# Sonos S1 Controller vs HEOS

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Sonos S1 Controller at 52% against HEOS's 24%. Sonos S1 Controller also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (821K vs 27K). HEOS's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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 27K, 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 24% of HEOS's.

Sonos S1 Controller ships an update every 2 months, HEOS every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sonos S1 Controller | HEOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (821K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonos-s1-controller/id293523031/reviews)** | [4.4 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heos/id843129434/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **821K** | 27K |
| Positive reviews | **52.1% of reviews** | 24.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 103 MB | 327 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sonos, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/293523034) | [D&M Holdings](https://appshunter.io/developer/388608883) |

## What reviewers say

### Sonos S1 Controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonos-s1-controller/id293523031)

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.

**Highlights:** Control older Sonos products, Adjust volume, Group rooms, Save favorites, Set alarms, Stream from services, Listen to Sonos Radio

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 🔍 Versatile and easy to use
- 💡 Whole-home audio experience
- 🎨 Sleek and modern design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connectivity issues
- 🔀 Confusing and unintuitive app updates
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and control
- ⚠️ Planned obsolescence of older products

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to recognize speakers
- Music playback randomly cuts out
- Inability to control volume from lock screen

**Requested features**

- Restore previous app interface
- Improve search and playlist management
- Add Bluetooth connectivity
- Better integration with personal music libraries


### HEOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heos/id843129434)

Control a wide range of connected audio devices from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. Stream music from online services or local storage, and enjoy true multi-room audio with easy setup and intuitive control.

**Highlights:** True multi-room audio, Quick and easy setup, Access online music services, Search across multiple music sources, Control playback remotely, Access locally stored music

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🔒 Robust wireless connectivity
- 👍 Convenient app control
- 💡 Integrates with various music services

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and frequent disconnects
- 💤 Slow app performance and loading times

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Speakers randomly disappear from the network
- Volume controls are inconsistent and unreliable
- Sync issues between grouped speakers

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve playlist management and queue functionality
- Provide better customization options for rooms and speakers
- Implement a more intuitive and user-friendly app design


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sonos S1 Controller free?

Sonos S1 Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is HEOS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sonos S1 Controller or HEOS?

Sonos S1 Controller is rated higher. Sonos S1 Controller averages 4.7 out of 5 from 821K ratings, while HEOS averages 4.4 from 27K ratings.

### Do Sonos S1 Controller or HEOS have ads?

Neither Sonos S1 Controller nor HEOS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sonos S1 Controller or HEOS?

Sonos S1 Controller ships an update every 2 months, and HEOS every 3 weeks. Most recently, Sonos S1 Controller was updated on September 24, 2026 and HEOS on September 25, 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.*