Is Infuse or Starz better?

Neither clearly leads. Infuse 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, Infuse or Starz?

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

Does Infuse or Starz run on more platforms?

Infuse runs on Mac, iOS, tvOS. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.

Can I use Infuse for free?

Yes. Infuse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.

What is Infuse best used for?

Infuse is most often used for someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service, a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac, a user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file names, someone already invested in the apple tv ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in apple tv app supports. Of those, someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service and a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac are not what Starz is typically brought in for.

What can Infuse do that Starz cannot?

Infuse covers Apple TV app, Network share streaming, Cloud storage support, Automatic metadata and artwork. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content.

Entertainment · head to head

Infuse vs Starz

Infuse

Entertainment

Paid media player for Apple TV, iPhone, iPad and Mac with strong network share and cloud library streaming

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 Infuse has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
Each has a real cost: Infuse it costs money in every form, subscription or lifetime, where IINA performs equivalent local Mac playback for free.; Starz standard monthly rate after 3-month promotion not disclosed on landing page; requires signup to see renewal pricing
They diverge on capability: Infuse covers Apple TV app, Starz covers Streaming.
Prices and features above were last checked on 1 September 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Infuse and Starz actually diverge.

Attributes where Infuse and Starz differ
Attribute	Infuse	Starz
Starting price	Free	$6.99/month
Pricing model	Per user per month	subscription
Free tier	Yes	No
Platforms	Mac, iOS, tvOS	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 Infuse

Apple TV app
Network share streaming
Cloud storage support
Automatic metadata and artwork
Subtitle and audio track handling
Cross-platform library

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.

Infuse

Someone with a NAS full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on Apple TV like a streaming servicenot Starz
A household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a Macnot Starz
A user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file namesnot Starz
Someone already invested in the Apple TV ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in Apple TV app supportsnot Starz

Starz

Drama streamingnot Infuse
Original series watchingnot Infuse

Where each one falls short

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

Infuse

It costs money in every form, subscription or lifetime, where IINA performs equivalent local Mac playback for free.
Full functionality depends on the Pro tier, so the free version alone is limited enough that most serious users end up paying.
It has no Android or Windows app, so it does not help a household with non-Apple television or phone hardware.
Streaming quality from a network share depends heavily on local network speed and NAS performance, which is outside the app control and can cause buffering.
Regional pricing and promotional lifetime pricing has varied over time, so the exact lifetime cost is worth checking on the App Store before buying.

Starz

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

Pricing, plan by plan

Infuse

Free

Infuse (free)Free
- Basic local file playback
- Limited compared to Pro
- No network share or cloud streaming
Infuse Pro Monthly$1.99/month
- Full network share and cloud streaming
- Metadata and artwork fetching
- All future updates included while subscribed
Infuse Pro Lifetime$149.99/one-time
- One-time purchase, no recurring fee
- All future major version updates included
- Regional pricing varies by App Store

Starz

$6.99/month

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

Which should you pick?

Choose Infuse if

You need apple tv app.
You want to start without paying.
You work on Mac, iOS, tvOS.
You also want network share streaming.

Infuse 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 Infuse or Starz better?: Neither clearly leads. Infuse 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, Infuse or Starz?: Infuse has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Infuse and $6.99/month for Starz.
Does Infuse or Starz run on more platforms?: Infuse runs on Mac, iOS, tvOS. Starz runs on Web, Ios, Android, Smart-tv, Roku, Fire-tv.
Can I use Infuse for free?: Yes. Infuse has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Starz starts at $6.99/month.
What is Infuse best used for?: Infuse is most often used for someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service, a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac, a user who wants automatic artwork and metadata for a personal library rather than plain file names, someone already invested in the apple tv ecosystem who wants better playback than the built in apple tv app supports. Of those, someone with a nas full of ripped or downloaded video who wants it browsable on apple tv like a streaming service and a household that wants one media library accessible from the living room television, phones and a mac are not what Starz is typically brought in for.
What can Infuse do that Starz cannot?: Infuse covers Apple TV app, Network share streaming, Cloud storage support, Automatic metadata and artwork. Starz covers Streaming, Original series, Movies, Exclusive content.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Infuse: Is Infuse free?

A limited free version exists, but network share and cloud streaming, the main reason people choose Infuse, requires Infuse Pro, sold as a subscription or lifetime purchase.

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

Infuse: Does Infuse work on Apple TV?

Yes, it has a dedicated Apple TV app with a television-optimised browsing interface, which IINA does not offer at all.

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

Infuse: Is there a one-time payment option?

Yes, a lifetime purchase is available alongside monthly and yearly subscriptions, currently around 149.99 US dollars depending on region.

Infuse vs Starz

Infuse

Starz

The short version

Where they differ

What each one covers

Only in Infuse

Only in Starz

What people use each for

Infuse

Starz

Where each one falls short

Infuse

Starz

Pricing, plan by plan

Infuse

Starz

Which should you pick?

Choose Infuse if

Choose Starz if

Questions people ask

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Related pages

More on Infuse

More on Starz

Keep looking

Other head to heads