Comparison

Dusk for Plex vs Archive Watch

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

Head to head
About

Dusk for Plex

A native, ad-free client for managing and playing media from your own Plex servers. Offers extensive format support, smart playback features like intro skipping and offline downloads, and robust library browsing.

Highlights
  • Plays all media formats
  • Subtitle and audio track control
  • Smart playback features
  • Offline playback support
  • Browse and search libraries
  • Multi-server connection
  • Privacy-focused, no tracking
Features
Read full description

A native Plex client for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV. A fast, focused player for people who run their own Plex servers and want a client that gets out of the way. Your libraries, front and center. No ads, no promoted content, no upsells. PLAYS EVERYTHING A playback engine handles virtually any format — MKV, HEVC, 4K, DTS, TrueHD, PGS subtitles, SRT, ASS, and more. All direct play, zero transcoding overhead on your server. SUBTITLE & AUDIO CONTROL Switch tracks on the fly during playback. Set preferred languages globally so Dusk auto-selects the right tracks every time. Supports forced-only subtitle mode. SMART PLAYBACK - Skip Intro & Credits with a single tap or auto-skip - Continuous playback with auto-play next episode - "Are you still watching?" passout protection - Offline Playback (Downloads) - AI Upscaling - TVOS App - Resume anywhere, synced through your Plex server - Picture in Picture on iOS and iPadOS BROWSE YOUR LIBRARY - Continue Watching and Recently Added on the home screen - Genre filtering and sorting - Cross-library search with real-time results - Full metadata: movies, shows, seasons, episodes, cast MULTI-SERVER SUPPORT Connect to multiple Plex servers and switch between them. PRIVACY FIRST Dusk collects nothing. No analytics, no telemetry, no tracking. The app talks only to your Plex server. OPEN SOURCE Fully open-source under GPLv3. Inspect the code, build it yourself, contribute, or fork it. Dusk is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with Plex, Inc. in any way. Plex and all related trademarks are the property of Plex, Inc. EULA Dusk Supporter is an optional auto-renewing subscription. Monthly and yearly options are available; the price is shown in the app before purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions. Every feature in Dusk stays free either way. Privacy Policy: https://getdusk.app/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Archive Watch

Explore a vast collection of public-domain films, classic TV, and vintage commercials. Enjoy a curated cinematic experience with real posters, cast information, and genre browsing. Create personalized channels or let the app surprise you with delightful discoveries.

Highlights
  • Public domain film and TV streaming
  • Live programmed channels
  • Customizable channels
  • Detailed film and TV show information
  • Browse by decade, genre, and collection
  • Surprise Me feature
  • No ads, subscriptions, or in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

Archive Watch turns the Internet Archive's vast public-domain moving-image collection into a cinematheque you can wander from your couch — feature films, classic television, silent cinema, animation, newsreels, and the strange, wonderful world of vintage commercials and ephemeral film. Every title is presented with the care of a great repertory house: real posters, cast, synopses, and genres, so a 1920s silent and a 1950s sci-fi B-movie look as considered as anything on a modern streaming service. LIVE CHANNELS — A REAL TV GUIDE - A programmed, scrolling channel guide: see what's on now and next - Tune in and it plays straight through, one title rolling into the next - Vintage public-domain commercials play between programs — the 1990s-TV feel - Build your own channel from any mix of genre, type, and era A REPERTORY HOUSE, NOT A FEED - Hand-curated shelves alongside the most-watched titles from the Archive - Browse by decade, genre, and collection - Classic TV with real series, seasons, and episodes - Surprise Me — for when you'd rather be delighted than decide BUILT FOR THE LIVING ROOM - Native Apple TV experience, full-screen and focus-driven - Resume right where you left off - Search with the Siri Remote or your voice - Favorites and playlists in your Library - Cartoon Mode, Party Play, and a cover-art screensaver FREE, AND RESPECTFUL OF YOU - No subscription, no in-app purchases, no ads - No account required to watch - No tracking, no analytics — nothing about you is collected - Optional Sign in with Apple syncs your favorites and progress across your household's Apple TVs using your own iCloud All content is sourced from the public domain via the Internet Archive. Metadata and artwork come from TMDb, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and the Library of Congress. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb. If you'd rather wander a well-stocked repository of curated cinema than doomscroll a recommendation feed, Archive Watch is for you.

Screenshots

Dusk for Plex4 screens
Archive Watch4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Archive Watch at none against Dusk for Plex's 6. Archive Watch also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 67%) and rating (4.2 vs 4.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Dusk for Plex sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Archive Watch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Archive Watch holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Dusk for Plex's written reviews are positive against 86% of Archive Watch's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dusk for Plex ships an update every 6 days, Archive Watch every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Dusk for Plex versus Archive Watch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDusk for PlexArchive Watch
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)4.2 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews85.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings49 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS18.018.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB31 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMarvin von RappardLearning is Change, Inc.

Customer experience

Dusk for Plex

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Archive Watch

All ratings9 ratings
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

6 purchases

Dusk for Plex

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Supporter$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Supporter$24.991 Year
One-time4
  • Coffee$2.99
  • Generous$9.99
  • Legendary$19.99
Show 1 more
  • Patron$49.99
None

Archive Watch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dusk for Plex free?
Dusk for Plex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Archive Watch free?
Archive Watch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dusk for Plex or Archive Watch?
Archive Watch is rated higher. Dusk for Plex averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Archive Watch averages 4.2 from 9 ratings.
Do Dusk for Plex or Archive Watch have ads?
Neither Dusk for Plex nor Archive Watch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dusk for Plex or Archive Watch?
Dusk for Plex ships an update every 6 days, and Archive Watch every 4 days. Most recently, Dusk for Plex was updated on October 24, 2026 and Archive Watch on October 24, 2026.

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