# ShallowTV vs ZimPlayer

The clearest difference is price: ShallowTV at Free against ZimPlayer's $2.99. ShallowTV also leads on ads (none vs shown) and device support (5 vs 3). ZimPlayer's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ShallowTV is free to download; ZimPlayer costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShallowTV | ZimPlayer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 42 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ying Cong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1710939429) | [Globalburg Infotech Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1871718406) |

## What reviewers say

### ShallowTV

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shallowtv/id6757123182)

Stream your M3U playlists on Apple devices with a modern, intuitive media player. Organize content by category, enjoy live channels and on-demand videos, and resume playback seamlessly. Features include a mini player, favorites, and intelligent search.

**Highlights:** Import M3U playlists via URL or local file, Stream live channels and on-demand video, Automatic content categorization, Persistent mini player for multitasking, Mark favorite channels and videos, Intelligent search across playlists, Auto-refresh for updated playlists

**In-app purchases:** none


### ZimPlayer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zimplayer/id6758990878)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShallowTV free?

ShallowTV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ZimPlayer free?

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

### Do ShallowTV or ZimPlayer have ads?

ZimPlayer shows ads; ShallowTV does not.

### Which is updated more often, ShallowTV or ZimPlayer?

ShallowTV ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZimPlayer every 2 weeks. Most recently, ShallowTV was updated on October 24, 2026 and ZimPlayer on October 28, 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.*