# Roam vs BigCode

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BigCode at none against Roam's 4. Roam's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly) and device support (5 vs 2). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Roam sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. BigCode asks for nothing beyond the download.

Roam ships an update every 4 days, BigCode fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Roam | BigCode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (289 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roam-a-better-remote-for-roku/id6469834197/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **289** | — |
| Positive reviews | 86.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 36 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro** | iPhone, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Driggers](https://appshunter.io/developer/1712026053) | [Objects & Objectives](https://appshunter.io/developer/323371541) |

## What reviewers say

### Roam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roam-a-better-remote-for-roku/id6469834197)

Control your Roku device with a user-friendly remote app. Enjoy features like private listening, keyboard shortcuts, and Siri integration across multiple Apple platforms. It offers a fast and intuitive experience without ads or in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Cross-platform control (Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, VisionOS), Keyboard shortcuts and volume control, Siri and widget integration, Private listening via headphones, Automatic device discovery, Intuitive SwiftUI design

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Black Coffee | $3.00 | one-time |
| Latte | $5.00 | one-time |
| Lunch | $10.00 | one-time |
| Dinner | $20.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 💡 Innovative features
- 🎨 Smooth and polished design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔌 Connectivity issues
- 🔊 Audio/headphone problems
- 🖱️ Suboptimal control layout

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes or fails to open
- Remote controls not working as expected
- Connectivity issues between app and Roku device

**Requested features**

- Add support for more devices (e.g., Google TV, Apple TV)
- Implement voice control or voice search
- Allow customization of the control layout
- Improve the widget/menulet functionality


### BigCode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bigcode/id6754415026)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Roam free?

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

### Is BigCode free?

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

### Do Roam or BigCode have ads?

Neither Roam nor BigCode shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Roam or BigCode?

Roam ships an update every 4 days, and BigCode fortnightly. Most recently, Roam was updated on September 21, 2026 and BigCode on September 5, 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.*