Jellyfin tvOS client buyer's guide¶
Last updated: 2026-06-27
Codec support below is based on App Store listings and project documentation on a best effort basis. Prices are US App Store prices where listed. If you spot a mistake, please open a PR!
This guide covers the tvOS clients reviewed in JellyfinJune Episode 4.
Legend¶
Capability grid¶
| Client | Best for | Type | Codec source | Notable features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Swiftfin | Official baseline | Native | Exact codecs | Live TV, recordings | Free |
 Infuse | Maximum format compatibility | Aggregator | Exact codecs | Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, NAS, cloud, Trakt | Free + Pro |
 Neptune | Polished Jellyfin UI | Native | Broad claim | Seerr, AI search, profiles | Free base, paid planned |
 Zuno | Plex/Jellyfin beta | Native | Unknown | Seerr and Trakt seen in episode | TestFlight beta |
 JellySee | Seerr plus music | Native | Exact codecs | Seerr, music, PiP, trickplay | Paid app |
 JellyTV | Request/admin extras | Native | Broad claim | Seerr, Live TV, downloads | Free + Plus |
 Moonfin | Full-featured Jellyfin/Emby | Native | Exact codecs | Music, books, Live TV/DVR, Seerr | Free |
 SenPlayer | Local files and IPTV | Aggregator | Exact codecs | NAS, cloud, IPTV, Trakt | Free + Pro |
 Plezy | Paid no-subscription playback | Native | Partial codecs | Downloads, profiles, discovery | Paid app |
 Reefy | tvOS-only Swiftfin fork | Native | Broad claim | VLC player, Live TV planned | Paid app |
 TechDad Player | Lightweight playback | Aggregator | Partial codecs | Emby, Jellyfin, local files | Free, subscription observed |
 Streamyfin | Open-source Jellyfin video | Native | Broad claim | Downloads, plugin settings, Seerr | Free |
 Stingray | Native track controls | Native | Unknown | Quality/audio/subtitle controls | Free |
 OopsPlayer | Many source types | Aggregator | Partial codecs | SMB, WebDAV, cloud, IPTV | Free + Pro |
 LiquidFin | Music, books, admin extras | Native | Unknown | Music, audiobooks, Live TV, Jellyseerr | Free + premium |
 Nostalgex | Channel-surfing your library | Native | Unknown | EPG-style channels | Free |
Client notes¶
Swiftfin
Official Jellyfin companion app and the baseline native tvOS client. Best treated as the reference Jellyfin-first player, with Live TV and recording support but fewer library surfaces than some newer competitors.
Price: Free download; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 1.4.1, released 2026-01-13.
Good fit: You want the official app and a simple movies/TV baseline.
Watch outs: The episode build did not expose music or personal-video libraries.
Published codec details
Swiftfin documents two players: Swiftfin/VLCKit and Native/AVPlayer. The VLCKit path lists containers such as AVI, FLV, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG-TS, TS, 3G2, 3GP, and WebM; video codecs including AV1 with hardware caveats, H.264, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-1/2/4, VC-1, VP8, VP9, ProRes, and WMV variants; audio including AAC, AC3, ALAC, DTS, EAC3, FLAC, MP3, Opus, PCM, Vorbis, WMA, and others; subtitles including ASS, DVBSub, DVDSub, PGS, SSA, SRT, TTML, VTT, and others; HDR support including HDR10, HLG, and several Dolby Vision/HDR10+ caveated paths.
Sources: App Store, Swiftfin playback docs
Infuse
Polished multi-source player focused on broad direct-play compatibility across NAS, cloud, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, and local libraries. It is an aggregator rather than a Jellyfin-native workflow, so Jellyfin-specific extras are secondary.
Price: Free download; Infuse Pro IAPs list monthly $1.99, yearly $16.99, and lifetime $99.99. Version checked: App Store 8.4.7, released 2026-06-16.
Good fit: You want the strongest published format support and do not mind an aggregator workflow.
Watch outs: No Quick Connect in the episode; Jellyfin-specific features are not the focus.
Published codec details
App Store lists video/container support for 33GP, AVI, AV1, ASF, BDMV, DIVX, DVDMEDIA, DVR-MS, FLV, H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, ISO/IMG, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, MTS/M2TS, MXF, OGM, OGV, RMVB, TS, VC1, VIDEO_TS, VOB, VP9, WEBM, WMV, and WTV. Audio includes AAC, AC3/E-AC3, Dolby TrueHD, DTS, DTS-HD MA, FLAC, MP3, OGG, PCM, and WMA. Subtitles include DVB, DVDSUB, MicroDVD, MPL2, PGS, SMI, SSA/ASS, SRT, SUB, SUP, Timed Text, TXT, VobSub, VTT, and XSUB. HDR claims include HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision.
Sources: App Store
Neptune
Jellyfin-first beta client with a premium-feeling interface, Seerr, profiles, AI search, and the Trident playback engine. Current public status is still beta, with a freemium model announced for licensed premium features.
Price: Free TestFlight beta; announced premium pricing is monthly $1.99, yearly $16.99, and lifetime $129.99. Version checked: Version 0.1.6, Build 135, published 2026-06-13.
