# CMSPlayer vs Hawk Player

The clearest difference is price: Hawk Player at Free against CMSPlayer's $2.99. Hawk Player also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). CMSPlayer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 weeks). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Hawk Player is free to download; CMSPlayer costs $2.99 up front. Hawk Player sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. CMSPlayer asks for nothing beyond the download.

CMSPlayer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CMSPlayer has 156 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of CMSPlayer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hawk Player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

CMSPlayer ships an update every 9 days, Hawk Player every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMSPlayer | Hawk Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (156 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmsplayer/id6450680262/reviews)** | [4.6 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-player/id6742471800/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **156** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 9 days** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 5 MB | 119 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuzhou Zhuang](https://appshunter.io/developer/1721516046) | [JinShan Qu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1272548255) |

## What reviewers say

### CMSPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmsplayer/id6450680262)

This app provides a seamless playback experience for VOD sources, offering features like playback speed adjustment, AirPlay, and Picture in Picture. It allows users to manage multiple sources, search for content, and track watch history. Optimized for Apple devices, it integrates with iCloud for cross-platform syncing.

**Highlights:** Seamless playback experience, Playback speed adjustment, AirPlay and Picture in Picture support, Manage multiple VOD sources, Aggregate search with history, iCloud sync across platforms

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, SharePlay

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hawk Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hawk-player/id6742471800)

Experience high-performance video playback with crystal-clear visuals and fast seeking. This media player offers precise control and a lightweight experience, perfect for users who value speed and accuracy. It also supports custom plugins and VOD protocols.

**Highlights:** High-performance video playback, Crystal-clear visuals, Lightning-fast seeking, Precise control, Lightweight experience, Pluggable architecture for custom plugins, VOD protocol support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Premium | $0.99 | per month |
| Annual Premium | $4.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Access | $12.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Access | $17.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMSPlayer free?

CMSPlayer costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hawk Player free?

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

### Which has better reviews, CMSPlayer or Hawk Player?

CMSPlayer is rated higher. CMSPlayer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 156 ratings, while Hawk Player averages 4.6 from 22 ratings.

### Do CMSPlayer or Hawk Player have ads?

Neither CMSPlayer nor Hawk Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CMSPlayer or Hawk Player?

CMSPlayer ships an update every 9 days, and Hawk Player every 4 weeks. Most recently, CMSPlayer was updated on September 22, 2026 and Hawk Player on September 23, 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.*