Is IINA or MUBI better?

Neither clearly leads. IINA starts at Free and MUBI at $7.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, IINA or MUBI?

IINA has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IINA and $7.99/month for MUBI.

Does IINA or MUBI run on more platforms?

IINA runs on Mac. MUBI runs on Web, iOS, Android.

Can I use IINA for free?

Yes. IINA has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MUBI starts at $7.99/month.

What is IINA best used for?

IINA is most often used for a mac user who wants to play locally stored or downloaded video files in formats quicktime player does not support, someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volume, a user who wants picture-in-picture video while working in other apps, anyone who prefers a graphical mac-native player over configuring raw mpv from the command line. Of those, a mac user who wants to play locally stored or downloaded video files in formats quicktime player does not support and someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volume are not what MUBI is typically brought in for.

What can IINA do that MUBI cannot?

IINA covers mpv playback engine, Native macOS interface, Trackpad gestures, Picture-in-picture. MUBI covers Curated films, World cinema, Documentaries, Classics.

Entertainment · head to head

IINA vs MUBI

IINA

Entertainment

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

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

MUBI

Entertainment

Discover extraordinary cinema

From: $7.99/month
Rated: -

Full review Website

The short version

Only IINA has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: IINA there is no Apple TV or iOS app, so it cannot be used for a living room streaming setup the way Infuse can.; MUBI curated, rotating catalogue - films leave the service on a schedule rather than staying permanently available
They diverge on capability: IINA covers mpv playback engine, MUBI covers Curated films.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IINA and MUBI actually diverge.

Attributes where IINA and MUBI differ
Attribute	IINA	MUBI
Starting price	Free	$7.99/month
Pricing model	Open source, no licence fee	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Mac	Web, iOS, Android
Founded	Unknown	2007

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 IINA

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

Only in MUBI

Curated films
World cinema
Documentaries
Classics
New releases
Smart TVs
Streaming devices
Account security

What people use each for

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

IINA

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

MUBI

Watching curated arthouse, independent, and classic international cinemanot IINA
Discovering festival and awards-circuit films not on mainstream platformsnot IINA
Getting a free weekly theatrical ticket via MUBI GO in eligible citiesnot IINA
Reading editorial film notes and curation alongside streamingnot IINA

Where each one falls short

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

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.

MUBI

Curated, rotating catalogue - films leave the service on a schedule rather than staying permanently available
No live TV or broad back-catalogue - deliberately small, curated library rather than a comprehensive on-demand one
MUBI GO (free theater ticket plus streaming) is limited to select cities

Pricing, plan by plan

IINA

Free

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

MUBI

$7.99/month

Monthly$7.99/month
- Unlimited streaming access to curated films
- Download capability via iOS and Android apps
- Ad-free viewing

Which should you pick?

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

Choose MUBI if

You need curated films.
You work on Web, iOS, Android.
You also want world cinema.

MUBI review

Questions people ask

Is IINA or MUBI better?: Neither clearly leads. IINA starts at Free and MUBI at $7.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IINA or MUBI?: IINA has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IINA and $7.99/month for MUBI.
Does IINA or MUBI run on more platforms?: IINA runs on Mac. MUBI runs on Web, iOS, Android.
Can I use IINA for free?: Yes. IINA has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. MUBI starts at $7.99/month.
What is IINA best used for?: IINA is most often used for a mac user who wants to play locally stored or downloaded video files in formats quicktime player does not support, someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volume, a user who wants picture-in-picture video while working in other apps, anyone who prefers a graphical mac-native player over configuring raw mpv from the command line. Of those, a mac user who wants to play locally stored or downloaded video files in formats quicktime player does not support and someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volume are not what MUBI is typically brought in for.
What can IINA do that MUBI cannot?: IINA covers mpv playback engine, Native macOS interface, Trackpad gestures, Picture-in-picture. MUBI covers Curated films, World cinema, Documentaries, Classics.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IINA: Is IINA free?

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

MUBI: How much does MUBI cost?

MUBI costs $7.99 per month USD on a monthly plan. An annual plan is available that saves 38% compared to monthly billing, though the exact annual price is not shown on the pricing page.

Source

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.

MUBI: Is there a free trial for MUBI?

Yes, MUBI offers a 7-day free trial with no credit card required. After the trial ends, the membership converts to paid status.

Source

IINA: Does IINA work on Apple TV?

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

IINA vs MUBI

IINA

MUBI

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in IINA

Only in MUBI

What people use each for

IINA

MUBI

Where each one falls short

IINA

MUBI

Pricing, plan by plan

IINA

MUBI

Which should you pick?

Choose IINA if

Choose MUBI if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on IINA

More on MUBI

Keep looking

Other head to heads