Comparison

MPDPlayer vs swmpc

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

Head to head
About

MPDPlayer

Control your MPD server with this app, featuring queue management, playlist editing, and server search. Unlock advanced features like widget and watch app control through an optional subscription.

Highlights
  • Control current queue
  • List recently added songs
  • Add and modify playlists
  • Search MPD server
  • Widget control (IAP)
  • Watch app control (IAP)
Features
Read full description

With MPDPlayer you can control your MPD-Server. It includes a Widget and a Watch App to control quickly your Server. The App provides features like: * Control your current queue * List your recently added songs (Last 2 Weeks) * Add and modify your Playlists * Searching through your MPD-Server * Control your MPD-Server easily with your Watch App (only with In-App-Purchase) * Control your MPD-Server easily with a Widget (only with In-App-Purchase) This app is financed by advertising to be offered free of charge. In addition, this app contains a subscription to remove this advertising for one year. In addition to removing the ad, the interaction with the widget and the watch app will be unlocked. Without this subscription, they will each display the necessary information, but any interaction is not possible. This entire "Premium" package can be purchased for one year, which will automatically be renewed after one year, unless automatic renewal is turned off 24 hours before the start of the next period. Here are the terms of use of the app: https://mpdplayer.de/en/terms-of-use.html Here are the privacy policy of the app: https://mpdplayer.de/en/privacy-policy.html By downloading and installing this App, you agree that you have read and accept these Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.

About

swmpc

A fast and elegant music player client for Apple devices. It offers seamless library browsing, intuitive queue management, and full playlist support. Features AI-powered smart fill for playlist generation and is open source.

Highlights
  • Fast library browsing
  • Sane queue management
  • Full playlist support
  • Favorites access
  • AI-powered smart fill
  • Open source
  • Universal purchase
Features
Read full description

Tired of janky MPD clients? Same. `swmpc` is a fast, elegant MPD client built exclusively for iOS, iPadOS & macOS. A clean, native interface that feels right at home on your Apple devices. What you get: • Fast library browsing: Search artists, albums, and tracks instantly • Sane queue management: Add, remove, reorder. Drag and drop. No friction. • Full playlist support: Create, edit, delete, and populate playlists without fighting the UI • Favorites: Quick access to tracks you actually listen to • AI-powered smart fill: Generate playlists or queue tracks by genre or mood • Open source: Inspect it, fork it, contribute. It's your app too. • Universal purchase: One price. Get it for Mac, iPhone, and iPad. Done.

Screenshots

MPDPlayer4 screens
swmpc3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MPDPlayer at Free against swmpc's $8.99. MPDPlayer also leads on rating (4.3 vs 1.0) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). swmpc's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment, update cadence and device support 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

MPDPlayer is free to download; swmpc costs $8.99 up front. MPDPlayer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $1.99 per year. swmpc asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MPDPlayer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of MPDPlayer's written reviews are positive against 60% of swmpc's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MPDPlayer ships an update every 6 weeks, swmpc every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
MPDPlayer versus swmpc: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMPDPlayerswmpc
PriceFree — better$8.99
Rating4.3 (6 ratings) — better1.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB22 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAdrian BerishaCamille Scholtz

Customer experience

MPDPlayer

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

swmpc

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MPDPlayer

Subscriptions1
  • Premium (1 Year)$1.991 Year
None

swmpc

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MPDPlayer free?
MPDPlayer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is swmpc free?
swmpc costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MPDPlayer or swmpc?
MPDPlayer is rated higher. MPDPlayer averages 4.3 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while swmpc averages 1.0 from 2 ratings.
Do MPDPlayer or swmpc have ads?
MPDPlayer shows ads; swmpc does not.
Which is updated more often, MPDPlayer or swmpc?
MPDPlayer ships an update every 6 weeks, and swmpc every 2 months. Most recently, MPDPlayer was updated on June 9, 2026 and swmpc on September 26, 2026.

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