# SubStreamer vs MusicBee Remote

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SubStreamer at none against MusicBee Remote's 6. SubStreamer also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.0 vs 3.7). MusicBee Remote's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MusicBee Remote sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. SubStreamer asks for nothing beyond the download.

SubStreamer holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 141 and 42 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of SubStreamer's written reviews are positive against 57% of MusicBee Remote's.

SubStreamer ships an update every 2 weeks, MusicBee Remote fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SubStreamer | MusicBee Remote |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substreamer/id1012991665/reviews)** | [3.7 (42 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicbee-remote/id1476671144/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 42 |
| Positive reviews | **72.2% of reviews** | 56.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 55 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gaven Henry](https://appshunter.io/developer/925249622) | [Daniil Zubach](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457839161) |

## What reviewers say

### SubStreamer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substreamer/id1012991665)

Access and stream your personal music library from a Subsonic-compatible server on your mobile device. Enjoy offline playback, personalized mixes, and detailed listening analytics without ads or subscriptions.

**Highlights:** Stream and download music library, Offline listening with background processing, Personalized smart mixes, Listening analytics and scrobbling, Playlist and library management, Background playback with lock screen controls, Open source

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Beautiful and modern UI design
- ⚡ Clean, intuitive interface
- 🎵 Excellent Navidrome server compatibility
- 📱 Works seamlessly with self-hosted music servers
- 🔄 Reliable background playback functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent playback failures and stalling
- 🐛 Random crashes during playback
- 🐛 Scrobbling not working reliably
- 🐛 Large file playback issues (10MB+)
- 🐛 AirPlay/Apple TV streaming broken

**Reported bugs**

- Songs fail to play without double-pressing play button
- Playback stops with 4 seconds remaining in track
- Skipping back crashes the app
- Large files (10MB+) require pause-then-play to start
- Scrobbling fails despite server support

**Requested features**

- CarPlay support for in-car use
- Traditional Chinese language support
- Simplified Chinese language support
- All-songs library view (not just albums/artists)
- Lyrics API integration


### MusicBee Remote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musicbee-remote/id1476671144)

Control your MusicBee player remotely from your iOS device. Manage playback, view track information, access your library, and even edit metadata. Offers a premium subscription for enhanced features and an ad-free experience.

**Highlights:** Playback controls, Now playing artwork and info, Lyrics support, Rate songs, Edit upcoming tracks, Browse library, Edit metadata tags

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| Premium Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Disable Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Access to Lock Screen Controls | $0.99 | one-time |
| Detailed Track Information | $0.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Premium | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works well for iPhone
- 👍 Works well for PC
- 👍 Clean and responsive interface
- 👍 Excellent interface
- 👍 Really convenient

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Greedy pricing model
- 💰 Subscription required
- 💰 High one-off payment
- 💰 Ads present
- 💰 Expensive premium version

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to connect to network
- Connection failed
- Display still shows old artist/title
- App crashes randomly
- Keeps telling me connection unsuccessful

**Requested features**

- Option to switch audio output to phone
- Ability to browse specific folders
- Support for more than one subfolder level for playlists
- Ability to stream to smart speakers
- Option to start AutoDJ based on song choice


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SubStreamer free?

SubStreamer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is MusicBee Remote free?

MusicBee Remote is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SubStreamer or MusicBee Remote?

SubStreamer is rated higher. SubStreamer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while MusicBee Remote averages 3.7 from 42 ratings.

### Do SubStreamer or MusicBee Remote have ads?

MusicBee Remote shows ads; SubStreamer does not.

### Which is updated more often, SubStreamer or MusicBee Remote?

SubStreamer ships an update every 2 weeks, and MusicBee Remote fortnightly. Most recently, SubStreamer was updated on October 10, 2026 and MusicBee Remote on October 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*