Comparison

MPD Pilot vs MD Player

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

Head to head
About

MPD Pilot

Control your Music Player Daemon (MPD) with a user-friendly interface. Manage playback, curate playlists, browse your library, and stream music to your device. Offers local playback and cover art display.

Highlights
  • Playback control
  • Queue management
  • Remote library browsing
  • Artist and album views
  • Song search
  • Automatic server discovery
  • Local playback streaming
  • Cover art display
Features
Read full description

MPD Pilot is a Music Player Daemon (MPD) controller designed for fast, convenient control of your music library, queue, and playback. Key Features: - Playback Control: Control playback, volume, and outputs with a clean, responsive interface. - Queue Management: Build, reorder, and manage your current queue with ease. - Remote Library Browser: Browse your music library remotely in a file tree view and manage playlists. - Artist and Album Views: Explore your collection by artist or album, with integrated search for quick navigation. - Song Search: Quickly find tracks in your MPD database. - Automatic Server Discovery: Discover compatible MPD servers on your local network via Bonjour. - Local Playback on Device: Stream audio from your MPD server directly to your iPhone or iPad via speakers, Bluetooth headphones, or AirPlay devices. Supports HTTP-based and Snapcast streams, including formats such as FLAC, MP3, OPUS, and Vorbis, with stream quality details available in the app. - Cover Art Display: View cover art from your MPD collection or external sources. - Localized in 12 languages. Requirements: - MPD Pilot requires an MPD server for library browsing, queue management, and playback control. - To listen on your device, your MPD server must also be configured with a streaming output. Learn more about MPD setup at https://www.musicpd.org and https://mpdpilot.app/help Premium Features: Unlock Premium to connect to an unlimited number of MPD servers, create multiple local playback streams, and enjoy ad-free local audio playback. All other app features remain available in the free version. Privacy Policy: https://mpdpilot.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://mpdpilot.app/terms-of-use Visit https://mpdpilot.app for more information.

About

MD Player

Experience your Apple Music playlists with a nostalgic, retro minidisc player interface. Swipe through virtual discs and drag one to play, enjoying realistic haptic and sound effects for an immersive music listening experience.

Highlights
  • Swipeable minidisc interface
  • Customizable player color
  • Apple Music playlist integration
  • Drag-and-drop disc loading
  • Haptic and audio feedback
  • iPhone and iPad support
Features
Read full description

Bring back the charm of the minidisc era—reimagined for today. MD Player transforms your Apple Music playlists into a beautifully immersive, retro-inspired minidisc experience. Swipe through your personal stack of digital minidiscs and drag one into the on-screen player to instantly start listening. Feel every interaction with precise haptic feedback and hear satisfying sound effects that mimic the physical act of using a classic minidisc player. Designed with a focus on nostalgia and ease of use, MD Player creates a truly unique and engaging way to enjoy your music. Features: - Beautifully designed, swipeable minidisc interface - Easily choose the color of the minidisc player - Seamless integration with your Apple Music playlists - Drag-and-drop interaction to load a disc into the player - Haptic and audio feedback for a realistic feel - Support for iPhone and iPad - Minimal setup, instantly ready to play - No subscription required* Rediscover your playlists in a whole new way—MD Player brings tactile joy to digital music. *A subscription to Apple Music is required, however there are no in-app purchases needed to use the app. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://chrishefferman.squarespace.com/md-player-privacy-policy

Screenshots

MPD Pilot4 screens
MD Player4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: MD Player at 100% against MPD Pilot's 71%. MD Player also leads on monetization model (free vs freemium) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). MPD Pilot's advantage is ratings volume (41 vs 11) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. MPD Pilot sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and MD Player sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MD Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of MPD Pilot's written reviews are positive against 100% of MD Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MPD Pilot ships an update monthly, MD Player fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MPD Pilot versus MD Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMPD PilotMD Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (41 ratings)4.5 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings41 — better11
Update frequencyMonthlyFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNoemi RozparaChristopher Hefferman

Customer experience

MPD Pilot

All ratings41 ratings
Positive80.5%
Neutral7.3%
Negative12.2%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral11.8%
Negative17.6%

MD Player

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative9.1%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

MPD Pilot

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly Access3 Days trial$0.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly Access3 Days trial$8.991 Year
One-time5
  • Melody Maker$4.99
  • Harmony Helper$9.99
  • Rhythm Rockstar$24.99
Show 2 more
  • Symphony Supporter$49.99
  • Lifetime Premium$59.99
3 purchases

MD Player

One-time3
  • MZ-R501$2.99
  • MZ-R900$2.99
  • MZ-N707$2.99

Questions

Is MPD Pilot free?
MPD Pilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MD Player free?
MD Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MPD Pilot or MD Player?
MD Player is rated higher. MPD Pilot averages 4.3 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while MD Player averages 4.5 from 11 ratings.
Do MPD Pilot or MD Player have ads?
Neither MPD Pilot nor MD Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MPD Pilot or MD Player?
MPD Pilot ships an update monthly, and MD Player fortnightly. Most recently, MPD Pilot was updated on September 25, 2026 and MD Player on August 14, 2026.

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