Good fit: You want a polished Jellyfin UI with AI search, Seerr, and profiles.
Watch outs: Public codec detail is broad, not exact; the tested beta still had rough edges.
Published codec details
Neptune's project page describes its Trident Player as a custom playback engine with advanced HDR and lossless audio support. We did not find an exact public codec/container table.
Sources: Project page, Newsroom, TestFlight
Zuno
Early Plex/Jellyfin TestFlight client with Seerr and Trakt signals seen in the episode. Treat it as an in-flight beta until public docs or an App Store listing publish pricing, version, and codec details.
Price: TestFlight beta; no public App Store price or paid tier found. Version checked: Public TestFlight page checked; build/version not exposed.
Good fit: You want to track a new Plex/Jellyfin beta with Seerr and Trakt signals.
Watch outs: The public TestFlight page does not publish codec support or detailed feature docs.
Published codec details
No public codec list found. The public TestFlight page only confirms iOS/tvOS beta availability.
Sources: TestFlight
JellySee
Paid Jellyfin plus Seerr app with unusually explicit codec documentation plus music, PiP, trickplay, and request features. The feature list is strong on paper; episode notes still need a retest because playback struggled.
Price: $8.99 upfront; optional donation IAPs list $1, $5, $10, $15, $20, and $100. Version checked: App Store 3.0.3, released 2026-06-25.
Good fit: You want Jellyfin, Seerr, music support, PiP, and explicit codec documentation.
Watch outs: Episode playback was poor on the tested build; personal videos struggled.
Published codec details
Containers: MP4, M4V, and MOV direct play; MKV direct stream/remux; AVI limited. Video: MPEG4 limited, H.264, H.265, VP9. Dynamic range: SDR, HLG, HDR10+, Dolby Vision profiles 5, 7, 8.1, and 8.4. Audio up to 7.1: AAC, AC3, EAC3 + Atmos, ALAC, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis. Subtitles: PGS, WebVTT, SRT, ASS; DVD/VobSub via transcode.
Sources: App Store
JellyTV
Free native Jellyfin app with a modern Apple-style UI, Seerr request management, downloads, and optional JellyTV+ extras. Core playback is free; admin, customization, and integration features sit behind JellyTV+ or separate unlocks.
Price: Free download; IAP list includes JellyTV+ monthly $1.99/$3.99, yearly $14.99/$29.99, lifetime $19.99/$39.99, family lifetime $89.99, and admin tools $14.99. Version checked: App Store 1.3.1, released 2026-06-13.
Good fit: You want a modern Apple-style Jellyfin UI with Seerr requests and optional admin extras.
Watch outs: Codec support is described broadly; the listing does not publish a format table.
Published codec details
App Store claims high-quality video support, live streaming, and transcoding. I did not find a public codec/container table.
Sources: App Store
Moonfin
Fast-moving cross-platform Jellyfin/Emby client with broad library coverage: video, music, books, Live TV/DVR, Seerr, and admin-style tooling. It currently reads like one of the most feature-complete Jellyfin-native candidates, with some UI roughness in the episode.
Price: Free download; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 2.2.0, released 2026-06-19.
Good fit: You want one of the widest Jellyfin feature sets: video, music, books, Live TV/DVR, Seerr, and admin-style tools.
Watch outs: The app is moving fast; episode notes found UI roughness despite strong playback controls.
Published codec details
Moonfin-Core lists video support for H.264, HEVC/H.265, VP8, VP9, AV1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, and VC-1; audio support for AAC, MP3, FLAC, Opus, Vorbis, AC3, EAC3, DTS, TrueHD, PCM, and ALAC; containers MP4, MKV, WebM, AVI, MOV, TS/M2TS, and WMV/ASF; subtitles SRT, ASS/SSA, VTT/WebVTT, TTML, and SUB, with bitmap subtitle support on desktop. The project docs say Apple TV uses MPVKit and supports Dolby Vision Profile 7 direct play.
Sources: App Store, Moonfin-Core
SenPlayer
All-in-one media player for local files, NAS/cloud sources, IPTV, Plex/Emby/Jellyfin, and high-end playback formats. Jellyfin is one source among many, and some advanced playback/server features are Pro-gated.
Price: Free download; IAP list includes Lifetime Pro Apple TV $9.99, Suite $12.99, iPhone+iPad $9.99, Mac $9.99, and Suite upgrade $6.99. Version checked: App Store 6.1.3, released 2026-06-24.
Good fit: You want Jellyfin alongside local files, NAS/cloud sources, IPTV, and broad published format support.
Watch outs: Manual setup only in the episode; some advanced playback is Pro-gated.
Published codec details
Video/container support includes MP4, MKV, VOB, BIK, DAT, TS, MTS, M2T, M2TS, MPG, MPEG, AVI, RMVB, FLV, SWF, WEBM, 3GP, MOV, ISO, and more. Audio includes MP3, FLAC, AAC, WMA, APE, M4A, WAV, DFF, and DSF. Image support includes JPEG, PNG, GIF, WEBP, BMP, and HEIC. The listing also claims 4K/8K, 120fps, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG.
