Comparison

LostArchiveTV vs Cathode Player

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

Head to head
About

LostArchiveTV

Discover historical footage and educational content from the Internet Archive with an intuitive, swipeable interface. Easily find and save interesting clips, build personal collections, and explore a vast library of rare videos.

Highlights
  • Swipeable interface for effortless discovery
  • AI-powered natural language search
  • Context-aware content recommendations
  • Download and share video clips
  • Create personal collections of favorites
  • Access vast historical and educational video library
Features
Read full description

Explore the vast treasures of the Internet Archive through an intuitive, modern interface. LostArchiveTV transforms historical footage and educational content into an engaging, swipeable experience that makes discovering the past as easy as scrolling through social media. Key Features: Effortless Discovery - Navigate through archive content with familiar swipe gestures, just like your favorite social apps Smart Search - Find exactly what you're looking for using natural language queries powered by advanced AI Intelligent Recommendations - Discover related content through semantic matching that understands context and connections Save & Share - Download interesting clips directly to your Photos library to share or watch later Personal Collections - Build your own library of favorite discoveries and revisit them anytime Vast Content Library - Access historical films, documentaries, educational videos, and rare footage from Archive.org's extensive collection Whether you're a history enthusiast, researcher, student, or simply curious about the past, LostArchiveTV makes exploring archival content intuitive and addictive.  Uncover forgotten stories, rare footage, and educational gems with every swipe.

About

Cathode Player

A native video viewer for following channels and watching content across your Apple devices. Enjoy a fast, lightweight experience with features like picture-in-picture, background audio, and cross-device sync via iCloud. Discover new content with curated channel suggestions.

Highlights
  • Follow channels and view latest videos
  • Search for videos and channels
  • Native player with picture-in-picture and background audio
  • Save videos to Watch Later
  • Cross-device playback progress sync
  • Curated channel suggestions
Features
Read full description

Cathode is a clean, native video viewer for following channels and watching content on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Built with SwiftUI for a fast, lightweight experience. FEATURES • Follow channels and see all their latest videos in one feed • Search for videos and channels • Watch shorts and regular videos with a native player • Picture-in-picture, background audio, and AirPlay support • Save videos to Watch Later • Pick up where you left off — playback progress syncs across your devices via your private iCloud account • Read comments • Compact mini-player while you keep browsing • Curated channel suggestions across Tech, Science, Programming, Cooking, and Lifestyle to help you get started CROSS-DEVICE SYNC Watch Later, history, and saved channels are stored in your private iCloud account so they are always with you. Nothing is sent to our servers. PRIVACY Cathode does not collect personal information, has no analytics, and does not require an account. Your data stays on your device or in your private iCloud.

Screenshots

LostArchiveTV3 screens
Cathode Player3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: LostArchiveTV at 5.0 against Cathode Player's 4.2. LostArchiveTV also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.1). Cathode Player's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

LostArchiveTV holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cathode Player has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
LostArchiveTV versus Cathode Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLostArchiveTVCathode Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.2 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews—75.0% of reviews
Number of ratings15 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better26.1
Further details — not scored
Size92 MB8 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperSay Goodnight SoftwareZabir Raihan

In-app purchases

None

LostArchiveTV

No in-app purchases

None

Cathode Player

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LostArchiveTV free?
LostArchiveTV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cathode Player free?
Cathode Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LostArchiveTV or Cathode Player?
LostArchiveTV is rated higher. LostArchiveTV averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Cathode Player averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.
Do LostArchiveTV or Cathode Player have ads?
Neither LostArchiveTV nor Cathode Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LostArchiveTV or Cathode Player?
LostArchiveTV ships an update every 5 days, and Cathode Player every 5 days. Most recently, LostArchiveTV was updated on October 30, 2026 and Cathode Player on November 5, 2026.

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