Apple TV · Updated 10 October 2026
What is the best Jellyfin app for Apple TV?
Written by the developer of NaviFin, so read it with that in mind. Facts about the other apps come from their own App Store listings and websites, as gathered for the full comparison (checked 4 September 2026, sources listed there). Listings change: check them before you buy.
On the Apple TV
What NaviFin does on the television.
- A sidebar like the TV app, built for the Siri Remote, with Continue Watching on Home and in the Apple TV Top Shelf.
- Apple's own player for files Apple plays natively, which keeps HDR and Dolby Vision, and by default for an MKV your Jellyfin server repackages without re-encoding; VLC for everything else, so a NAS without a GPU is not asked to transcode video.
- Live TV with a guide, music, and requests through your own Jellyseerr, from the same app.
- The same app on Mac, iPad and iPhone, from one $6.99 purchase with no subscription.
The others
Who each alternative is for.
- Swiftfin: free and open source, Jellyfin's official beta client, tvOS 26.1.
- Infuse: Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, SMB, NFS and cloud drives in one app; Pro $1.99 a month, $16.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime.
- Neptune: Apple TV only, its own Trident engine with Dolby Vision profiles 5, 7 and 8 advertised; Pro up to $129.99 lifetime.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Does NaviFin need an Apple TV 4K?
It needs tvOS 26, which runs on the Apple TV HD and Apple TV 4K models that tvOS 26 supports.
Will my Jellyfin server have to transcode?
Not for video in normal use: native files and, by default, MKVs with Apple-decodable streams are copied, not re-encoded, and other files play through VLC on the Apple TV itself.
Is it one purchase for Apple TV and iPhone?
Yes. $6.99 once covers Apple TV, Mac, iPad and iPhone, with no in-app purchases.
Where can I compare all the options?
On navifin.app/compare, with prices, OS requirements and sources for six clients.