Sonos S1 Controller vs BluOS Controller
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sonos S1 Controller
Manage your older Sonos systems with ease. This app allows you to control volume, group rooms, set alarms, and stream from your favorite services. Enjoy thousands of free stations with Sonos Radio.
- Control older Sonos products
- Adjust volume
- Group rooms
- Save favorites
- Set alarms
- Stream from services
- Listen to Sonos Radio
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This app controls systems that include the earliest Sonos products: Zone Players, Play:5 (Gen 1), Bridge, Connect (Gen 1) and Connect:Amp (Gen 1) Easily control your system. Adjust volume levels, group rooms, save favorites, set alarms, and more. Stream from popular services. Connect your streaming services and browse all your music, podcasts, radio, and audiobooks in a single app. Listen to Sonos Radio. Enjoy thousands of stations free on your system, including live radio from around the world, genre stations, artist-curated stations, and original programming from Sonos. If you are a California resident, for more information about our privacy practices, please see: California Privacy Notice: https://www.sonos.com/legal/privacy#legal-privacy-addendum-container
BluOS Controller
Control your wireless hi-res music systems from multiple brands. Stream music from various sources, synchronize playback across rooms, and manage your entire audio experience wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet.
- Universal remote for BluOS-enabled systems
- Wireless multi-room music streaming
- Access streaming services, libraries, and radio
- Synchronized playback across multiple rooms
- Control from smartphone, tablet, or laptop
- High-resolution audio with no lag
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The BluOS Controller app serves as the universal remote for all BluOS-enabled wireless hi-res music systems, including Bluesound, NAD Electronics, PSB Speakers, Bluesound Professional, Cyrus Audio, DALI Speakers, and Monitor Audio. Link multiple BluOS-enabled systems to enjoy synchronized music throughout your home. Access, stream, and enjoy music from various sources, such as streaming services, your music library, or global Internet radio stations and podcasts. The best part? It's all wireless, effortlessly controlled from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, delivering stunning audio with no lag and zero loss in sound quality. Available for iOS devices, the BluOS Controller app is everything you need to set up, control and listen to your music on a BluOS-enabled wireless music system. • Wirelessly stream your music to any BluOS-enabled stereo system, wired loudspeakers, or wireless speakers. • Effortlessly browse, access, and enjoy music from numerous streaming services, Internet radio stations, or your personal library. • Take control of your music from anywhere within your home using your smartphone or tablet. • Play different music in each room simultaneously, or achieve flawless synchronization across all BluOS-enabled speakers and players. • Easily position BluOS-enabled speakers and players throughout your home, connecting them to your WiFi network with user-friendly setup tutorials and support. Learn more about BluOS at www.bluos.io. Have questions or need support? Go to support.bluesound.com for BluOS FAQs, setup tips, and troubleshooting articles.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: BluOS Controller at free against Sonos S1 Controller's free with in-app purchases. BluOS Controller also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Sonos S1 Controller's advantage is ratings volume (821K vs 5.3K) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sonos S1 Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sonos S1 Controller has 821K ratings behind it against 5.3K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Sonos S1 Controller's written reviews are positive against 39% of BluOS Controller's.
Sonos S1 Controller ships an update every 2 months, BluOS Controller monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sonos S1 Controller | BluOS Controller |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (821K ratings) — better | 4.4 (5.3K ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.1% of reviews — better | 38.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 821K — better | 5.3K |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 103 MB | 100 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sonos, Inc. | Bluesound |
Customer experience
Sonos S1 Controller
BluOS Controller
User reviews
Sonos S1 Controller
From 821K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 🔍 Versatile and easy to use
- 💡 Whole-home audio experience
- 🎨 Sleek and modern design
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🔀 Confusing and unintuitive app updates
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and control
- ⚠️ Planned obsolescence of older products
BluOS Controller
From 5.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great hardware and sound quality
- 💡 Versatile streaming options
- 🔒 Stable and reliable connection
- 👍 Intuitive app interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🐛 Buggy app updates
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance
- 👎 Unintuitive playlist management
- 👎 Poor customer support
Bugs and requests
Sonos S1 Controller
Reported bugs
3 issues- App fails to recognize speakers
- Music playback randomly cuts out
- Inability to control volume from lock screen
Requested features
4 requests- Restore previous app interface
- Improve search and playlist management
- Add Bluetooth connectivity
- Better integration with personal music libraries
BluOS Controller
Reported bugs
4 issues- App fails to detect/connect to players
- Playlists not saving/loading properly
- Frequent app crashes and freezes
- Streaming service integration issues
Requested features
4 requests- Improved Spotify/Apple Music integration
- Better local music library support
- Chromecast/AirPlay integration
- Customizable app interface
In-app purchases
Sonos S1 Controller
No in-app purchases
BluOS Controller
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sonos S1 Controller free?
Is BluOS Controller free?
Which has better reviews, Sonos S1 Controller or BluOS Controller?
Do Sonos S1 Controller or BluOS Controller have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sonos S1 Controller or BluOS Controller?
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