# Simple DAAP Client vs Golden Ear

The clearest difference is price: Simple DAAP Client at Free against Golden Ear's $4.99. Golden Ear's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months). On ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Simple DAAP Client is free to download; Golden Ear costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Golden Ear holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Simple DAAP Client's written reviews are positive against 57% of Golden Ear's.

Simple DAAP Client ships an update every 6 months, Golden Ear every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simple DAAP Client | Golden Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [2.7 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-daap-client/id369605270/reviews) | **[3.8 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golden-ear/id407945101/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | 44.9% of reviews | **57.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 1 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.2 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [magnet-magic.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/369605273) | [潮激 李](https://appshunter.io/developer/342075158) |

## What reviewers say

### Simple DAAP Client

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simple-daap-client/id369605270)

Stream music from a DAAP server on your network. Automatically detects servers using Bonjour, allowing you to listen to your music library without complex setup. Compatible with various DAAP servers like mt-daapd.

**Highlights:** DAAP client functionality, Stream music from DAAP servers, Automatic server detection (Bonjour), Compatible with mt-daapd, Simple, no-configuration setup

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works with Firefly/mt-daapd
- 👍 Simple and basic functionality
- ✅ Connects to NAS servers
- 🌟 Free to use
- 🎵 Streams music

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- ❌ Does not work with forked-daapd
- ❌ Does not work with Rhythmbox
- ❌ Does not work with iTunes 7+
- ❌ Unusable on modern devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when selecting a song
- Crashes when connecting to server
- Crashes when playing music
- Crashes with large number of songs
- Crashes with FLAC files

**Requested features**

- Password support
- Backgrounding/multitasking
- Search functionality
- Improved UI/UX
- Audio controls (play/pause/next)


### Golden Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/golden-ear/id407945101)

This app is a high-quality audio player designed for audiophiles, supporting a wide range of lossless music formats. It offers advanced features like CUE file support, customizable playlists, and file management directly on your device.

**Highlights:** Supports FLAC, APE, WAV, WavPack, AIFF, ALAC, CUE file support for track listing, Album art display, File management on device, Multiple playback modes, AirPlay support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simple DAAP Client free?

Simple DAAP Client is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Golden Ear free?

Golden Ear costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Simple DAAP Client or Golden Ear?

Golden Ear is rated higher. Simple DAAP Client averages 2.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Golden Ear averages 3.8 from 22 ratings.

### Do Simple DAAP Client or Golden Ear have ads?

Neither Simple DAAP Client nor Golden Ear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simple DAAP Client or Golden Ear?

Simple DAAP Client ships an update every 6 months, and Golden Ear every 6 weeks. Most recently, Simple DAAP Client was updated on October 11, 2026 and Golden Ear on October 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.*