# Cathode Player vs zoop

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cathode Player | zoop |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathode-player/id6765878641/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoop-a-podcast-app/id6801305671/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **5** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 8 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.1 | **18** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zabir Raihan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890301412) | [Jonathan Kearns](https://appshunter.io/developer/1679793298) |

## What reviewers say

### Cathode Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cathode-player/id6765878641)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### zoop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zoop-a-podcast-app/id6801305671)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Small | $1.99 | per month |
| Monthly Medium | $4.99 | per month |
| Monthly Large | $9.99 | per month |
| Yearly Small | $19.99 | per year |
| Yearly Medium | $49.99 | per year |
| Yearly Large | $99.99 | per year |
| Small | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medum | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cathode Player free?

Cathode Player is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is zoop free?

zoop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cathode Player or zoop?

zoop is rated higher. Cathode Player averages 4.2 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while zoop averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Cathode Player or zoop have ads?

Neither Cathode Player nor zoop shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cathode Player or zoop?

Cathode Player ships an update every 5 days, and zoop every 5 days. Most recently, Cathode Player was updated on November 5, 2026 and zoop on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*