Head to head · Updated 10 October 2026
NaviFin or Infuse for your Jellyfin library?
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.
The difference
Two good apps built for different libraries.
- Price. NaviFin is $6.99 once for all four platforms, with no in-app purchase in the app. Infuse is a free download with Infuse Pro at $1.99 a month, $16.99 a year or $99.99 lifetime.
- Sources. NaviFin is Jellyfin only, by design. Infuse plays from Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, Kodi, SMB and NFS shares, FTP, WebDAV and cloud drives.
- OS. NaviFin needs iOS, iPadOS, macOS or tvOS 26. Infuse runs on iOS 18, macOS 15 and tvOS 18.5, and on Apple Vision.
- Playback. NaviFin picks the engine per file: Apple's AVPlayer for files Apple plays natively, and by default an MKV whose video and audio Apple can decode is repackaged by your Jellyfin server (streams copied, nothing re-encoded) so it plays through AVPlayer too; everything else goes to VLC. Infuse uses its own engine and advertises 4K with HDR and Dolby Vision.
- Jellyfin itself. NaviFin speaks Jellyfin's own features: Live TV with a guide, music, photos and books from the same server, Kids Mode, widgets and the Apple TV Top Shelf, and requests through your own Jellyseerr.
- Track record. Infuse has ten years and 28,091 App Store ratings. NaviFin went on sale on 2 September 2026.
Where Infuse wins
Pick Infuse if any of these is you.
- Your library lives on more than Jellyfin.
- Your devices cannot run the 26 releases.
- You want an app with a long public record before you trust it with your evenings.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Is NaviFin a replacement for Infuse?
For a Jellyfin-only library on devices that run iOS, iPadOS, macOS or tvOS 26, yes. For Plex, SMB or cloud sources, no: NaviFin connects to Jellyfin and nothing else.
Does NaviFin play MKV without making my server transcode?
Yes. By default an MKV whose video and audio Apple can decode is repackaged by your server, streams copied and nothing re-encoded, and plays through Apple's player; other files play through VLC. Neither path re-encodes the video.
Is there a subscription?
No. NaviFin is $6.99 once, one Universal Purchase for Apple TV, Mac, iPad and iPhone, with no in-app purchases.
Can I try it before buying?
Yes. The next version is in a free TestFlight beta: navifin.app/beta.