Comparison

hi vs Roon

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

hi

Explore the world of high-end audio with Europe's leading English-language magazine. Discover the finest audio components, from classic amplifiers to state-of-the-art music servers, and find the latest music to enrich your listening experience.

Highlights
  • High-end audio reviews
  • Latest digital audio technology
  • Turntable and amplifier features
  • Music server insights
  • Music discovery
  • Expert audiophile writers
Features
Read full description

Hi-Fi+ is Europe’s premier English-language high-end audio magazine. Whether it’s the latest in digital audio technology or the best turntable you’ve ever heard, Hi-Fi+ magazine is the ultimate audiophile authority. Our goal is clear; to seek out the finest audio components money can buy. Music is the soundtrack to all our lives and we think that the better that soundtrack, sounds the more enriched our lives can be. A good audio system can open up new avenues of music that might surprise you. We don’t differentiate; it could be a classic valve amplifier or a state-of-the-art music server – if it sounds good, we want to know and we want to tell you about it. The difference between good sound and great sound lies in the details… and we are obsessive about detail. We aren’t constrained by measurement or bogged down in stuffy old paradigms. We are relevant and a little bit irreverent. Hi-Fi+ features some of the best writers in the business, all passionate about making music sound as good as it possibly can. We seek out the finest audio components – and the latest and greatest music – and aren’t afraid of finding the best, whatever the cost. ---------------------------------------------- This is a free app download. Within the app users can purchase the current issue and back issues. Subscriptions are also available within the application. A subscription will start from the latest regular issue at the time of purchase. -The subscription will renew automatically unless cancelled more than 24 hours before the end of the current period. You will be charged for renewal within 24 hours of the end of the current period, for the same duration and at the current subscription rate for the product. -You may turn off the auto-renewal of subscriptions through your Account Settings, however you are not able to cancel the current subscription during its active period. -Payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase and any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when a subscription to that publication is purchased. -If a subscription offers a free trial, at the end of the trial period, you will be charged the full price of the subscription. You may cancel a subscription during its free trial period via the subscription settings on your iTunes account. This must be done 24 hours before the end of the subscription period to avoid being charged. Users can register for/ login to a pocketmags account in-app. This will protect their issues in the case of a lost device and allow browsing of purchases on multiple platforms. Existing pocketmags users can retrieve their purchases by logging into their account. We recommend loading the app for the first time in a wi-fi area so that all issue data is retrieved. If your app will not load past the splash page after a first install or an update, please delete and reinstall the app from the App Store Help and frequently asked questions can be accessed in-app and on pocketmags. If you have any problems at all please do not hesitate to contact us: help@pocketmags.com -------------------- You can find our privacy policy here: http://www.pocketmags.com/privacy.aspx You can find our terms and conditions here: http://www.pocketmags.com/terms.aspx

About

Roon

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
Read full description

*** The Roon experience requires a Roon Server on your network. *** The Roon App is another controller for your Roon Server. You browse and play your music library on over 1,000 compatible audio devices, and provides a seamless in-home connection. You can install the free Roon App on as many devices as you like. What is Roon? The very best way to experience your music: Roon reshapes the way you browse and explore music. Powered by rich metadata, Roon's interface invites you on a new journey of musical discovery every time you log in. Your music library becomes the starting point on a vast map of performers, composers, influences, and genres. Follow the path emanating from the music you love to discover exciting new sounds and reconnect with long-forgotten favorites. You can delve even deeper through lyrics, artist photos, bios, reviews, and tour dates - then continue the journey with recommendations specifically tailored to your tastes and listening habits. Listen anywhere, on all your gear: Roon lets you play from your collection of music files and TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX libraries on thousands of Roon Ready, Airplay, Chromecast, and USB devices from one app inside your home. Meanwhile, Roon ARC provides access, playback, and precision audio control for your entire Roon music library directly from your phone, wherever you are in the world. Flawless playback. Everywhere, every time: Roon is built to ensure your music sounds perfect every time you hit play, no matter where you are. Roon guarantees the best possible sound quality from every piece of audio gear - our MUSE sound engine delivers bit-perfect playback, exhaustive format support, and precision audio control for a fully customizable and flawless listening experience. From headphones to your home hi-fi, and everything in between.

Screenshots

hi4 screens
Roon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: hi at 4.8 against Roon's 3.6. hi also leads on review sentiment (51% vs 33%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Roon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 14) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. hi sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 6 months. Roon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

hi holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roon has 556 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of hi's written reviews are positive against 33% of Roon's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

hi ships an update every 6 months, Roon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
hi versus Roon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterhiRoon
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (56 ratings) — better3.6 (556 ratings)
Positive reviews51.1% of reviews — better32.6% of reviews
Number of ratings56556 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB616 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAbsolute Multimedia UK LtdRoon Labs

Customer experience

hi

All ratings56 ratings
Positive98.2%
Neutral1.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive51.1%
Neutral8.5%
Negative40.4%

Roon

All ratings556 ratings
Positive59.2%
Neutral9.0%
Negative31.8%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral15.5%
Negative51.9%

Bugs and requests

hi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Roon

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

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

In-app purchases

14 purchases

hi

Subscriptions2
  • Hi-Fi Plus$14.996 Months
  • Hi-Fi Plus1 Month trial$24.991 Year
One-time12
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 78 (id:353221)$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 81 (id:353215)$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ Issue 131 (id:410644)$2.99
Show 9 more
  • issue134$2.99
  • Hi-Fi+ & TAS Ul... (id:446013)$3.99
  • hi-fi+ Issue 245 (pp:1114081)$3.99
  • hi-fi+ Issue 235 (pp:1009611)$3.99
  • hi-fi+ Issue 234 (pp:1009617)$3.99
  • hi-fi+ Issue 233 (pp:1009623)$3.99
  • HiFiPlus 6 back issue bundle$14.99
  • 8 issue subscription$17.99
  • 16 issue subscription$29.99
None

Roon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is hi free?
hi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Roon free?
Roon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, hi or Roon?
hi is rated higher. hi averages 4.8 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Roon averages 3.6 from 556 ratings.
Do hi or Roon have ads?
Neither hi nor Roon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, hi or Roon?
hi ships an update every 6 months, and Roon every 3 weeks. Most recently, hi was updated on October 15, 2026 and Roon on October 13, 2026.

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