Ceau Player vs 7Player
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
7Player
Stream media from your private storage in high quality, watch live IPTV channels, and enjoy lossless audio with synchronized lyrics. This app prioritizes local playback and user privacy with no cloud servers or tracking.
- Native cloud and network storage streaming
- 4K HDR and hardware acceleration
- IPTV and live stream player
- Lossless audio with synchronized lyrics
- Fluid multi-select and media management
- 100% local-first and absolute privacy
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7Player is an ultra-fast, multi-protocol 4K video & audio player built for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Directly stream your private NAS media library without transcoding, watch IPTV live channels with instant switching, and enjoy master-quality Hi-Fi audio with synchronized live lyrics. 100% local-first, zero cloud servers, zero tracking. KEY FEATURES: 1. Native Cloud & Network Storage Streaming • Directly connect to Synology, QNAP, TrueNAS, and AList via SMB 2/3, WebDAV, FTP, and NFS. • Direct play large 4K / 8K bluray files without lag or transcoding. • Automatic folder tree browsing, resume playback, and smart metadata caching. 2. 4K HDR & Hardware Acceleration • Powered by Apple VideoToolbox and Metal for buttery-smooth playback up to 4K 120fps. • True-to-life colors with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support. • System-native Picture-in-Picture (PiP), background audio, and seamless auto-next episode playback. 3. IPTV & Live Stream Player • Full support for IPTV M3U/M3U8 playlists with sub-150ms channel switching. • Auto-matched channel logos and comprehensive EPG programming guides. • Compatible with standard JSON media playlists and open CMS streaming endpoints. 4. Master-Grade Lossless Audio & Synchronized Lyrics • Native hardware decoding for FLAC, APE, WAV, ALAC, and DSD. • Millisecond-accurate synchronized live lyrics with dynamic frosted-glass background. • Full lock-screen playback controls, AirPlay streaming, and continuous background music. 5. Fluid Multi-Select & Productivity • Swipe-to-select multiple media files smoothly, just like the native Photos app. • Floating action Dock for quick categorizing, tagging, and management. 6. 100% Local-First & Absolute Privacy • No intermediate servers: media streams directly between your devices and your private storage. • Zero user tracking or data collection: no accounts, no behavioral tracking. • Credentials encrypted locally using Apple Keychain hardware security. SUPPORTED PROTOCOLS & FORMATS: • Protocols: SMB 2/3, WebDAV, WebDAVS, FTP, NFS, HTTP, HTTPS, HLS, RTMP • Video: MKV, MP4, AVI, MOV, TS, M2TS, WMV, FLV, WebM, etc. • Audio: FLAC, APE, WAV, MP3, AAC, OGG, M4A, ALAC, DSD • Subtitles: ASS, SSA, SRT, VTT, Embedded & External Subtitles with custom styling 隐私政策: https://7player.pages.dev/privacy-policy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: 7Player at none against Ceau Player's 1. Ceau Player's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days) and device support (6 vs 2). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Ceau Player sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 7Player asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Ceau Player against 5.0 for 7Player. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Ceau Player ships an update every 2 days, 7Player every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.
| Parameter | Ceau Player | 7Player |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 days — better | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 95 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 曙光 乐 | 良 陈 |
Customer experience
Ceau Player
7Player
In-app purchases
Ceau Player
- Ceau Pro Lifetime$4.99
7Player
No in-app purchases









