# Albumen vs Prelude

The clearest difference is rating: Prelude at 5.0 against Albumen's 3.5. Prelude also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 14 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Prelude holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively.

Albumen ships an update every 14 months, Prelude every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Albumen | Prelude |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/albumen/id355128672/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude/id6472555646/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 14 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 10 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Matt Neuburg](https://appshunter.io/developer/346204863) | [Charlotte Moche](https://appshunter.io/developer/1717151882) |

## What reviewers say

### Albumen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/albumen/id355128672)

This app offers a straightforward way to browse and play music from your device's library. It organizes your songs by albums and playlists, providing a simple interface for playback control. Enjoy your music with a clean, uncluttered experience.

**Highlights:** View music library, Organized by albums and playlists, Simple playback interface, Background playback support, Now playing track indicator

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Prelude

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/prelude/id6472555646)

Discover new music and artists with personalized recommendations. Track your favorite songs, artists, and albums, and save them to curated playlists. Gain insights into your listening habits.

**Highlights:** Track favorite songs, artists, and albums, Personalized music recommendations, Save music to playlists, Music insights and discovery

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Albumen free?

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

### Is Prelude free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Albumen or Prelude?

Prelude is rated higher. Albumen averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Prelude averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do Albumen or Prelude have ads?

Neither Albumen nor Prelude shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Albumen or Prelude?

Albumen ships an update every 14 months, and Prelude every 5 weeks. Most recently, Albumen was updated on November 1, 2026 and Prelude on November 4, 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.*