Comparison

Roon vs Marshall

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Roon

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
Read full description

*** The Roon experience requires a Roon Server on your network. *** The Roon App is another controller for your Roon Server. You browse and play your music library on over 1,000 compatible audio devices, and provides a seamless in-home connection. You can install the free Roon App on as many devices as you like. What is Roon? The very best way to experience your music: Roon reshapes the way you browse and explore music. Powered by rich metadata, Roon's interface invites you on a new journey of musical discovery every time you log in. Your music library becomes the starting point on a vast map of performers, composers, influences, and genres. Follow the path emanating from the music you love to discover exciting new sounds and reconnect with long-forgotten favorites. You can delve even deeper through lyrics, artist photos, bios, reviews, and tour dates - then continue the journey with recommendations specifically tailored to your tastes and listening habits. Listen anywhere, on all your gear: Roon lets you play from your collection of music files and TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX libraries on thousands of Roon Ready, Airplay, Chromecast, and USB devices from one app inside your home. Meanwhile, Roon ARC provides access, playback, and precision audio control for your entire Roon music library directly from your phone, wherever you are in the world. Flawless playback. Everywhere, every time: Roon is built to ensure your music sounds perfect every time you hit play, no matter where you are. Roon guarantees the best possible sound quality from every piece of audio gear - our MUSE sound engine delivers bit-perfect playback, exhaustive format support, and precision audio control for a fully customizable and flawless listening experience. From headphones to your home hi-fi, and everything in between.

About

Marshall

Customize your soundbar experience with personalized audio settings and room correction. Receive automatic updates to ensure your device is always up-to-date with the latest features and improvements.

Highlights
  • Personalized sound customization
  • Room correction for balanced audio
  • Adjustable sound modes
  • Over-the-air updates
  • Guided initial setup
Features
Read full description

After spending over 60 years mastering the art of sound, we know that the only right way to listen to music, is your way. The Marshall app puts you in control, letting you shape your sound the way you want it. Let the app walk you through the initial quick setup to put the all the settings right at your fingertips. Enjoy the Marshall signature sound straight up or fine-tune it to match your playlist, your film, your mood. This app is built for listeners who refuse to settle, and the Over-the-Air updates make sure your speakers are up to date with little or no effort.

Screenshots

Roon4 screens
Marshall4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Roon at 3.6 against Marshall's 3.0. Roon also leads on ratings volume (556 vs 8) and review sentiment (33% vs 14%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Roon holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roon has 556 ratings behind it against 8, 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 14% of Marshall's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Roon versus Marshall: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRoonMarshall
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (556 ratings) — better3.0 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews32.6% of reviews — better13.5% of reviews
Number of ratings556 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size616 MB66 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperRoon LabsMarshall Group AB (publ)

Customer experience

Roon

All ratings556 ratings
Positive59.2%
Neutral9.0%
Negative31.8%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral15.5%
Negative51.9%

Marshall

All ratings8 ratings
Positive37.5%
Neutral25.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive13.5%
Neutral8.1%
Negative78.4%

Bugs and requests

Roon

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

Marshall

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Roon

No in-app purchases

None

Marshall

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Roon free?
Roon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Marshall free?
Marshall is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Roon or Marshall?
Roon is rated higher. Roon averages 3.6 out of 5 from 556 ratings, while Marshall averages 3.0 from 8 ratings.
Do Roon or Marshall have ads?
Neither Roon nor Marshall shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Roon or Marshall?
Roon ships an update every 3 weeks, and Marshall every 3 weeks. Most recently, Roon was updated on September 24, 2026 and Marshall on September 23, 2026.

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