Is IINA or Starz better?

Neither clearly leads. IINA starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.

Which is cheaper, IINA or Starz?

IINA has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IINA and $6.99/month for Starz.

Does IINA or Starz run on more platforms?

IINA runs on Mac. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.

Can I use IINA for free?

Yes. IINA has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/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 Starz is typically brought in for.

What can IINA do that Starz cannot?

IINA covers mpv playback engine, Native macOS interface, Trackpad gestures, Picture-in-picture. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content.

Entertainment · head to head

IINA vs Starz

IINA

Entertainment

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

From: Free
Rated: -

Full review Website

Starz

Entertainment

Premium originals and hit series

From: $6.99/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.; Starz standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing
They diverge on capability: IINA covers mpv playback engine, Starz covers Streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which IINA and Starz actually diverge.

Attributes where IINA and Starz differ
Attribute	IINA	Starz
Starting price	Free	$6.99/month
Pricing model	Open source, no licence fee	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Mac	Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv
Founded	Unknown	1994

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 Starz

Streaming
Original series
Movies
Exclusive content
Downloads
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 Starz
Someone who wants a free player with real trackpad gesture support for seeking and volumenot Starz
A user who wants picture-in-picture video while working in other appsnot Starz
Anyone who prefers a graphical Mac-native player over configuring raw mpv from the command linenot Starz

Starz

Drama streamingnot IINA
Original series watchingnot 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.

Starz

Standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing

Pricing, plan by plan

IINA

Free

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

Starz

$6.99/month

Standard$6.99/month
- HD
- Ad-supported
Premium$12.99/month
- 4K
- Ad-free
- Downloads

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 Starz if

You need streaming.
You work on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
You also want original series.

Starz review

Questions people ask

Is IINA or Starz better?: Neither clearly leads. IINA starts at Free and Starz at $6.99/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, IINA or Starz?: IINA has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for IINA and $6.99/month for Starz.
Does IINA or Starz run on more platforms?: IINA runs on Mac. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use IINA for free?: Yes. IINA has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/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 Starz is typically brought in for.
What can IINA do that Starz cannot?: IINA covers mpv playback engine, Native macOS interface, Trackpad gestures, Picture-in-picture. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

IINA: Is IINA free?

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

Starz: What is the current STARZ subscription cost?

STARZ offers a limited-time promotional rate of $4 per month for the first three months. The standard monthly rate after this period is not displayed on the website and appears during signup.

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.

Starz: How many devices can stream simultaneously on STARZ?

STARZ subscriptions allow streaming on up to 4 devices at the same time, with unlimited HD streaming and downloads included.

Source

IINA: Does IINA work on Apple TV?

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

IINA vs Starz

IINA

Starz

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in IINA

Only in Starz

What people use each for

IINA

Starz

Where each one falls short

IINA

Starz

Pricing, plan by plan

IINA

Starz

Which should you pick?

Choose IINA if

Choose Starz if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on IINA

More on Starz

Keep looking

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