Lumen
Buy · $2.99
Mac · Apple TV · local libraries
Lumen vs Infuse
Infuse is the established all-purpose Apple media library. IINA is a capable Mac front end for mpv. Lumen stays narrower: original files, local sources, and a direct Mac-to-TV path for $2.99 once. This is a scope comparison, not a performance ranking.
| Lumen | Infuse | IINA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price model | $2.99 once on Whop. The receipt is the licence. | Free download. Pro is monthly, yearly, or lifetime through the App Store. | Free. GPLv3. No paid tier. |
| Apple platforms | Native Mac player and Apple TV companion. Apple silicon Mac required. | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, and Vision. | Mac only. |
| Network sources | Lumen Mac sharing, SMB2/3, WebDAV, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, and direct HTTP files. | SMB, NFS, FTP variants, SFTP, WebDAV, UPnP/DLNA, Plex, Emby, Jellyfin, and cloud drives. | Open network URLs. No built-in TV library or server browser. |
| Library | Folders stay visible. Posters are optional. Local and external drives remain the source of truth. | Rich metadata, artwork, collections, playlists, filters, and automatic organization. | File browser and recent items rather than a managed media library. |
| Progress sync | Mac sharing syncs resume between Mac and Apple TV. Direct-source progress stays on that Apple TV. | Pro syncs libraries, settings, watched status, and progress through iCloud; media-server history can also sync. | Local resume history on the Mac. |
| What it omits | No cloud drives, NFS, FTP/SFTP, UPnP/DLNA, Trakt, automatic subtitle downloads, or broad device fleet. | Much broader scope, with more metadata and account-connected services than Lumen. | No native Apple TV app or managed network-source library. |
Infuse Pro prices live in the App Store and can move by region. Firecore lists monthly, yearly, and lifetime options. Lumen stays $2.99 once.
IINA is free under GPLv3 and uses mpv. It can also play online streams. That is outside Lumen's job.
No startup, dropped-frame, or decode-time numbers appear here. Lumen has not published a controlled physical Apple TV benchmark against Infuse.
Two ninety-nine. Once.
Keep the remuxes. Keep the player. Nothing renews.
Infuse platforms, sources, and Pro scope: Firecore product page. Purchase model: Firecore support. IINA licence and Mac requirements: iina.io.