# Smart Shuffle vs NowPlay Studio

The clearest difference is price: NowPlay Studio at Free against Smart Shuffle's $1.99. NowPlay Studio also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 2 months). Smart Shuffle's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (36 vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NowPlay Studio is free to download; Smart Shuffle costs $1.99 up front. NowPlay Studio sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Smart Shuffle asks for nothing beyond the download.

NowPlay Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Smart Shuffle has 36 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Smart Shuffle ships an update every 2 months, NowPlay Studio every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Smart Shuffle | NowPlay Studio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shuffle/id342320176/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nowplay-studio/id6755917734/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **36** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 67.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 16 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spudfish Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/342320179) | [MAROSCH UG (haftungsbeschränkt)](https://appshunter.io/developer/1857272062) |

## What reviewers say

### Smart Shuffle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smart-shuffle/id342320176)

This music player brings back the classic album shuffle experience, playing songs in their intended order within randomly selected albums. It offers extensive customization for album selection and playback control, including CarPlay and Apple Watch integration.

**Highlights:** Album shuffle playback, CarPlay integration, Siri Shortcuts, Cloud album access, Enhanced album selection & filtering, Apple Watch interface, Sleep mode timer

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### NowPlay Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nowplay-studio/id6755917734)

Control your music playback with convenient widgets without needing to open the main application. Display album art, track title, and artist with customizable widget sizes. Enjoy reliable playback controls like play/pause and track skipping.

**Highlights:** Fast playback controls, Now Playing widget, Artwork-driven design, Apple Music support, Three widget sizes, Play/pause and skip tracks

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Background Styles | $1.99 | one-time |
| Widget Controls | $1.99 | one-time |
| Quick Play Widget | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Smart Shuffle free?

Smart Shuffle costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NowPlay Studio free?

NowPlay Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Smart Shuffle or NowPlay Studio?

NowPlay Studio is rated higher. Smart Shuffle averages 3.8 out of 5 from 36 ratings, while NowPlay Studio averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Smart Shuffle or NowPlay Studio have ads?

Neither Smart Shuffle nor NowPlay Studio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Smart Shuffle or NowPlay Studio?

Smart Shuffle ships an update every 2 months, and NowPlay Studio every 10 days. Most recently, Smart Shuffle was updated on October 13, 2026 and NowPlay Studio on October 16, 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.*