Sources: App Store
Plezy
Paid Plex/Jellyfin client positioned around a one-time purchase rather than subscriptions. Feature set centers on playback, downloads, profiles, and discovery with a less complete public codec table.
Price: $5.99 upfront; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 2.6.0, released 2026-06-11.
Good fit: You want a paid Plex/Jellyfin client with downloads, profiles, and no subscription claim in the listing.
Watch outs: Published codec detail names headline formats, not a full table.
Published codec details
App Store claims wide codec support including HEVC, AV1, VP9, HDR playback, and advanced ASS/SSA subtitle rendering. It does not publish full container/audio/HDR tables.
Sources: App Store
Reefy
tvOS-only Swiftfin fork with VLC-based direct playback and a paid App Store model. It is narrowly focused on Apple TV Jellyfin use, with Live TV still listed as a future goal.
Price: $9.99 upfront; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 1.4.2, released 2026-06-16.
Good fit: You want a tvOS-only Swiftfin fork with VLC-based playback.
Watch outs: Live TV is still a goal, and public codec detail is broad rather than exact.
Published codec details
App Store says Reefy uses a VLC-based player with broad codec support and surround passthrough. The GitHub README says it is a Swiftfin fork using VLC for direct playback. I did not find a full codec table.
TechDad Player
Lightweight Jellyfin/Emby/local-file player with a small feature surface and App Store-listed paid unlock tiers. The episode found weak playback and scaling issues, so it needs a careful retest before recommending.
Price: Free download; IAP list includes Pro monthly $0.99, yearly $6.99, and lifetime $13.99. Version checked: App Store 1.1.7, released 2026-04-09.
Good fit: You want a small, lightweight player and are willing to accept a minimal library model.
Watch outs: Episode playback was weak, and the library UI did not scale well.
Published codec details
App Store claims H.264, HEVC, AV1, MKV/MP4 containers, HDR, embedded tracks, embedded/external subtitles, and local MP4/MOV playback.
Sources: App Store
Streamyfin
Open-source Jellyfin video client built around the Streamyfin ecosystem and companion plugin settings. It is attractive if you value open development, but public docs still say music is not supported.
Price: Free download; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 0.54.1, released 2026-06-02.
Good fit: You like the open-source Streamyfin ecosystem and server-side settings plugin.
Watch outs: The README says music is not currently supported; tvOS navigation was rough in the episode.
Published codec details
The project README says Streamyfin uses MPV via MPVKit and describes MPV as having wide format support. I did not find a tvOS-specific codec table.
Stingray
Native Jellyfin client that advertises quality, audio, subtitle, and track controls. It remains hard to judge empirically from the episode because login failed and no public codec table was found.
Price: Free download; optional Supporter IAP lists $1.49. Version checked: App Store v1.3.0, released 2026-06-16.
Good fit: You want to watch a native Jellyfin app that advertises track and quality controls.
Watch outs: Login failed in the episode, and no public codec list was found.
Published codec details
App Store says the app can adjust quality, video tracks, audio tracks, and subtitles. I did not find codec/container support.
Sources: App Store
OopsPlayer
Multi-source player covering local files, SMB/WebDAV, cloud, IPTV, Plex, Emby, and Jellyfin. It publishes useful format claims, but Jellyfin felt secondary in the episode and Pro gates several source/playback limits.
Price: Free download; OopsPlayer Pro IAPs list monthly $1.99, yearly $17.99, and lifetime $8.99. Version checked: App Store 2.1.1, released 2026-06-25.
Good fit: Jellyfin is one of several sources you want in a single player.
Watch outs: Jellyfin felt secondary in the episode; setup was awkward.
Published codec details
App Store claims 4K, HDR, Dolby Vision, Blu-ray ISO/BDMV, MKV, MP4, MOV, AVI, FLV, WMV, and PiP.
Sources: App Store
LiquidFin
Native Jellyfin app with broad library coverage across video, music, audiobooks, books, Live TV, Jellyseerr, and admin tools. The feature list is extensive, but the episode found sparse playback controls and no public codec table is published.
Price: Free download; Pro IAPs list monthly $1.99, yearly $9.99/$12.99, and lifetime $29.99/$39.99. Version checked: App Store 1.1.2, released 2026-06-27.
Good fit: You want broad Jellyfin feature coverage: music, books, Live TV, Jellyseerr, and admin tools.
Watch outs: No public codec table found; episode player controls were sparse.
Published codec details
App Store describes native playback but does not publish codec/container support.
Sources: App Store
Nostalgex
Bonus Plex/Jellyfin channel-surfing app rather than a standard client replacement. It turns library items into EPG-style channels, so pricing/version matter but codec support is not the core purchase question.
Price: Free download; no IAP section found. Version checked: App Store 1.0.9, released 2026-06-25.
Good fit: You want your Plex/Jellyfin library to feel like channel surfing.
Watch outs: It is not a normal Jellyfin client replacement and is not codec-focused.
Published codec details
App Store does not publish codec support. Nostalgex focuses on EPG-style channel packages, mini guide overlay, collection channels, family-safe channels, and retro mode.
Sources: App Store