Table of Contents

Introduction: What is PlayOn

PlayOn is a streaming solution that allows users to record their favorite TV shows, movies, and other media content from a wide range of streaming services and channels. 

PlayOn offers 2 plans: PlayOn Cloud (for mobile & Mac) and PlayOn Home (for Windows PC only). You have to pay them separately and the license for different devices cannot be shared. 

  • Trustpilot Ratings: 1.6/5.0 Bad!! ☹️
  • Available on: Mobile (PlayOn Cloud) & PC (PlayOn Home)

playon review

💰 Subscription Plan
[PlayOn Cloud]
  • $204/1Year
[PlayOn Home]
  • $39.99/1Year
🤖 System Requirement
[PlayOn Cloud]
  • Requires iOS 12.4 or later/ macOS 10.15.3 or later.
[PlayOn Home]
  • Microsoft Windows 10 and above
  • 100 MB of available disk space for installation, plus recommended 4-5 GB extra space
  • Internet broadband connection with a speed of at least 1.5 Mbps.
  • A CPU with a passmark score of 500 or higher
💡Troubleshooting Method

In the next sections, we will explore the key features and advantages of PlayOn, supported devices and platforms, and how to set up PlayOn on your devices, allowing you to make the most of this innovative streaming solution. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of PlayOn, as we delve into the world of streaming and entertainment.

Review: Is PlayOn Worth It?

With its range of impressive features and advantages, PlayOn has become a popular choice among streaming enthusiasts. Here are the key features that make PlayOn stand out:

What we like PlayOn
  • Available on both Mobile and PC devices (although you have to pay for them separately)
  • Skip ads when you watch the recorded videos
  • Schedule time to record the newly released episodes automatically
  • Set time to record at off-peak bandwidth 
  • You can get videos in 1080P recording quality
  • Over 20+ streaming services are supported to be recorded

However, after our deep research and in-person test, we've found that compared with the features, the disadvantages of PlayOn catch our attention.

* Below pic refers to the sample recorded with PlayOn from Prime Video. In the output video, there are still stalling and buffering effects ⬇️

 

PlayOn review: quality

❌ What we dislike PlayOn
  • The quality of recorded videos isn't equal to downloaded videos, although the official announced they support 1080P, there are still very obvious edge blurs and frame duplication 
  • Excessive CPU occupancy over 40%, even 60%, which will; push your device shut down
  • It takes a long time to wait for the recording procedures, if you need to record 2h movie, you have to spend over 2h on the recording
  • Super large file size. I record a 30-minute episode in 480p, and it takes up 470 MB
  • Unable to record multiple videos at the same time, you need to finish them one by one
  • Negative ratings from users on Trustpilot, especially complaints about quality, fake LFT plan, support, etc.

Having experienced the full functions of PlayOn, it is hard for me to recommend it as a good choice for recording or downloading videos from online sites or ott platforms. Luckily, we found a solution.

Best Alternative to PlayOn: StreamFab Video Downloader

playon alternative: streamfab
StreamFab Video Downloader

With StreamFab, you can download a wide range of content from popular streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and more in 1080P MP4/MKV format without ads.

  Try for Free
  Try for Free

Compare: StreamFab vs PlayOn

  StreamFab Video Downloader PlayOn
OS
Win & Mac & Android
Win & Mac & Android & iPhone
Supported streaming services
40+ main OTT and 1000+ online sites
20+ main OTT
Auto download at a scheduled time
YES
NA
Video quality
1080P/4K (download the original source)
1080P (recorded)
Bitrate
2547K
NA
HDR Effect for Netflix
YES HDR10 & Dolby Vision
NA
Meta info
 Collection, Season, Track name, Description, Writing application, Cover, Part_ID
NA
Free trial
Full function to use
 Can only record video with Ads
📖 Reviews StreamFab Review: Real Person Test | Objective & Comprehensive 2024 PlayOn In-Depth Reviews: Is It Worth to Try [2024 Update]

When comparing StreamFab to other similar streaming solutions, it stands out with its comprehensive features, user-friendly interface, and reliable support. While PlayOn is a feasible method to get videos, StreamFab offers a more seamless and superior streaming experience.

Operation Steps

Step 1

Download StreamFab Video Downloader

Install StreamFab on your Win or Mac device and launch it.

Win Download
Mac Download
Step 2

Choose the streaming service

Find the streaming website you want. You can also copy and paste your video URL directly into the address bar on the Homepage. Here we take Netflix as an example.

playon review vs streamfab

Step 3

Customize the file

Please search for the video, for example, Squid Game, and play it, then a pop-up window will ask for your customization. You can choose the audio, subtitle language, format, resolution, etc.

playon review vs streamfab

Step 4

Click the download button

After customization, you can download it right now or add it to the queue.

FAQs

1. PlayOn Home vs Desktop: What is the Difference?

PlayOn Desktop is the previous version of PlayOn Home and it cannot be used on Windows 11 and does not support Closed-Captioning, and numerous content channels that are supported in PlayOn Home. Since PlayOn Desktop has been significantly upgraded and transformed into PlayOn Home, the PlayOn desktop version is no longer under active maintenance and support.

2. Is PlayOn Safe to use?

Yes. PlayOn is safe to use. Please note that the prerequisite is to download PlayOn from the official website or reliable third-party resources. 

Conclusion

One of the key highlights of PlayOn is its extensive supported devices and platforms. Whether you prefer streaming on your computer, smartphone, or tablet, PlayOn has got you covered. However, it works as a recorder, not a downloader indeed, so it is hard to get qualified or clear videos as you expected.

If you would like to use PlayOn to save videos, personally, I don't recommend you to do that. There are much better video downloaders than PlayOn, which always asks for more pennies, but offers less functions.