# Roon vs McIntosh Connect

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Roon at 556 against McIntosh Connect's 9. Roon also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (3.6 vs 3.4). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Roon holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roon has 556 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of Roon's written reviews are positive against 25% of McIntosh Connect's.

Roon ships an update every 3 weeks, McIntosh Connect every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roon | McIntosh Connect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.6 (556 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083/reviews)** | [3.4 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcintosh-connect/id6451832793/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **556** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **32.6% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 616 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) | [McIntosh Laboratory, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/411263898) |

## What reviewers say

### Roon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083)

This app serves as a controller for a Roon Server, enabling users to browse and play their music library. It offers a rich metadata-driven interface for musical discovery, connecting to over 1,000 compatible audio devices for seamless playback.

**Highlights:** Music library browsing and playback, Rich metadata for musical discovery, Connects to 1,000+ audio devices, Seamless in-home audio connection, Access music library remotely via Roon ARC, Bit-perfect playback and format support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great when it works
- 🎨 Fantastic app
- 🎧 Best way to experience music
- 🤖 Powerful music management
- 🔍 Excellent music discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔌 Unstable connection
- 🕰️ Slow performance
- 🤯 Confusing interface
- 🚫 Lack of accessibility

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on search
- Audio devices disappearing
- Volume issues after updates
- Inability to find Roon core

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline music playback
- Better Tidal/Spotify integration
- Improved metadata editing
- Apple Watch support


### McIntosh Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mcintosh-connect/id6451832793)

Control compatible McIntosh audio equipment with a streamlined interface. Manage volume, inputs, tone, and more for select preamplifiers. Easily update firmware and configure network settings for an optimized listening experience.

**Highlights:** Volume Control, Input Selection & Renaming, Tone Adjustment, Firmware Update Management, Multi-Zone Audio Control, Network Setup

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Roon free?

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

### Is McIntosh Connect free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Roon or McIntosh Connect?

Roon is rated higher. Roon averages 3.6 out of 5 from 556 ratings, while McIntosh Connect averages 3.4 from 9 ratings.

### Do Roon or McIntosh Connect have ads?

Neither Roon nor McIntosh Connect shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roon or McIntosh Connect?

Roon ships an update every 3 weeks, and McIntosh Connect every 3 months. Most recently, Roon was updated on September 24, 2026 and McIntosh Connect on July 6, 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.*