# StarTone vs Linger

The clearest difference is price: Linger at Free against StarTone's $0.99. Linger also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.0) and update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). StarTone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (3 vs 1). On ratings volume, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Linger is free to download; StarTone costs $0.99 up front. Linger sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. StarTone asks for nothing beyond the download.

Linger holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 6 respectively.

StarTone ships an update every 5 weeks, Linger daily. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | StarTone | Linger |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startone/id1216107501/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linger-music-discovery/id6748237784/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **17** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 24 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.6** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [乃波 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/680348637) | [Malachi Patrick](https://appshunter.io/developer/1821235556) |

## What reviewers say

### StarTone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startone/id1216107501)

This music player allows you to rate songs with stars and love statuses directly from your device's library or audio files. It offers convenient rating options via widgets and Apple Watch, with iCloud sync for your ratings.

**Highlights:** Rate music with stars and love statuses, iCloud sync for ratings across devices, Rating support on Today Extension and Apple Watch, Play and rate common audio formats including Flac and MIDI, Embed lyrics and support for .lrc files, Smart playlist creation

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Linger

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linger-music-discovery/id6748237784)

Discover music based on location and connect with others through shared listening experiences. Drop songs on a map, explore nearby music, and participate in community playlist battles. Customize your profile and climb leaderboards.

**Highlights:** Drop music on a live map, Explore nearby music drops, Participate in playlist battles, Connect with other listeners, Customize avatar and profile, Leaderboard and streak tracking, Integrates with major music streaming services

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Premium Lifetime | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StarTone free?

StarTone costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Linger free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StarTone or Linger?

Linger is rated higher. StarTone averages 4.0 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Linger averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do StarTone or Linger have ads?

Neither StarTone nor Linger shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StarTone or Linger?

StarTone ships an update every 5 weeks, and Linger daily. Most recently, StarTone was updated on October 24, 2026 and Linger on October 24, 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.*