# Plexamp vs Roon ARC

The clearest difference is rating: Plexamp at 4.7 against Roon ARC's 3.3. Plexamp also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 36%) and ratings volume (10K vs 196). Roon ARC's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plexamp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Roon ARC asks for nothing beyond the download.

Plexamp holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plexamp has 10K ratings behind it against 196, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Plexamp's written reviews are positive against 36% of Roon ARC's.

Plexamp ships an update every 2 weeks, Roon ARC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plexamp | Roon ARC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plexamp/id1500797510/reviews)** | [3.3 (196 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 196 |
| Positive reviews | **75.5% of reviews** | 35.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 44 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Plex Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/383457676) | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) |

## What reviewers say

### Plexamp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plexamp/id1500797510)

A dedicated music player for your Plex library, offering audiophile-grade playback features, stunning visuals, and personalized radio stations. Enjoy your music collection with advanced customization and offline listening options.

**Highlights:** Audiophile-grade playback (gapless, EQ, loudness leveling), Hypnotic visualizers and UltraBlur backgrounds, Personalized radio stations and Mix Builder, Offline listening for playlists and stations, Powerful search and playback history, Customizable themes and artist exploration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Plex Pass | $6.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plex Pass | $69.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Plex Pass | $979.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Best player ever
- 👍 Gorgeous cover flow
- 👍 Flexible, fun, and friendly
- 👍 Beautiful app that functions well
- 👍 Exceptional user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 List by folder is an insult
- 🐛 Offline music experience not great
- 🐛 Hopeless tagging
- 🐛 Can't download full playlists
- 🐛 Slow downloads

**Reported bugs**

- Inconsistent behavior when offline
- Search function broken
- Slow library loading
- Unreliable downloads
- Incompatibility with certain car systems

**Requested features**

- Repeat functionality
- Ability to edit metadata
- Better offline management and browsing
- Apple Watch app
- Airplay and casting support


### Roon ARC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544)

Access your entire Roon music library and streaming services on the go. Enjoy personalized recommendations, offline listening, and advanced audio controls with a familiar interface.

**Highlights:** Access Roon library anywhere, Stream TIDAL, Qobuz, KKBOX, Offline music downloads, Personalized recommendations, Advanced audio controls (MUSE), Car integration

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with Roon
- 🌍 Access music library anywhere
- 🔊 High-quality audio playback
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Useful feature additions like EQ presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Unreliable performance, especially on mobile networks
- 📱 Lack of iPad-optimized interface
- 🔌 Requires complex network setup for remote access

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted media files
- Disappearing playlists
- Inability to select external storage for downloads
- Inconsistent connectivity to Roon server

**Requested features**

- Native iPad app
- Siri integration for voice control
- Improved browsing and search capabilities
- Automatic offline downloads
- MQA decoding support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plexamp free?

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

### Is Roon ARC free?

Roon ARC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Plexamp or Roon ARC?

Plexamp is rated higher. Plexamp averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Roon ARC averages 3.3 from 196 ratings.

### Do Plexamp or Roon ARC have ads?

Neither Plexamp nor Roon ARC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plexamp or Roon ARC?

Plexamp ships an update every 2 weeks, and Roon ARC monthly. Most recently, Plexamp was updated on October 15, 2026 and Roon ARC on October 11, 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.*