# DS audio vs Roon

The clearest difference is rating: Roon at 3.6 against DS audio's 2.8. Roon also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). DS audio's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Roon holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 206 and 556 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of DS audio's written reviews are positive against 33% of Roon's.

DS audio ships an update every 3 months, Roon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | DS audio | Roon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.8 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303/reviews) | **[3.6 (556 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 206 | **556** |
| Positive reviews | 29.1% of reviews | **32.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 39 MB | 616 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Synology Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/321493109) | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) |

## What reviewers say

### DS audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ds-audio/id321495303)

Stream your music library from your Synology NAS to your iPhone or iPad. Enjoy offline playback, organize music by various criteria, create and share playlists, and even rate your tracks. It can also function as a remote control for streaming to home stereo speakers.

**Highlights:** Stream music from Synology NAS, Offline music playback, Browse by albums, artists, genres, Create and share playlists, Rate music tracks, Remote control for home speakers

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Streaming music from NAS
- 👍 Allows offline playback
- 💡 Integrates with home audio systems
- 👍 Provides access to entire music library

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and bugs
- 🐛 Unreliable connectivity and login issues
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance and skipping songs
- 🐛 Outdated and cluttered user interface

**Reported bugs**

- App randomly closes or stops playing
- Fails to remember playback position
- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- Issues with downloading and caching music

**Requested features**

- Add support for Dolby Atmos and surround sound
- Implement gapless playback
- Improve playlist management and editing
- Add search and sorting functionality
- Provide better integration with CarPlay and Chromecast


### Roon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083)

This app serves as a controller for a Roon Server, enabling users to browse and play their music library. It offers a rich metadata-driven interface for musical discovery, connecting to over 1,000 compatible audio devices for seamless playback.

**Highlights:** Music library browsing and playback, Rich metadata for musical discovery, Connects to 1,000+ audio devices, Seamless in-home audio connection, Access music library remotely via Roon ARC, Bit-perfect playback and format support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great when it works
- 🎨 Fantastic app
- 🎧 Best way to experience music
- 🤖 Powerful music management
- 🔍 Excellent music discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔌 Unstable connection
- 🕰️ Slow performance
- 🤯 Confusing interface
- 🚫 Lack of accessibility

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on search
- Audio devices disappearing
- Volume issues after updates
- Inability to find Roon core

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline music playback
- Better Tidal/Spotify integration
- Improved metadata editing
- Apple Watch support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is DS audio free?

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

### Is Roon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, DS audio or Roon?

Roon is rated higher. DS audio averages 2.8 out of 5 from 206 ratings, while Roon averages 3.6 from 556 ratings.

### Do DS audio or Roon have ads?

Neither DS audio nor Roon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, DS audio or Roon?

DS audio ships an update every 3 months, and Roon every 3 weeks. Most recently, DS audio was updated on October 8, 2026 and Roon on October 13, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*