# TapTunes vs StarTone

The clearest difference is rating: StarTone at 4.1 against TapTunes's 3.1. StarTone also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). TapTunes's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

TapTunes costs $1.99 and StarTone $0.99 up front. TapTunes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. StarTone asks for nothing beyond the download.

StarTone holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 16 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of TapTunes's written reviews are positive against 67% of StarTone's.

TapTunes ships an update every 4 months, StarTone every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 21, 2026 and September 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TapTunes | StarTone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | [3.1 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taptunes/id320145698/reviews) | **[4.1 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startone/id1216107501/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **23** | 16 |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 7 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Blundell](https://appshunter.io/developer/320145702) | [乃波 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/680348637) |

## What reviewers say

### TapTunes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taptunes/id320145698)

Explore your music collection through interactive visual displays and gesture-based controls. Rediscover forgotten tracks and enjoy a more intimate connection with your audio library.

**Highlights:** Visual album browsing, Gesture playback controls, Home screen widget, Seamless audio switching, Personalized settings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Siri integration

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stacked Mode | $0.99 | one-time |


### StarTone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/startone/id1216107501)

This music player allows you to rate songs with stars and love statuses directly from your device's library or audio files. It offers convenient rating options via widgets and Apple Watch, with iCloud sync for your ratings.

**Highlights:** Rate music with stars and love statuses, iCloud sync for ratings across devices, Rating support on Today Extension and Apple Watch, Play and rate common audio formats including Flac and MIDI, Embed lyrics and support for .lrc files, Smart playlist creation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TapTunes free?

TapTunes costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is StarTone free?

StarTone costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TapTunes or StarTone?

StarTone is rated higher. TapTunes averages 3.1 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while StarTone averages 4.1 from 16 ratings.

### Do TapTunes or StarTone have ads?

Neither TapTunes nor StarTone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TapTunes or StarTone?

TapTunes ships an update every 4 months, and StarTone every 5 weeks. Most recently, TapTunes was updated on July 21, 2026 and StarTone on September 13, 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.*