Cathode Player vs zoop
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.
zoop
A podcast player designed for simplicity and ease of use. It offers a clean interface, unique playback controls, and organizational tools like folders. Supports private RSS feeds and iCloud sync for a seamless listening experience across devices.
- Simple list view of shows
- Record-style player with scrub-to-seek
- Folders for podcast organization
- Private/premium RSS feed support
- OPML subscription import
- iCloud sync across devices
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Zoop is a podcast app made with me in mind: simple, podcast forward, and free with features others lock behind a paywall. A clean list of your shows. A record-player-style playback screen that turns as you listen, and you can turn to seek or hold to pause. Folders to keep things organized. And support for private RSS feeds, so your premium subscriptions live right alongside everything else. FEATURES • Simple list view of all your shows • Record-style player with scrub-to-seek • Folders to group your podcasts • Private / premium RSS feed support • Import your subscriptions via OPML • Custom app icons and per-podcast colors • iCloud sync — your library follows you across devices https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ (I will not apologize about the name)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: zoop at 5.0 against Cathode Player's 4.2. zoop also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 75%) and iOS requirement (18 vs 26.1). Cathode Player's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and device support (4 vs 2). 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
Both are free to download. zoop sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Cathode Player asks for nothing beyond the download.
zoop holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Cathode Player's written reviews are positive against 100% of zoop's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cathode Player | zoop |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | 18 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zabir Raihan | Jonathan Kearns |
Customer experience
Cathode Player
zoop
In-app purchases
Cathode Player
No in-app purchases
zoop
- Monthly Small$1.991 Month
- Monthly Medium$4.991 Month
- Monthly Large$9.991 Month
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- Yearly Small$19.991 Year
- Yearly Medium$49.991 Year
- Yearly Large$99.991 Year
- Small$1.99
- Medum$4.99
- Large$9.99









