# Mad Monkey AI vs Aether Player

The clearest difference is rating: Mad Monkey AI at 5.0 against Aether Player's 2.0. Mad Monkey AI also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). Aether Player's advantage is device support (5 vs 2). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Aether Player sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Mad Monkey AI asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mad Monkey AI holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

Mad Monkey AI ships an update every 3 days, Aether Player weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mad Monkey AI | Aether Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-monkey-ai-student-social/id6737187047/reviews)** | [2.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-player/id6775229911/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 217 MB | 156 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mad Monkey AI LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1775137136) | [Vaclav Zmrhal](https://appshunter.io/developer/6774553226) |

## What reviewers say

### Mad Monkey AI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mad-monkey-ai-student-social/id6737187047)

Connect with students and young creators to collaborate on projects or plan offline activities. Share your ideas and find the right people to make them happen, fostering productivity and social engagement.

**Highlights:** Find collaborators for projects, Organize offline activities, Share ideas and plans, Campus and city-wide connections, Dedicated chat for projects, Profile showcases skills and interests

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Aether Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aether-player/id6775229911)

A personal media player for Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby servers, as well as local files. It offers a unified library view, supports a wide range of formats, and provides features like offline downloads and user profiles. Enjoy your media across all Apple devices with a focus on privacy.

**Highlights:** Connects to Plex, Jellyfin, Emby servers, Unified library view with deduplication, Supports MKV, HEVC, HDR, lossless audio, Offline downloads and Smart Downloads, User profiles with age rating controls, Customizable subtitles and OpenSubtitles search, Music player and Live TV support

**Features:** Family Sharing, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Supporter (Monthly) | $0.99 | per month |
| Supporter (Yearly) | $9.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Aether Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mad Monkey AI free?

Mad Monkey AI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Aether Player free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mad Monkey AI or Aether Player?

Mad Monkey AI is rated higher. Mad Monkey AI averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Aether Player averages 2.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Mad Monkey AI or Aether Player have ads?

Neither Mad Monkey AI nor Aether Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mad Monkey AI or Aether Player?

Mad Monkey AI ships an update every 3 days, and Aether Player weekly. Most recently, Mad Monkey AI was updated on October 30, 2026 and Aether Player on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*