Comparison

SynthPlayer vs Lightning Player Pro

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

SynthPlayer

Stream internet radio and live audio from any URL on your iOS, iPadOS, or macOS devices. Enjoy a seamless, user-friendly experience with cross-device syncing and the ability to cast to various speakers and devices.

Highlights
  • Listen to internet streams
  • Cross-device listening experience
  • User-friendly interface
  • Stream to speakers and AirPlay
  • Organize favorite stations
Read full description

SynthPlayer is a powerful and versatile app designed for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, providing an immersive audio streaming experience. With SynthPlayer, you can effortlessly listen to internet streams, all within a beautifully designed and user-friendly interface. - Listen Internet Streams: Simply add the URL of your favorite audio streams, and SynthPlayer will seamlessly connect you to a world of music, podcasts, news, and more. - Listen Across Your Devices: Whether you’re on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, SynthPlayer ensures a seamless listening experience across all your devices. Start listening on one device and continue right where you left off on another, without missing a beat. - User-Friendly Design: SynthPlayer is designed to make your audio streaming experience intuitive and enjoyable. Effortlessly navigate through stations, organize your favorites. - Stream to Speakers: SynthPlayer offers extensive compatibility, allowing you to stream audio to various devices. Whether it’s your headphones, speakers, computers, TVs, via AirPlay, or even your car, enjoy your streams wherever you go and on the devices that suit your preferences. Website: https://lixel.co/apps/synthplayer Privacy Policy: https://lixel.co/apps/synthplayer/privacy Terms and Conditions: https://lixel.co/apps/synthplayer/terms

About

Lightning Player Pro

Features
Read full description

Lightning Player is the elegant player for your own IPTV and M3U playlists. Enter your credentials – done. No detours, no content, just a really good player. YOUR PLAYLIST, YOUR PLAYER • Xtream Codes and M3U playlists • Multiple profiles with separate progress (Plus) • Lightning-fast startup thanks to a persistent cache – even with huge playlists of 100,000+ titles LIVE TV WITH EPG • Electronic program guide (XMLTV) with now/next and full-day schedule • Fast zapping, automatic channel categories (Live Auto) • Parental controls with PIN for bouquets, channels and titles MOVIES & SERIES • Hero recommendations: large rotating suggestions with movie backdrops • Watch trailers right inside the app • Covers, plots, cast, genres and ratings (TMDB) • Discover and Popular views, "New" and "Continue Watching" rows • Smart Search with personal ranking and actor search • Country and language filters – also shows versions available in other languages • German public broadcaster library (Mediathek): browse, stream and download – free, no playlist needed ON THE GO & OFFLINE • Download movies and watch offline (Plus) • Device sync: profiles, favorites, progress and watched status on all your devices – across platforms, even beyond the Apple universe. End-to-end encrypted, paired in seconds via QR code (Plus) FULL CONTROL • Playlist editor: sort bouquets, hide items, favorites (Plus) • All common formats and codecs (MKV, HEVC, AC3 …) – no transcoding, no quality loss PRICING Try free for 7 days – all features included. Then: Basic as a one-time purchase (core player with one playlist) or Plus as a subscription (all features). Transparent and cancellable anytime via the App Store. IMPORTANT Lightning Player is a pure player and contains NO IPTV content, channels or playlists. You need your own, legally obtained IPTV or M3U source (e.g. from your TV provider). The developer does not provide content and does not promote third-party providers. No ads, no tracking. Privacy: https://www.lightning-player.de/privacy Help & guides: https://www.lightning-player.de/help

Screenshots

SynthPlayer3 screens
Lightning Player Pro4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Lightning Player Pro at every 5 days against SynthPlayer's monthly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. SynthPlayer sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months and Lightning Player Pro sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SynthPlayer ships an update monthly, Lightning Player Pro every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
SynthPlayer versus Lightning Player Pro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynthPlayerLightning Player Pro
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS16.016.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperERM MUHENDISLIK ELEKTRIK ELEKTRONIK SANAYI VE TICARET LIMITED SIRKETIToan Thanh Trieu

In-app purchases

2 purchases

SynthPlayer

Subscriptions2
  • 3 Months3 Days trial$14.993 Months
  • Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
6 purchases

Lightning Player Pro

Subscriptions5
  • Pro – Monat$2.991 Month
  • Pro – 3 Monate$5.993 Months
  • Pro – 6 Monate$9.996 Months
Show 2 more
  • Pro – Jahr$17.991 Year
  • Pro Family – Jahr$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Basis (lebenslang)$2.99

Questions

Is SynthPlayer free?
SynthPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightning Player Pro free?
Lightning Player Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SynthPlayer or Lightning Player Pro have ads?
Neither SynthPlayer nor Lightning Player Pro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SynthPlayer or Lightning Player Pro?
SynthPlayer ships an update monthly, and Lightning Player Pro every 5 days. Most recently, SynthPlayer was updated on November 3, 2026 and Lightning Player Pro on November 5, 2026.

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