# SubStreamer vs mStream Player

The clearest difference is rating: mStream Player at 4.6 against SubStreamer's 4.0. SubStreamer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. mStream Player sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. SubStreamer asks for nothing beyond the download.

mStream Player holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SubStreamer has 141 ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of SubStreamer's written reviews are positive against 64% of mStream Player's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SubStreamer ships an update every 2 weeks, mStream Player every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SubStreamer | mStream Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (141 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/substreamer/id1012991665/reviews) | **[4.6 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mstream-player/id1605378892/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **141** | 25 |
| Positive reviews | **72.2% of reviews** | 63.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 55 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | **15.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Gaven Henry](https://appshunter.io/developer/925249622) | [Niera Tech Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505867776) |

## 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


### mStream Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mstream-player/id1605378892)

Stream your personal music library from a self-hosted server directly to your mobile device. Browse folders, search by artist or album, and create dynamic playlists with Auto DJ. Enjoy fine volume control, shuffle, and loop features for a personalized listening experience.

**Highlights:** Browse music folders, Search by artist/album/song, Create dynamic playlists, Shuffle and loop playback, HTTP(S) support, Authenticated login

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee-Sized Tip | $6.99 | one-time |
| Snack-Sized Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Meal-Sized Tip | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SubStreamer free?

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

### Is mStream Player free?

mStream Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SubStreamer or mStream Player?

mStream Player is rated higher. SubStreamer averages 4.0 out of 5 from 141 ratings, while mStream Player averages 4.6 from 25 ratings.

### Do SubStreamer or mStream Player have ads?

Neither SubStreamer nor mStream Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SubStreamer or mStream Player?

SubStreamer ships an update every 2 weeks, and mStream Player every 5 weeks. Most recently, SubStreamer was updated on October 10, 2026 and mStream Player on September 27, 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.*