Comparison

JRemote vs Kaleidescape

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

Head to head
About

JRemote

Control your JRiver Media Center library remotely from your iOS devices. Manage playback, edit metadata, and stream audio, even outside your home network. Supports DLNA devices and CarPlay.

Highlights
  • Full remote control of JRiver Media Center
  • DLNA device control and zone management
  • Automatic and manual server setup
  • Edit and view file metadata
  • Playback controls with HUD
  • Audio streaming to iOS device
  • CarPlay enabled
Features
Read full description

JRemote is a full featured native iOS remote for JRiver Media Center. JRemote was developed to offer you full remote control of your JRiver Media Center from any of your iDevices. Please note that you need JRiver Media Center version 15 or later. We recommend you always run the latest version. Features and specs: Universal app JRemote is a universal iOS application. The application will run on both iPhone/iPod touch as well as iPad’s. Each version is optimized for it`s screen size. Navigation JRemote uses the navigation setup from JRMC itself. This allows you to customize the navigation menu and sub-menus from within the JRiver application. - Multiple view modes (list, imagelist, thumbnails) - Search using JRMC`s fuzzy search engine - Virtual remote for controlling theater view DLNA and zones Use JRemote to control all your DLNA supported devices. Any device supported in JRMC can be controlled from JRemote by switching to that specific zone. You can link and unlink zone for multi-room playback. Easy setup Connecting to your computer is fully automatic, no need to enter your IP-address and Port number. You only need to enter the access key found in JRMC`s option panel (We do provide an option for you to add IP-address and Port manually if needed). - JRemote will let you connect to your server from outside your wifi, using standard mobile networks. For this to work you need to configure port forwarding on your internet router. - Wake-On-LAN is supported if you provide your machines MAC address. (Automatic when adding a server by access key) - JRemote is CarPlay enabled. Edit and view metadata Any metadata attached to a specific file can be viewed and edited. You can update multiple files in one operation. Rating may be set from multiple locations depending on iPhone/iPad version. Player controls JRemote includes all common playback controls including repeat mode, and shuffle mode. Control volume and progress from sliders while getting feedback from the HUD display Audio streaming JRemote lets you stream all your audio files to the device itself. Just select “This device” as the current zone. - Gapless playback - Stream any file up to 96kHz, 24 bit - Downloaded progress indicator - Supported audio formats include AAC, AIFF, ALAC, APE, DSF/DFF, FLAC, M4A, MP3, OGG, and WAV. - All files may be transcoded to MP3 from 128Kbs up to 320Kbs

About

Kaleidescape

This app allows owners of Kaleidescape systems to purchase movies, control their players remotely, and receive system updates and recommendations. Browse, search, and buy films from major studios, curated collections, and explore genres and cast information.

Highlights
  • Purchase movies for your system remotely
  • Intuitive in-app remote control
  • Browse, search, and view movie trailers
  • Explore curated film collections
  • View reviews and ratings
  • Receive system alerts and recommendations
Features
Read full description

IMPORTANT: This app is designed for owners of Kaleidescape systems. Learn more at kaleidescape.com. Kaleidescape, a leader in luxury home cinema, brings you the Kaleidescape App! With your iPhone or iPad, you can: • Purchase a movie for your Kaleidescape system, anywhere, anytime • Control your Kaleidescape player with an innovative and intuitive in-app remote • Receive timely information from Kaleidescape, such as a movie recommendation, or an alert that your home cinema system requires service Features: • Browse, search movies and view trailers from all the major motion picture studios • Peruse curated collections of films chosen by the movie experts at Kaleidescape • Explore genres, actors, and directors, and view reviews and ratings from trusted sources • When you are away from your home, use your iOS device to easily find and buy a movie that can be downloaded to your system and ready to watch when you get home • Control any Kaleidescape player in your home with the in-app remote • Be more connected with Kaleidescape through notification and feedback features All content featured is available for purchase on the Kaleidescape movie store. All copyrights, trademarks, and logos are property of their respective owners.

Screenshots

JRemote4 screens
Kaleidescape4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Kaleidescape at Free against JRemote's $12.99. Kaleidescape also leads on rating (4.4 vs 3.8). JRemote's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Kaleidescape is free to download; JRemote costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kaleidescape holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 42 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 63% of JRemote's written reviews are positive against 57% of Kaleidescape's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JRemote ships an update every 3 months, Kaleidescape every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
JRemote versus Kaleidescape: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJRemoteKaleidescape
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating3.8 (28 ratings)4.4 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings2842 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size53 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJRiverKaleidescape, Inc.

Customer experience

JRemote

All ratings28 ratings
Positive67.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews302 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral13.6%
Negative23.8%

Kaleidescape

All ratings42 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral4.8%
Negative11.9%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative42.9%

Bugs and requests

JRemote

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when trying to play videos
  • Inability to connect to media server
  • Inconsistent behavior when changing media server IP
  • Playback issues with certain audio formats
  • Album art not updating when song changes

Requested features

8 requests
  • Offline music playback
  • Ability to control DSP settings
  • Customizable views and layouts
  • Gapless playback
  • Playlist creation and management
Show 3 more
  • CarPlay support
  • Synced cover art display
  • Metadata editing capabilities

Kaleidescape

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

JRemote

No in-app purchases

None

Kaleidescape

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JRemote free?
JRemote costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kaleidescape free?
Kaleidescape is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JRemote or Kaleidescape?
Kaleidescape is rated higher. JRemote averages 3.8 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while Kaleidescape averages 4.4 from 42 ratings.
Do JRemote or Kaleidescape have ads?
Neither JRemote nor Kaleidescape shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JRemote or Kaleidescape?
JRemote ships an update every 3 months, and Kaleidescape every 2 months. Most recently, JRemote was updated on September 27, 2026 and Kaleidescape on September 10, 2026.

Other comparisons