# Emby vs Infuse

The clearest difference is rating: Infuse at 4.7 against Emby's 3.1. Infuse also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 31%) and ratings volume (28K vs 647). Emby's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Emby sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Infuse sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Infuse holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Infuse has 28K ratings behind it against 647, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 31% of Emby's written reviews are positive against 61% of Infuse's.

Emby ships an update every 3 weeks, Infuse fortnightly. Both last shipped on October 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Emby | Infuse |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (647 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emby/id992180193/reviews) | **[4.7 (28K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/infuse/id1136220934/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 647 | **28K** |
| Positive reviews | 30.5% of reviews | **60.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#200** |
| Size | 131 MB | 197 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Emby Media](https://appshunter.io/developer/992180192) | [Firecore, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/577130089) |

## What reviewers say

### Emby

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/emby/id992180193)

Unite your personal videos, music, and photos into a single, accessible library. Stream your media to any device with automatic on-the-fly conversion and elegant organization. Share with friends and family, and manage access with robust parental controls.

**Highlights:** Personal media aggregation, On-the-fly media conversion, Elegant media organization, Media sharing with friends/family, Parental controls, Cloud-synced media streaming

**Features:** Family Sharing, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Emby Premiere | $6.99 | per month |
| Unlock Playback | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 👍 Awesome interface
- 🚀 Flawless performance
- 🚀 Smooth playback
- 👍 Customizable home screen

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Buggy app
- 🐛 Unreliable Chromecast support
- 🔒 Paywall for basic functionality
- 🐛 Playback issues

**Reported bugs**

- Playback errors
- Inability to play certain file formats
- Disconnection issues
- Syncing problems
- Crashes on launch

**Requested features**

- Picture-in-picture mode
- Swipe gestures for navigation
- Improved music management
- Offline playback enhancements
- Chromecast improvements


### Infuse

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/infuse/id1136220934)

**Currently charting:** #200 Top Grossing · Entertainment (US App Store)

A versatile video player that supports a vast array of formats and streaming options. Enjoy smooth playback, HDR, and Dolby audio, with integrated subtitle downloads and Trakt sync. Stream content from various devices and cloud services without conversion.

**Highlights:** Plays virtually any video format, Stream from Mac, PC, NAS, and cloud services, Supports HDR, Dolby Vision, and Dolby/DTS audio, Integrated subtitle downloads, Trakt 2-way sync, AirPlay & Google Cast support

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Infuse Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Infuse Pro - Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Infuse Pro - Yearly | $16.99 | per year |
| Infuse Pro - Yearly | $16.99 | per year |
| Dolby Audio | Free | one-time |
| DTS Audio | Free | one-time |
| Infuse Pro - Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent video playback
- 🔍 Automatic metadata fetching
- 👍 Seamless integration with Apple devices
- 🔊 Supports high-quality audio formats
- 📂 Easy file management and organization

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Subscription model
- 🐛 Metadata issues and incorrect tagging
- ⏱️ Slow library loading and indexing
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🤔 Confusing user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent crashes and freezes
- Connectivity issues with network shares
- Playback problems with certain video formats
- Sync issues between devices
- Unreliable subtitle downloads

**Requested features**

- Ability to edit metadata manually
- Support for more media file types (photos, music)
- Improved TV show organization and episode handling
- Picture-in-picture controls and gestures
- Customizable library views and sorting options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Emby free?

Emby is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Infuse free?

Infuse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Emby or Infuse?

Infuse is rated higher. Emby averages 3.1 out of 5 from 647 ratings, while Infuse averages 4.7 from 28K ratings.

### Do Emby or Infuse have ads?

Neither Emby nor Infuse shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Emby or Infuse?

Emby ships an update every 3 weeks, and Infuse fortnightly. Most recently, Emby was updated on October 2, 2026 and Infuse on October 2, 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.*