Comparison

Noctra 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

Noctra

This app consolidates your media library, playback history, and watchlists from various sources. It allows you to connect to authorized media providers, browse content, organize your viewing, and resume playback from where you left off. Enjoy personalized home screens and secure backups of your settings.

Highlights
  • Connect media libraries (Emby, Jellyfin, Plex, SMB, WebDAV, local files)
  • Track playback progress and resume watching
  • Organize content with watchlists and favorites
  • Personalize home screen layout and appearance
  • Schedule viewing with calendar and playback reminders
  • Secure encrypted backups of settings
Features
Read full description

Noctra 将媒体库、播放与观影记录放在一起。连接你已授权使用的媒体来源,浏览影片、整理待看,继续上次的播放。 连接媒体库 支持 Emby、Jellyfin、Plex、SMB、WebDAV 与本地文件,按自己的使用习惯管理来源。 播放与追剧 查看影片资料与剧集目录,选择字幕和音轨,记录播放进度;将想看的影片加入待看或收藏,通过日历和播放提醒安排观看。 整理首页 在 NOC 片场预览栏目,将喜欢的内容添加到首页;调整栏目顺序、轮播内容及界面外观。 保留设置 通过加密备份保存来源与应用设置,在需要时导入恢复。 本版本的现有功能免费开放,无需购买或订阅。

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

Noctra4 screens
Ceau Player3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ceau Player at 5.0 against Noctra's 4.0. Ceau Player also leads on device support (6 vs 2). Noctra's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (daily vs every 2 days). On price, ratings volume, ads and monetization model 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. Ceau Player sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Noctra asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ceau Player holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Noctra ships an update daily, Ceau Player every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Noctra versus Ceau Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNoctraCeau Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size350 MB95 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developer成波 林曙光 乐

In-app purchases

None

Noctra

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Ceau Player

One-time1
  • Ceau Pro Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is Noctra free?
Noctra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ceau Player free?
Ceau Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Noctra or Ceau Player?
Ceau Player is rated higher. Noctra averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Ceau Player averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Noctra or Ceau Player have ads?
Neither Noctra nor Ceau Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Noctra or Ceau Player?
Noctra ships an update daily, and Ceau Player every 2 days. Most recently, Noctra was updated on October 31, 2026 and Ceau Player on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons