Comparison

AirChord vs Helmarr

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

Head to head
About

AirChord

Stream audio wirelessly to AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers. This app also introduces internet streaming, allowing you to save and replay audio sessions on demand, creating a personal audio station.

Highlights
  • Wireless audio streaming
  • AirPlay and Bluetooth speaker support
  • Internet streaming
  • Save and replay audio sessions
  • Personal audio station
Features
Read full description

Everything's new in AirChord 3. The app has been rebuilt to be faster, smoother, and more powerful. Stream to AirPlay and Bluetooth speakers like before, plus a brand new feature: Internet streaming. Now you can save your turntable sessions and replay them on-demand. It's your personal vinyl radio station.

About

Helmarr

Manage all your self-hosted services from a single, native iOS interface. Seamlessly integrate and control applications like Sonarr, Radarr, and Unraid with advanced features and customization.

Highlights
  • Unified experience for multiple services
  • Smart multi-network connectivity
  • Deep customization options
  • Home screen widgets
  • Unraid control
  • Push notifications
  • SSH & SFTP access
  • Download management
Features
Read full description

Helmarr provides a unified, native iOS interface for your self-hosted services. Stop relying on responsive web UIs and manage your entire stack in an app where your services actually work hand-in-hand. Currently supported: Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Bazarr, Unraid, SSH (+SFTP), Tautulli, Jellystat, Overseerr, Jellyseerr, Seerr, qBt, SABnzbd, NZBGet, Wizarr, Prowlarr, Transmission, Deluge. Key Features: - A Truly Unified Experience: Your stack shouldn't feel like separate silos. Helmarr brings Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr, Seerr, and Tautulli together. Browse your library, approve requests, and view active streams in one seamless interface. - Smart Connectivity: Full multi-network support allows you to define primary and fallback hosts. Helmarr automatically switches between your LAN IP and WAN/DNS address depending on where you are. - Make It Your Own: Deep customization options let you tweak the app to your liking. Change accent colors, rearrange your tab bar, and set custom headers to match your personal aesthetic. - Home Screen Widgets: Keep an eye on your download queue, upcoming releases, or server stats at a glance without even opening the app. - Unraid Control: Real-time monitoring of Shares, Parity status, Disks, and Warnings. Start/Stop Docker containers and VMs instantly. - Push Notifications: Stay in the loop with configurable alerts for grabs, successful imports, and critical health checks. - Terminal & Vitals: Full SSH & SFTP access with live resource monitoring (CPU/RAM/Net). Manage processes and containers via command line. - Download Management: Remote control for SABnzbd and NZBGet. Pause, resume, reorder queues, and set speed limits on the fly. - Release Browser: Don't just rely on automation—search, filter, and manually grab specific releases with ease. - Onboarding: Generate and manage user invites via Wizarr. Website: https://helmarr.com/ Terms of Service: https://helmarr.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://helmarr.com/privacy

Screenshots

AirChord4 screens
Helmarr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Helmarr at weekly against AirChord's every 5 months. Helmarr also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.6). AirChord's advantage is iOS requirement (15.5 vs 26.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. AirChord sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Helmarr sells 19 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Helmarr holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 99 and 193 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of AirChord's written reviews are positive against 76% of Helmarr's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AirChord ships an update every 5 months, Helmarr weekly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AirChord versus Helmarr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirChordHelmarr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (99 ratings)4.8 (193 ratings) — better
Positive reviews81.6% of reviews — better75.9% of reviews
Number of ratings99193 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.5 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB170 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKevin KellyFlorian Ernst

Customer experience

AirChord

All ratings99 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral1.0%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive81.6%
Neutral3.9%
Negative14.5%

Helmarr

All ratings172 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral1.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral7.6%
Negative16.6%

Bugs and requests

AirChord

Reported bugs

24 issues
  • Sound drops since last update
  • App crashes frequently
  • Audio connection sometimes fails
  • Does not work with Sonos USB-C adapter
  • No input selection available
Show 19 more
  • Only picks up microphone audio
  • Limited to Airplay 1
  • Can only select one HomePod
  • Voiceover audio is passed through to output
  • Does not work on multiple Airplay speakers
  • Lowest volume setting is still loud
  • Only streams a single channel of audio
  • 3 to 4 seconds delay between sound and image
  • Requires additional adapters
  • Stereo not supported unless using tricks
  • Missing Airplay 2 support
  • Not good for watching TV or playing video games
  • Setup can be tricky
  • Requires external ADC
  • No input select
  • Doesn't switch from mic to 1/8” Jack automatically
  • Seems this no longer works with a turntable that has USB B
  • Stuttering sound since last update
  • Sound drops

Requested features

10 requests
  • Expand album art to full screen
  • Album art visualiser
  • Improve Siri integration for output selection
  • Support for multi-speaker Airplay 2
  • Add Airplay 2 support for stereo pairs
Show 5 more
  • Add input meter
  • Large portrait volume control with output levels
  • Support stereo pairs for HomePods
  • Full Airplay 2 support
  • Update for stereo pairs

Helmarr

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

AirChord

One-time2
  • $0.99 tip$0.99
  • $9.99 tip$9.99
19 purchases

Helmarr

Subscriptions3
  • Helmarr Pro Monthly$3.991 Month
  • Ultra Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Helmarr Pro Yearly Subscription$17.991 Year
One-time16
  • Bazarr$3.99
  • Deluge$4.99
  • Plex$4.99
Show 13 more
  • Transmission$4.99
  • NZBGet$4.99
  • Lidarr$4.99
  • Unraid$4.99
  • SABnzbd$4.99
  • Tautulli$4.99
  • Sonarr$4.99
  • Radarr$4.99
  • Seerr$4.99
  • qBt$4.99
  • Prowlarr$4.99
  • Helmarr Pro - Lifetime$29.99
  • Lifetime Pro$34.99

Questions

Is AirChord free?
AirChord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Helmarr free?
Helmarr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AirChord or Helmarr?
Helmarr is rated higher. AirChord averages 4.6 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while Helmarr averages 4.8 from 193 ratings.
Do AirChord or Helmarr have ads?
Neither AirChord nor Helmarr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AirChord or Helmarr?
AirChord ships an update every 5 months, and Helmarr weekly. Most recently, AirChord was updated on October 24, 2026 and Helmarr on October 24, 2026.

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