# Lyd vs Now Playing Plus

The clearest difference is rating: Lyd at 4.4 against Now Playing Plus's 3.7. Lyd also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 9 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 71%). Now Playing Plus's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Lyd sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Now Playing Plus asks for nothing beyond the download.

Lyd holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lyd has 354 ratings behind it against 51, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Lyd's written reviews are positive against 71% of Now Playing Plus's.

Lyd ships an update every 10 days, Now Playing Plus every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lyd | Now Playing Plus |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (354 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lyd-sonos-control-and-widgets/id1451243766/reviews)** | [3.7 (51 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-playing-plus/id6443591394/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **354** | 51 |
| Positive reviews | **85.9% of reviews** | 71.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 10 days** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 80 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [App Lane OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1671488060) | [The Iconfactory](https://appshunter.io/developer/281795483) |

## What reviewers say

### Lyd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lyd-sonos-control-and-widgets/id1451243766)

Control your Sonos system directly from your iPhone's Home Screen, Lock Screen, or Apple Watch. Enjoy instant playback control, volume adjustments, and speaker management without needing to open the main app or unlock your device.

**Highlights:** Home Screen widgets, Lock Screen widgets, Dynamic Island Live Activities, Apple Watch remote, Group/ungroup speakers, Sleep timers, Shortcuts and automation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Yearly tip | $2.99 | per year |
| One-time tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| One-time support | $1.99 | one-time |
| One-time Support | $4.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Unlock | $8.99 | one-time |
| One-time Support | $8.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless Sonos control
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔒 Reliable and stable
- 💡 Convenient Apple Watch integration
- 🚀 Fast and responsive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connectivity issues
- 🔋 Drains Apple Watch battery
- 🔒 Requires Sonos account login

**Reported bugs**

- App sometimes loses connection to Sonos
- Complication disappears after updates

**Requested features**

- Ability to control volume directly from the app
- Support for more Sonos features like creating playlists
- Interactive widgets for iPhone


### Now Playing Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/now-playing-plus/id6443591394)

Enhance your Apple Watch face with convenient audio controls. This app adds corner and circular complications, allowing quick access to playback functions without navigating through menus.

**Highlights:** Corner complications, Circular complications, Audio controls, Quick access, Customizable watch face

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lyd free?

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

### Is Now Playing Plus free?

Now Playing Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lyd or Now Playing Plus?

Lyd is rated higher. Lyd averages 4.4 out of 5 from 354 ratings, while Now Playing Plus averages 3.7 from 51 ratings.

### Do Lyd or Now Playing Plus have ads?

Neither Lyd nor Now Playing Plus shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lyd or Now Playing Plus?

Lyd ships an update every 10 days, and Now Playing Plus every 9 months. Most recently, Lyd was updated on October 20, 2026 and Now Playing Plus on October 14, 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.*