Cathode Player vs Mira
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
Mira
This app enhances your video watching experience by automatically skipping unwanted segments like ads and intros. It offers AI-powered summaries, searchable transcripts, and synchronized viewing with friends, all while reducing visual distractions.
- Automatic sponsor and intro skipping
- AI-powered video summaries
- Searchable video transcripts
- Synchronized group watching
- Background audio playback
- Customizable playback speed
- Focus mode to reduce distractions
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Mira is a streaming video player for iPhone and iPad that makes watching online video calmer and smarter. It automatically skips sponsors, intros, and other interruptions, makes any video's transcript searchable, summarizes long videos with AI, and lets you watch in sync with friends. Less noise. More video. SKIP SPONSORS, INTROS & MORE Using community data, Mira skips sponsor segments, intros, outros, self-promos, and recaps on YouTube videos automatically. You choose which categories are enabled. ADD VIDEOS TO QUEUE Line up the next videos you want to watch and they’ll play automatically one after another. Your queue stays in sync across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV with iCloud. BACKGROUND PLAY Lock your screen or switch apps and your audio keeps going. Great for podcasts, interviews, lectures, and music videos. SEARCHABLE TRANSCRIPTS Read the full YouTube transcript, search inside it, and tap any timestamp to jump to the exact moment in the video. AI VIDEO SUMMARIES Summarize YouTube videos with AI, get key takeaways, generate outlines, pull out important quotes, or ask follow-up questions about the transcript. Bring your own OpenAI, Claude, or Grok key. WATCH TOGETHER Host a synced viewing room with a simple room code. Friends can join from iPhone, iPad, or Mac, and built-in chat keeps the conversation going while you watch. FOCUS MODE Reduce visual noise while browsing and watching YouTube. Hide distracting sections so the video stays front and center. HIDE THE NOISE Toggle off the stuff that wastes your time: Shorts, Playables, autoplay hover-previews, and other distracting sections. SEE DISLIKES AGAIN See community-powered dislike estimates that YouTube no longer shows — more context before pressing play. UNIVERSAL PLAYBACK SPEED Lock in your preferred playback speed from 0.25× to 3.0×. Works across every site. EYE COMFORT MODE Dim bright highlights for late-night viewing, with an intensity slider so you can dial it exactly to your eyes. WATCHLIST Save videos to watch later. Mira tracks what you've started and what you've finished. AIRPLAY & MINI-PLAYER Send video to your Apple TV with Screen Mirroring, or shrink it into a compact mini-player while you browse. DARK MODE EVERYWHERE Mira follows your device's Dark Mode and brings a comfortable dark theme to supported video sites. ALL YOUR VIDEO SITES IN ONE APP Mira ships with shortcuts to popular streaming and video sites, and you can add your own custom sites. ONE PURCHASE, EVERY DEVICE Mira is also on Mac and Apple TV. One purchase unlocks iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV together. INDEPENDENTLY BUILT Mira is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube, Google LLC, OpenAI, Anthropic, xAI, SponsorBlock, Return YouTube Dislike, or any supported video service. YouTube is a trademark of Google LLC. ChatGPT, Claude, and Grok are trademarks of OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI, respectively. SponsorBlock and Return YouTube Dislike are community-run projects. LEGAL Terms of Use (EULA): https://watchwithmira.com/legal/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://watchwithmira.com/legal/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cathode Player at none against Mira's 3. Mira's advantage is rating (4.5 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. Mira sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Cathode Player asks for nothing beyond the download.
Mira holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Mira has 26 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Cathode Player's written reviews are positive against 71% of Mira's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Cathode Player ships an update weekly, Mira every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.
| Parameter | Cathode Player | Mira |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) | 4.5 (26 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews — better | 70.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 | 26 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Zabir Raihan | Hershkovitz Bros LLC |
Customer experience
Cathode Player
Mira
In-app purchases
Cathode Player
No in-app purchases
Mira
- Mira Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Mira Premium Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Mira Lifetime$19.99









