Flashboard vs Cathode Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flashboard
Turn your device into a dynamic LED banner for messages and announcements. Customize scrolling text with various LED effects to grab attention at events or for personal use.
- Create LED banner displays
- Customizable scrolling messages
- Various LED effects
- Ideal for concerts and parties
- Attention-grabbing announcements
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Transform your iPhone or iPad into a stunning LED banner display! Flashboard lets you create eye-catching scrolling messages with customizable LED effects, perfect for concerts, parties, announcements, or anywhere you need to get attention.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Cathode Player at 4.2 against Flashboard's 1.0. Cathode Player also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1) and device support (4 vs 2). Flashboard's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.1). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cathode Player holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. 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.
Flashboard ships an update every 11 days, Cathode Player weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flashboard | Cathode Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 4.2 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 5 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 11 days | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 — better | 26.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jiawen Sun | Zabir Raihan |
Customer experience
Flashboard
Cathode Player
In-app purchases
Flashboard
No in-app purchases
Cathode Player
No in-app purchases
