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Entertainment · head to head

BritBox vs IINA

BritBox logo

BritBox

Entertainment

British television and entertainment

From
$6.99/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
IINA logo

IINA

Entertainment

Free open source Mac video player built on mpv, with a native macOS interface

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only IINA has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: BritBox britBox offered a free 7-day trial, then billed at $6.99/month or $69.99/year (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2022); IINA there is no Apple TV or iOS app, so it cannot be used for a living room streaming setup the way Infuse can.
  • They diverge on capability: BritBox covers British content, IINA covers mpv playback engine.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which BritBox and IINA actually diverge.

Attributes where BritBox and IINA differ
AttributeBritBoxIINA
Starting price$6.99/monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionOpen source, no licence fee
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, RokuMac
Founded2017Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Entertainment).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in BritBox

  • British content
  • Dramas
  • Comedies
  • Documentaries
  • Exclusive content
  • Smart TVs
  • Streaming devices
  • Account security

Only in IINA

  • mpv playback engine
  • Native macOS interface
  • Trackpad gestures
  • Picture-in-picture
  • Subtitle and audio track control
  • Music mode

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

BritBox

  • British content streamingnot IINA
  • Drama watchingnot IINA

IINA

  • A Mac user who wants to play locally stored or downloaded video files in formats QuickTime Player does not supportnot BritBox
  • Someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volumenot BritBox
  • A user who wants picture-in-picture video while working in other appsnot BritBox
  • Anyone who prefers a graphical Mac-native player over configuring raw mpv from the command linenot BritBox

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

BritBox

  • BritBox offered a free 7-day trial, then billed at $6.99/month or $69.99/year (Internet Archive capture, 1 January 2022)

IINA

  • There is no Apple TV or iOS app, so it cannot be used for a living room streaming setup the way Infuse can.
  • It has no polished network share or cloud storage library browser, so streaming from a NAS or cloud drive is more manual than with Infuse.
  • As a volunteer open source project, new feature development and bug fixes depend on contributor availability rather than a funded team.
  • It is Mac only, so there is no equivalent app for Windows users in a mixed household.
  • Advanced mpv configuration is still exposed for power users, which can be confusing for someone who just wants simple playback with no options.

Pricing, plan by plan

BritBox

$6.99/month
  • Standard$6.99/month
    • HD
    • 1 device
  • Premium$9.99/month
    • Full HD
    • 4 devices

IINA

Free
  • IINAFree
    • Free and open source
    • No account or subscription
    • Full feature set with no paywall

Which should you pick?

Choose BritBox if

  • You need british content.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku.
  • You also want dramas.
BritBox review

Choose IINA if

  • You need mpv playback engine.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Mac.
  • You also want native macos interface.
IINA review

Questions people ask

Is BritBox or IINA better?
Neither clearly leads. BritBox starts at $6.99/month and IINA at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, BritBox or IINA?
IINA has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $6.99/month for BritBox and Free for IINA.
Does BritBox or IINA run on more platforms?
BritBox runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku. IINA runs on Mac.
Can I use IINA for free?
Yes. IINA has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. BritBox starts at $6.99/month.
What is BritBox best used for?
BritBox is most often used for british content streaming, drama watching. Of those, british content streaming and drama watching are not what IINA is typically brought in for.
What can BritBox do that IINA cannot?
BritBox covers British content, Dramas, Comedies, Documentaries. IINA covers mpv playback engine, Native macOS interface, Trackpad gestures, Picture-in-picture.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IINA: Is IINA free?

Yes, entirely, and it is open source with no paid tier or subscription.

IINA: What is the difference between IINA and mpv?

IINA is built on the mpv engine but adds a full native macOS graphical interface, menus and gestures that mpv does not have on its own.

IINA: Does IINA work on Apple TV?

No. IINA is Mac only. For Apple TV playback, Infuse is the comparable option.

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