# Plexamp vs Pocket Bard

The clearest difference is chart position: Pocket Bard at #163 against Plexamp's unranked. Pocket Bard also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 75%). Plexamp's advantage is ratings volume (10K vs 1.8K) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Plexamp sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month and Pocket Bard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Plexamp against 4.8 for Pocket Bard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Plexamp has 10K ratings behind it against 1.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Plexamp's written reviews are positive against 86% of Pocket Bard's.

Plexamp ships an update every 2 weeks, Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Plexamp | Pocket Bard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (10K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plexamp/id1500797510/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **10K** | 1.8K |
| Positive reviews | 75.3% of reviews | **86.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#163** |
| Size | 44 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Plex Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/383457676) | [Pocket Bard Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653203376) |

## 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


### Pocket Bard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555)

**Currently charting:** #163 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Enhance your tabletop RPG sessions with an immersive audio experience. Instantly change soundscapes to match the mood of your game, dynamically adjusting music and sound effects to perfectly complement your gameplay.

**Highlights:** Immersive audio experience, Dynamic soundscape changes, Match session tone, Alter music intensity, Adjust sound effects

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds | $6.99 | per month |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless transitions
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great customization options
- 🎶 High-quality music and sound effects
- 💡 Versatile for various use cases (TTRPG, reading, writing, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Unclear subscription model and pricing
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes for some users
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📦 Limited content in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading content causes crashes
- Repeated terms of service pop-ups
- One-shot sound effects not working
- Inconsistent audio quality and balance

**Requested features**

- More sound effects (creature sounds, weather, etc.)
- Ability to import custom music and sounds
- AirPlay support for streaming to speakers
- Offline mode or caching for downloaded content
- Customizable scenes and soundscapes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Plexamp free?

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

### Is Pocket Bard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Plexamp or Pocket Bard?

Pocket Bard is rated higher. Plexamp averages 4.7 out of 5 from 10K ratings, while Pocket Bard averages 4.8 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Plexamp or Pocket Bard have ads?

Neither Plexamp nor Pocket Bard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Plexamp or Pocket Bard?

Plexamp ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. Most recently, Plexamp was updated on November 9, 2026 and Pocket Bard on November 7, 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.*