Comparison

Playfyn vs UPlayer8

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

Head to head
About

Playfyn

This app provides a seamless media playback experience for your personal Jellyfin server. Enjoy high-quality streaming, automatic skipping of intros and credits, and a beautifully organized library across your Apple devices. It prioritizes privacy with no user tracking.

Highlights
  • 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision passthrough
  • Automatic intro and credits skipping
  • Continuous playback and resume
  • Picture in Picture and AirPlay support
  • iPad multitasking features
  • Private by design, no tracking
Features
Read full description

Playfyn is a beautiful, fast client for your own Jellyfin media server — built for people who care how their library looks and plays. Point it at your server, sign in, and your movies and shows are ready on Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. PLAYBACK THAT RESPECTS YOUR FILES • Full-quality 4K HDR10 and Dolby Vision passthrough — your files play as they were mastered, not re-encoded • MKV and more play seamlessly; when a transcode is genuinely needed, Playfyn degrades gracefully and automatically • Surround audio (Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital Plus) with smart track selection that keeps quality high • Automatic intro and credits skipping (with the Intro Skipper plugin) • Continuous playback, resume anywhere, and an Up Next row that keeps your place across devices MADE FOR EVERY SCREEN • Apple TV: a fast, focus-driven interface designed for the big screen, with a Top Shelf and light/dark looks • iPhone and iPad: Picture in Picture, AirPlay, background audio with full lock-screen controls, and cellular data protection that caps streaming quality on the go • iPad multitasking: Split View, Slide Over, and Stage Manager YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY • A rich home screen with a featured carousel, Up Next, favorites, and recently added • Powerful library browsing: filter by genre or resolution, sort your way, search everything • Playback stats HUD for the curious: live codec, bitrate, and resolution info PRIVATE BY DESIGN Playfyn talks only to your Jellyfin server. No accounts with us, no analytics, no tracking — the App Privacy label is "Data Not Collected," and we mean it. FREE TO TRY, ONE PURCHASE EVERYWHERE Try Playfyn free. Upgrading to Playfyn Pro unlocks unlimited playback with a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase — and universal purchase means one buy covers Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad. REQUIREMENTS Playfyn requires your own Jellyfin server (free, open-source software — jellyfin.org) on your home network or reachable remotely. Playfyn ships with no media content; you bring your own library. Playfyn is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Jellyfin project. PLAYFYN PRO — SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS • Playfyn Pro Monthly — $4.99 per month, auto-renewing • Playfyn Pro Lifetime — $39.99, one-time purchase, does not renew Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A monthly subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel your subscription in Settings > your Apple Account > Subscriptions. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. Terms of Use (EULA): https://playfyn.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://playfyn.app/privacy/

About

UPlayer8

Read full description

UPlayer8 is a video player for watching TV channels, movies and series with your own streaming provider account. It works on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac. UPlayer8 does not provide content. The app contains no channels, movies or series. You enter the account details given by your provider (server address, username and password) or an M3U playlist URL, and the app only plays those streams. Without an account from a legitimate provider, the app has no use for you. FEATURES • Sign in with a server account or an M3U/M3U8 playlist • Live channels, program guide, categories and favorites • Movies and series with season and episode tracking • Continue watching: start on one device, pick up on another • Multiple accounts; accounts and progress sync between your devices via iCloud • MKV, AVI, TS, MP4 and HLS support • Subtitle and audio track selection • Accent-insensitive search PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION Watching with your own account requires a yearly Premium subscription. It starts with a 3-day free trial; cancel before the trial ends and you will not be charged. Demo content (openly licensed films by the Blender Foundation) can be watched without a subscription. The subscription renews automatically at the same price unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. You can manage the subscription and turn off auto-renewal in your App Store account settings. Any unused portion of the free trial is forfeited when you purchase a subscription. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://app.ust8.com/uplayer8/privacy.html

Screenshots

Playfyn3 screens
UPlayer84 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: UPlayer8 at none against Playfyn's 2. UPlayer8 also leads on iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, 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. Playfyn sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. UPlayer8 asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Playfyn versus UPlayer8: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayfynUPlayer8
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple TViPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV — better
Requires iOS26.018.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB101 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperPlayfyn Media LLCSeckin Ust

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Playfyn

Subscriptions1
  • Playfyn Pro - Monthly$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • Playfyn Pro - Lifetime$39.99
None

UPlayer8

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Playfyn free?
Playfyn is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UPlayer8 free?
UPlayer8 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Playfyn or UPlayer8 have ads?
Neither Playfyn nor UPlayer8 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Playfyn or UPlayer8?
Playfyn ships an update fortnightly, and UPlayer8 fortnightly. Most recently, Playfyn was updated on October 31, 2026 and UPlayer8 on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons