A Swiftfin alternative for everything else you own.
Swiftfin is Jellyfin-only on purpose. Spectati is for the Plex server, the IPTV playlist and the NAS too.
- Jellyfin
- Plex
- Emby
- M3U & Xtream
- SMB shares
- Direct play
- Dolby Vision
- Apple TV, iPhone, iPad & Mac
Two clients, two different jobs.
Swiftfin wins the rows that follow from being the Jellyfin project's own free, open-source client. Spectati wins the rows about every source that is not Jellyfin. Which set matters is a question about your setup, not about the apps.
| Capability | Spectati | Swiftfin |
|---|---|---|
| Jellyfin libraries | Yes | Yes |
| Native on Apple TV, iPhone and iPad | Yes | Yes |
| Native Mac app | Yes | No |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Free, with no paid tier at all | No | Yes |
| Plex servers, alongside Jellyfin | Yes | No |
| Emby servers | Yes, in beta | No |
| IPTV: M3U, Xtream and an XMLTV guide | Yes | No |
| SMB file shares, with no media server | Yes, in beta | No |
| Duplicates across servers merged into one entry | Yes | No |
| Watch state synced across your own devices | With a subscription | Through Jellyfin itself |
Written by Spectati and checked against Swiftfin's published capabilities in August 2026. Spectati is not affiliated with the Jellyfin project or Swiftfin; both change, so check theirs before you decide.
Every source you have, on one set of shelves.
Spectati signs into your Jellyfin servers and your Plex and Emby servers at the same time, takes M3U and Xtream playlists beside them, and reads plain SMB shares with no media server at all. What comes out is one library, and when the same title exists in two places, one entry rather than two.
- Jellyfin, Plex and Emby connected at once
- IPTV playlists with a full XMLTV program guide
- SMB shares read straight from the files, artwork filled in from TVDB
- Duplicates merged and ranked by resolution, codec, HDR and audio
- One search across movies, shows, episodes and live channels
Your Jellyfin server never has to transcode.
High-bitrate 4K remuxes direct-play from Jellyfin with nothing re-encoded on the way. Dolby Vision, HDR10+, HDR10 and HLG go to the display, Dolby Atmos, TrueHD, E-AC-3 and DTS go to the receiver, and tvOS switches dynamic range and frame rate before the title starts.
- Direct play at full bitrate, with your server CPU idle
- Hardware decoding first, software fallback for what refuses
- PGS, ASS and teletext subtitles, with delay and styling controls
- Skip intro, chapters, playback speed and per-title track memory
- Native tvOS focus engine, Top Shelf and Siri Remote scrubbing
Press play before you connect anything.
A new install is not an empty shelf asking for a server address. Four films are already on Home, and they play in seconds with no account, no playlist and no card. It is the real player on your own television, not a demo mode.
- Four Blender open movies, ready the moment you open the app
- Singularity is served in HDR10, so you see what full quality buys
- Nothing to sign up for and nothing that expires
- Connect Plex, Jellyfin or a playlist whenever you feel like it
HDR10
1440p
1080p
720pBlender open movies, licensed CC BY. Spectati streams them to a fresh install so there is something to watch before you connect anything.
Free to use. Pay only for full quality.
No trial clock, and your Jellyfin server does not have to move anywhere. Free direct-plays your 4K remuxes with no transcoding, in SDR. HDR and surround sound are what a subscription adds.
Free
No account neededInstall it and press play. There is no trial clock and no card.
- Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, IPTV and SMB file shares
- Up to 2 sources running at once
- Direct play of high-bitrate 4K remuxes, no transcoding
- Live TV with a full XMLTV program guide
- Favorites, hiding, renaming and sorting, channel by channel
- Parental PIN, age-rating limits and per-provider locks
Full quality
OptionalOr $2.99/month, or $99.99 once and never again
- HDR and surround sound
- More than 2 sources at once
- Offline downloads
- IPTV catch-up and on-demand
- Bulk channel tools and program reminders
- iCloud sync across your devices
- Automatic subtitles
- SIMKL watch-history sync
Bought inside the app, whenever you decide you want it. Apple handles it via In-App Purchase, with Family Sharing. The annual plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Manage or cancel anytime from your Apple ID.
- Unlimited devices
- All providers
- tvOS, iOS, iPadOS and macOS
- Family Sharing
- Cancel anytime
Client questions, answered.
Weighing the two up and still unsure? Get in touch.
Keep Swiftfin installed. Try this on the same server.
Spectati is free on Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac. Sign into the same Jellyfin server, add whatever else you run, and keep both apps while you decide which one you open.
Also on Apple TV, iPad and Mac
Requires tvOS, iOS, iPadOS or macOS 26