Comparison

Cathode Player vs Mira

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

Cathode Player3 screens
Mira4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cathode Player ships an update weekly, Mira every 3 days. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Cathode Player versus Mira: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCathode PlayerMira
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings)4.5 (26 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better70.6% of reviews
Number of ratings526 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV
Requires iOS26.117.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB11 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperZabir RaihanHershkovitz Bros LLC

Customer experience

Cathode Player

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%

Mira

All ratings25 ratings
Positive84.0%
Neutral16.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral29.4%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Cathode Player

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Mira

Subscriptions2
  • Mira Premium Monthly7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Mira Premium Yearly7 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Mira Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Cathode Player free?
Cathode Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mira free?
Mira is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cathode Player or Mira?
Mira is rated higher. Cathode Player averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Mira averages 4.5 from 26 ratings.
Do Cathode Player or Mira have ads?
Neither Cathode Player nor Mira shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cathode Player or Mira?
Cathode Player ships an update weekly, and Mira every 3 days. Most recently, Cathode Player was updated on November 9, 2026 and Mira on November 9, 2026.

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