# Amarra Play vs JPLAY

The clearest difference is rating: JPLAY at 4.2 against Amarra Play's 2.9. JPLAY also leads on review sentiment (59% vs 22%). Amarra Play's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Amarra Play sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and JPLAY sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

JPLAY holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 54 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 22% of Amarra Play's written reviews are positive against 59% of JPLAY's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Amarra Play | JPLAY |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.9 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amarra-play/id1061144320/reviews) | **[4.2 (54 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jplay/id1608773457/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **54** |
| Positive reviews | 21.6% of reviews | **58.9% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 77 MB | 50 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sonic Studio](https://appshunter.io/developer/550923625) | [Marcin Ostapowicz](https://appshunter.io/developer/1608773459) |

## What reviewers say

### Amarra Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/amarra-play/id1061144320)

Experience superior audio quality on your iOS device. Enjoy local music files and stream from Qobuz and TIDAL. Unlock advanced features like MQA decoding and customizable EQ with an in-app purchase or Amarra Luxe license.

**Highlights:** High-resolution audio playback, Qobuz and TIDAL streaming, MQA decoding (with purchase), Customizable EQ, Support for FLAC, AIFF, WAV, and more, Remote control for Amarra Luxe

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| EQ support | $2.99 | one-time |
| Adds support for MQA decoding | $3.99 | one-time |
| TIDAL Streaming | $4.99 | one-time |
| Qobuz streaming support | $4.99 | one-time |
| Adds Qobuz, TIDAL, MQA and EQ | $12.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎧 Great sound quality
- 🎶 Plays various file types (FLAC, DSD, MQA)
- 🎚️ Useful EQ presets
- 💻 Remote control capability (when working)
- 🔊 Good with external DACs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🐌 Slow performance and loading
- ❌ Unreliable remote connection
- ❓ Poor UI/UX and navigation
- 🚫 Lack of updates/abandoned app

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on launch or during playback
- Remote app doesn't pair or loses connection
- Playback controls are unresponsive
- Album art is missing or corrupted
- MQA decoding is slow or outputs PCM

**Requested features**

- Add more equalizer settings from MacBook version
- Timeline for updates
- Ability to add more EQ presets
- Improved album art handling
- Fix gapless playback


### JPLAY

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jplay/id1608773457)

This app is a high-fidelity music player designed for audiophiles. It seamlessly integrates streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal with local music files, offering a unified interface for all your audio content. Experience superior sound quality and discover new music through its intuitive design and advanced features.

**Highlights:** Plays Qobuz, Tidal, and local music files, Works with most streamers and network DACs, HQPlayer Control API integration, Dramatically better sound quality, Radio feature for music discovery, Extended playlist management, Artist bios and album reviews

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| JPLAY Premium | $49.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $149.00 | one-time |
| JPLAY Lifetime | $199.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Superior sound quality compared to competitors
- 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
- 🚀 Fast and responsive app performance
- 🔌 Seamless UPnP/DLNA integration
- 📱 Works without requiring a server

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($50/year, $199 lifetime)
- ❌ No monthly subscription option available
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity and playback issues
- 📱 iOS-only application
- 🔄 No cross-device synchronization

**Reported bugs**

- Tracks fail to render or play from Tidal
- App crashes on startup with older iOS versions
- Playback stuttering and lag issues
- Renderer in transition errors
- Device discovery failures

**Requested features**

- Monthly subscription option
- Cross-device synchronization for playlists and favorites
- EQ and tone adjustment controls
- DSD file playback support
- Multi-room audio capability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Amarra Play free?

Amarra Play is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is JPLAY free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Amarra Play or JPLAY?

JPLAY is rated higher. Amarra Play averages 2.9 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while JPLAY averages 4.2 from 54 ratings.

### Do Amarra Play or JPLAY have ads?

Neither Amarra Play nor JPLAY shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Amarra Play or JPLAY?

Amarra Play ships an update every 3 weeks, and JPLAY every 3 weeks. Most recently, Amarra Play was updated on October 26, 2026 and JPLAY on October 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.*