# HDHomeRun vs Floatplane

The clearest difference is rating: Floatplane at 4.1 against HDHomeRun's 2.5. Floatplane also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 27%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). HDHomeRun's advantage is monetization model (free vs freemium) and device support (5 vs 3). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Floatplane holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 465 and 394 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of HDHomeRun's written reviews are positive against 51% of Floatplane's.

HDHomeRun ships an update every 2 months, Floatplane every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HDHomeRun | Floatplane |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (465 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdhomerun/id949582631/reviews) | **[4.1 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/floatplane/id1472071280/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **465** | 394 |
| Positive reviews | 26.6% of reviews | **50.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 6 MB | 45 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 12+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [SiliconDust USA, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/949582630) | [Floatplane Media Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1472071279) |

## What reviewers say

### HDHomeRun

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hdhomerun/id949582631)

Stream live, over-the-air, and cable TV channels directly to your iOS device. Pause, rewind, and fast-forward live broadcasts. Access program guides with images and logos for an enhanced viewing experience.

**Highlights:** Live TV streaming (OTA & Cable), Pause, FF, RW live TV, HD channel support, Program guide with images, Fast channel changes, Intuitive UI controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fastest TV app
- 📺 Great picture quality
- 🔍 Picks up more channels than TV tuner
- 🔌 Works reliably
- 🔨 Decent hardware

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔍 Unreliable channel detection
- 🤖 Clunky and unintuitive UI
- 🔇 No independent volume control
- 🔒 Lacks DRM support

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to detect tuner device
- Channels not loading
- Playback issues after updates
- Crashes on channel change
- Compatibility problems with iOS 15+

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Channel favorites and filtering
- Improved DVR functionality
- Manual IP address entry
- Native Apple TV app


### Floatplane

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/floatplane/id1472071280)

This platform allows users to support content creators directly, offering an ad-free and high-quality video viewing experience. The mobile app extends this premium content access to users on the go.

**Highlights:** Ad-free viewing, High-quality video, Support content creators, Personal premium experience, Mobile access

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Clean and simple UI
- 🚀 Stable video playback
- 💡 Exclusive content access
- 🔒 Secure platform for creators

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes
- 🔍 Lack of search/discovery features
- 📱 Limited iPad support
- 🔇 No background audio playback
- 🖥️ No Apple TV/Chromecast support

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent video loading indicators
- Unreliable login/sign-up process
- Orientation issues on iPad
- Casting/mirroring problems

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-Picture mode
- Resume playback across devices
- Notification settings
- Offline video downloads
- Improved video scrubbing


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HDHomeRun free?

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

### Is Floatplane free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HDHomeRun or Floatplane?

Floatplane is rated higher. HDHomeRun averages 2.5 out of 5 from 465 ratings, while Floatplane averages 4.1 from 394 ratings.

### Do HDHomeRun or Floatplane have ads?

Neither HDHomeRun nor Floatplane shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HDHomeRun or Floatplane?

HDHomeRun ships an update every 2 months, and Floatplane every 3 weeks. Most recently, HDHomeRun was updated on September 23, 2026 and Floatplane on September 15, 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.*