Comparison

Bose vs Sonos

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

Head to head
About

Bose

Control all your Bose audio products from a single app. Personalize noise cancellation, customize EQ settings, and set up your devices for seamless listening. Access your favorite music services and playlists with one-touch ease.

Highlights
  • Unified control for Bose products
  • Controllable noise cancellation
  • Customizable EQ settings
  • One-touch music presets
  • Integrated music streaming
Currently charting
Read full description

The Bose app lets you easily control all your Bose products in one place. Bose app (formerly Bose Music app) compatible speakers, soundbars, amplifiers, headphones, earbuds, OpenAudio products, and portable PA systems are designed to work together seamlessly to enhance your listening experience. GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR HEADPHONES AND EARBUDS Personalize your environment with controllable noise cancellation on our QuietComfort products. With Modes on QuietComfort products, you decide how much of the world to let in. Choose Quiet Mode for full noise cancelling, or Aware Mode to hear your surroundings and your music at the same time. Select products offer Aware Mode with ActiveSense technology, which brings the sounds around you down to a more comfortable level. The result is hearing everything you need to, but at a much more pleasant and balanced volume. All the QuietComfort and OpenAudio features, like Immersive Audio from the Ultra line, are made readily available for you. Fully customize your experience by balancing the EQ settings, picking your on-product shortcuts, and more all within the app. EASY SETUP AND TOTAL CONTROL Easily set up your products and get right to listening. Play the same content throughout your home or listen to different content in different areas—it’s up to you. The Bose app lets you control all your Bose products from any room. ONE-TOUCH ACCESS One touch and your home is filled with the music you love most. The Bose app makes it easy to set your favorite playlists or stations as presets. Then you can access them effortlessly on your app, the buttons on your speaker, or soundbar remote. SPEED TO MUSIC It’s faster than ever to browse and play the music you love from Spotify®, Pandora®, Amazon Music, SiriusXM, iHeartRadio™, TuneIn and more, all within the Bose app. All your favorite music in one place. ActiveSense, Bose, the B logo, and QuietComfort are trademarks of Bose Corporation. Spotify is a registered trademark of Spotify AB. TuneIn is a registered trademark of TuneIn, Inc. Google is a trademark of Google LLC. Amazon, Amazon Music, Alexa and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon, Inc. or its affiliates. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of Wi-Fi Alliance®. Pandora, the Pandora logo and the Pandora trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of Pandora Media, Inc. used with permission. iHeartRadio is a registered trademark of iHeartMedia, Inc. SiriusXM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy https://worldwide.bose.com/privacypolicy California Privacy Notice of Collection https://www.bose.com/californiaprivacynoticeofcollection

About

Sonos

This app centralizes your music and audio content for seamless control of your home sound system. Easily manage playback across multiple rooms, discover new music, and personalize your listening experience with saved favorites and custom settings.

Highlights
  • Unified content and control
  • Multi-room audio playback
  • Streaming service integration
  • Personalized music library
  • Easy product setup
  • Voice control integration
Read full description

The Sonos app brings all your content and settings together in one place for effortless control of your Sonos products and listening experience. ONE TAP TO ALL YOUR FAVORITE SOUNDS The Home screen puts all your content and controls right at your fingertips. Quickly jump back into your recent favorites, discover new music, and fill your home with Sonos sound. STREAMING STREAMLINED Browse, search, and play content from all your services with a single app, including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Pandora, TIDAL, Audible, Deezer, iHeartRadio, and SiriusXM. WHOLE-HOME CONTROL Play something different in every part of your home or the same thing everywhere. The Sonos app gives you complete control of your Sonos products and listening experience from any room. PERSONALIZED LISTENING Create your ultimate music library by saving go-to artists, albums, playlists, and stations to Sonos Favorites. Fine-tune products for your space with Trueplay™. And adjust settings for your needs and preferences. EASY SETUP The app automatically detects your Sonos products, then it’s only a few taps to incredible sound. Easily set up a stereo pair, create a cinematic surround sound system, and add speakers to more rooms. GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SONOS EXPERIENCE Enable Sonos Voice Control to play music and control your system with hands-free ease and unheard-of privacy.* Explore helpful tips and recommendations in your Message Center. *Requires a voice-enabled Sonos product. Sonos Voice Control not available in all languages and countries.

Screenshots

Bose4 screens
Sonos4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Bose at none against Sonos's 1. Bose also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (47% vs 17%). Sonos's advantage is ratings volume (927K vs 178K). On price, update cadence, monetization model and chart position 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. Sonos sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per month. Bose asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Bose holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sonos has 927K ratings behind it against 178K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Bose's written reviews are positive against 17% of Sonos's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bose ships an update monthly, Sonos fortnightly. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Bose versus Sonos: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBoseSonos
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (178K ratings) — better4.6 (927K ratings)
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews — better17.2% of reviews
Number of ratings178K927K — better
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#11 — better#20
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.0 GB208 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperBose CorporationSonos, Inc.

Customer experience

Bose

All ratings177,923 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.0%
Negative2.0%
Written reviews3,355 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral8.1%
Negative44.7%

Sonos

All ratings926,758 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral2.6%
Negative8.1%
Written reviews6,076 reviews
Positive17.2%
Neutral9.0%
Negative73.7%

User reviews

Bose

From 178K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy setup and programming
  • 🔊 Impressive sound quality
  • 👍 Useful app features
  • 💡 Customizable EQ and noise cancelling

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Connectivity issues and app crashes
  • 🔌 Unreliable Bluetooth connection
  • 🤖 Lack of accessibility and voice control options
  • 🤔 Confusing app layout and navigation

Sonos

From 927K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Seamless upgrade process
  • 🔒 Robust connectivity
  • 👍 Great sound quality

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
  • 🔍 Confusing and buggy app
  • ⏱️ Slow and unresponsive app
  • 🔄 Speakers randomly disappearing
  • 🤯 Frustrating app updates

Bugs and requests

Bose

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App frequently fails to recognize connected devices
  • Noise cancelling settings revert to default unexpectedly
  • Bluetooth pairing and reconnection issues
  • Forced firmware updates causing sound quality degradation

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add landscape mode support for iPad
  • Improve multi-device connectivity and switching
  • Provide more customization options for noise cancelling
  • Integrate with more music services like Apple Music

Sonos

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App unable to connect to speakers
  • Speakers not recognized after updates
  • Inconsistent volume and playback controls

Requested features

3 requests
  • Improved app stability and responsiveness
  • Restore legacy features (alarms, queues, etc.)
  • Customizable app interface

In-app purchases

None

Bose

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Sonos

Subscriptions1
  • Sonos Radio HD Monthly1 Month trial$9.991 Month

Questions

Is Bose free?
Bose is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sonos free?
Sonos is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Bose or Sonos?
Bose is rated higher. Bose averages 4.8 out of 5 from 178K ratings, while Sonos averages 4.6 from 927K ratings.
Do Bose or Sonos have ads?
Sonos shows ads; Bose does not.
Which is updated more often, Bose or Sonos?
Bose ships an update monthly, and Sonos fortnightly. Most recently, Bose was updated on September 25, 2026 and Sonos on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Bose or Sonos?
Bose currently peaks at #11 in the App Store charts, and Sonos at #20. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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