Comparison

ddPlayer vs Ceau Player

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

Head to head
About

ddPlayer

This app allows you to play videos, audio, and images from local storage, cloud drives, and network-attached storage. It connects to media servers like Plex and Jellyfin, offering features like adjustable playback speed, subtitles, and background audio.

Highlights
  • Play local files
  • Connect to cloud drives (Baidu Netdisk, OneDrive)
  • Access NAS via WebDAV, SMB, FTP
  • Supports Plex, Jellyfin, Emby
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Subtitle and audio track selection
  • Picture-in-Picture and background playback
Features
Read full description

ddPlayer, your personal media player. Play videos from local storage, cloud drives, and NAS on iPhone and iPad. Connect your media servers and browse your personal collection in one place. 【Connect Your Media】 Import local files, connect Baidu Netdisk and OneDrive, or access your computer and NAS through WebDAV, SMB, and FTP. Supports Emby, Jellyfin, and Plex media servers. 【Browse Your Collection】 Explore movie and TV show posters, descriptions, and cast information provided by your media server. Choose seasons and episodes from the details page. Keep frequently used folders close at hand and find previously played content through your watch history. 【Watch at Your Own Pace】 Adjust playback speed or press and hold for a temporary speed boost. Use gestures to control playback position, brightness, and volume. Resume where you left off, choose items from a playlist, and automatically play the next episode. 【Audio Tracks and Subtitles】 Switch audio tracks and subtitles, and set your preferred default languages for a viewing experience that suits you. 【Keep Playing】 Watch in Picture in Picture while using other apps, or continue listening with background audio playback. 【More Than Video】 Play audio and browse images in the same media library. Adjacent-image preloading helps make browsing smoother. ddPlayer does not provide movies, TV shows, or other media content. Use files and services you have permission to access. Media information and artwork depend on the connected server. Privacy Policy: https://ddplayer.app/privacy/en/ Terms of Use: https://ddplayer.app/terms/

About

Ceau Player

A private-first media player for live TV and personal media servers. Organize and play content from various sources like IPTV playlists, Emby/Jellyfin libraries, and local files across Apple devices. Features multi-view playback and native interfaces.

Highlights
  • Multi-view playback (up to 4 channels)
  • Supports M3U, Emby, Jellyfin, WebDAV, local files
  • Native interfaces for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac
  • Private by design with no ads or analytics
  • Powered by VLC for broad format support
Features
Read full description

Your media. Your sources. One player across Apple devices. Ceau Player is a private-first media player for live TV, personal media servers, network storage, and local files. Add sources you are authorized to use, then browse, search, organize, and play them in a native interface designed for iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, and Mac. MULTI-VIEW Watch up to four live channels or videos at once. Choose a layout, focus a tile, and switch audio without leaving the wall. BRING YOUR OWN SOURCES • M3U, M3U8, and TXT IPTV playlists • Emby and Jellyfin libraries • WebDAV and SMB network storage • Local video files on supported devices MADE FOR APPLE SCREENS Use touch on iPhone and iPad, the Siri Remote on Apple TV, and keyboard and pointer controls on Mac. Favorites, recents, search, channel groups, program guide, and playback controls stay consistent across devices. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Credentials remain in the device Keychain. Ceau Player contains no advertising or cross-app tracking. Remote notifications use Firebase. Basic usage statistics use Google Analytics for Firebase and can be turned off in Settings > About > Share usage statistics. Media URLs, playlist contents, credentials and viewing history are not included in analytics. See our privacy policy for details. Optional iCloud sync is limited to credential-free source descriptions and app preferences. PLAYBACK FOR REAL-WORLD MEDIA Powered by VLC for broad support across common live-stream and video formats. Ceau Player does not provide, host, curate, or sell media content. You must only connect sources and media you own or are authorized to use. Apple Watch: browse your IPTV sources, groups, favorites and recents on your wrist. Supported HTTP(S) HLS and video streams use the system player; other supported HTTP(S) streams offer audio playback. The Watch app can run independently of iPhone. Optional iCloud sync and the shared Ceau Pro purchase are available. Media-server libraries, local files and Multi-View are available on other supported devices. Add, browse, and manage unlimited media sources for free. Each device includes 45 minutes of single-screen playback daily; iPhone and iPad also include a separate 6 minutes of Multi-View. Apple Watch supports single-screen playback. Live TV, media servers, network files, and local videos count toward playback time. The allowances reset at local midnight. Ceau Pro is an optional one-time in-app purchase for unlimited playback. View remaining time in Settings > Ceau Pro and restore purchases with the same App Store account. CARPLAY AUDIO Listen to audio from your authorized IPTV sources on CarPlay. Browse sources, favorites, and recents, then control playback with the native Now Playing screen. CarPlay browsing is limited to IPTV sources; media-server libraries, network files, and local files are not included. Requires a compatible CarPlay vehicle.

Screenshots

ddPlayer4 screens
Ceau Player3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Ceau Player at free against ddPlayer's freemium. Ceau Player also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and device support (6 vs 2). ddPlayer's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. ddPlayer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and Ceau Player sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for ddPlayer against 5.0 for Ceau Player. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ddPlayer has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of ddPlayer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Ceau Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ddPlayer versus Ceau Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterddPlayerCeau Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (12 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysEvery 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB95 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer玉彬 董曙光 乐

Customer experience

ddPlayer

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews32 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral9.4%
Negative3.1%

Ceau Player

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

ddPlayer

Subscriptions2
  • ddPlayer PRO Monthly$0.991 Month
  • ddPlayer PRO Yearly$3.991 Year
One-time1
  • ddPlayer PRO Lifetime$4.99
1 purchases

Ceau Player

One-time1
  • Ceau Pro Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is ddPlayer free?
ddPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Ceau Player free?
Ceau Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, ddPlayer or Ceau Player?
Ceau Player is rated higher. ddPlayer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Ceau Player averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do ddPlayer or Ceau Player have ads?
Neither ddPlayer nor Ceau Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ddPlayer or Ceau Player?
ddPlayer ships an update every 2 days, and Ceau Player every 2 days. Most recently, ddPlayer was updated on November 1, 2026 and Ceau Player on October 31, 2026.

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