and a smilie keyboard.

**Highlights:** Browse all forums and subforums, Access bookmarked threads, Built-in SALR functionality, Smilie stickers and keyboard, Upload images and pictures, Manage private messages, Favorite forums

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and efficient
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🔒 Secure browsing experience
- 💡 Customizable layout and settings
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 📉 Declining performance over time
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🚫 Compatibility issues with newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain forums
- Inability to load images and media
- Freezing and lagging on older devices
- Sync issues between app and website

**Requested features**

- Add search functionality
- Implement dark mode option
- Improve thread navigation and bookmarking
- Integrate with other social platforms


### 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 Awful free?

Awful 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, Awful or Swiftfin?

Awful is rated higher. Awful averages 4.9 out of 5 from 239 ratings, while Swiftfin averages 3.8 from 267 ratings.

### Do Awful or Swiftfin have ads?

Neither Awful nor Swiftfin shows ads.

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

Awful ships an update every 8 days, and Swiftfin every 3 months. Most recently, Awful was updated on October 16, 2026 and Swiftfin 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.*