Comparison

AniShelf vs MetalPlayer

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

Head to head
About

AniShelf

Manage your anime collection with a digital bookshelf. Track, organize, and easily revisit your favorite series. Requires a free TMDB API Key to get started.

Highlights
  • Digital anime bookshelf
  • Track favorite series
  • Organize anime collection
  • Revisit watched shows
  • Requires TMDB API Key
Features
Read full description

A digital bookshelf for your anime – track, organize, and revisit your favorite series with ease. Note: to start using the app, you'll need a TMDB API Key. Don't worry — it's completely free for everyone. Get one at https://developer.themoviedb.org/docs/getting-started.

About

MetalPlayer

This app enhances your personal video collection with AI-powered frame generation for smoother motion and upscaling for improved clarity. It supports local and network playback, offering advanced features for a premium viewing experience on compatible Apple devices.

Highlights
  • AI frame generation for smoother motion
  • Video upscaling for improved clarity
  • 120Hz display optimization
  • Local and network playback support
  • External subtitle support
  • HDR tone mapping
Features
Read full description

MetalPlayer is an AI-powered local and network video player designed for users who want smoother playback, high-quality rendering, and advanced video enhancement for their own media files. Built for Apple silicon, MetalPlayer uses optimized AI frame generation to create smoother motion for supported videos. It is designed to reduce the motion artifacts commonly seen in traditional frame interpolation, making anime, films, and high-frame-rate playback feel more natural and fluid. Key Features: AI Frame Generation Generate intermediate frames with an optimized neural-network pipeline for smoother motion playback. 120Hz Display Optimization Designed to work well with high-refresh-rate iPhone and iPad displays for smooth, evenly paced playback. Video Upscaling Improve the clarity of lower-resolution and anime content with Metal-accelerated upscaling pipelines. Local & Network Playback Play your own media files from local storage or network sources, including WebDAV, SMB, FTP, SFTP, and NFS. Advanced Playback Engine Includes external subtitle support, HDR tone mapping, and hardware-accelerated video decoding where available. Performance Note: AI frame generation requires significant processing power. For the best experience, Apple A15 Bionic, M1, or newer devices are recommended. Extended AI-enhanced playback may increase device temperature, so good ventilation is recommended for long viewing sessions. MetalPlayer does not provide, host, stream, sell, or distribute any video content. Users must provide their own media files.

Screenshots

AniShelf4 screens
MetalPlayer3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AniShelf at Free against MetalPlayer's $4.99. AniShelf also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.5) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). MetalPlayer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

AniShelf is free to download; MetalPlayer costs $4.99 up front. AniShelf sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. MetalPlayer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AniShelf holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AniShelf ships an update weekly, MetalPlayer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AniShelf versus MetalPlayer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAniShelfMetalPlayer
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better3.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyWeekly — betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.026.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB176 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer子谦 何鹏 王

In-app purchases

3 purchases

AniShelf

One-time3
  • Tip Small$0.99
  • Tip Medium$2.99
  • Tip Large$6.99
None

MetalPlayer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AniShelf free?
AniShelf is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MetalPlayer free?
MetalPlayer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AniShelf or MetalPlayer?
AniShelf is rated higher. AniShelf averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while MetalPlayer averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do AniShelf or MetalPlayer have ads?
Neither AniShelf nor MetalPlayer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AniShelf or MetalPlayer?
AniShelf ships an update weekly, and MetalPlayer fortnightly. Most recently, AniShelf was updated on October 31, 2026 and MetalPlayer on November 5, 2026.

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