Comparison

Ruddarr vs PulseMesh

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

Head to head
About

Ruddarr

This open-source companion app allows you to manage your movie and TV series collections remotely. Browse upcoming releases, receive notifications, and automate actions. It requires a separate Radarr or Sonarr instance to function.

Highlights
  • Manage movies and TV series
  • Browse upcoming releases calendar
  • Receive fine-grained notifications
  • View activity queue and history
  • Switch between multiple instances
  • Customize app appearance
  • Automate actions with Siri Shortcuts
Features
Read full description

Ruddarr is a beautifully designed, open source, privacy-first companion app for Radarr and Sonarr instances. Manage your movies, documentaries and TV series from anywhere, anytime. Features: • Manage movies and TV series • Browse upcoming releases in the calendar • Receive fine-grained notifications • View activity queue tasks and history events • Switch between multiple instances • Customize the app color scheme and appearance • Synchronize settings/instances between devices (iCloud) • Automate actions using Siri Shortcuts • Connect to reverse proxies using custom HTTP headers • Use Spotlight search to quickly jump to media • Fully localized, ready to be translated Notifications require a subscription to Ruddarr+, because sending push notifications to devices requires reliable server infrastructure, which incurs monthly operating expenses for this free, open-source project. Alternatively, *arrs come with many notification integrations that can be self-hosted. Requirements: • Ruddarr does not provide any media and requires a Radarr or Sonarr instance to interact with. - - - Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PulseMesh

Experience synchronized light shows by streaming music directly to your phone. Perfect for holiday displays and neighborhood spectacles, it connects you to the audio for an immersive visual and auditory experience. Display owners can also manage and stream their synchronized shows to audiences.

Highlights
  • Stream synchronized show music
  • Discover nearby light displays
  • Seamless audio and light synchronization
  • Manage and stream custom light shows
  • Easy setup for audiences
  • Real-time audio streaming for display owners
Read full description

Discover the magic of synchronized light shows with the PulseMesh app. Whether you're driving through a holiday light display or strolling through an enchanting neighborhood spectacle, PulseMesh lets you enjoy the full experience by streaming the music right to your phone. How It Works: Simply open the app, select the display from the nearby display list, and immerse yourself in synchronization of lights and music. No hassle, no complex setup—just the lights and sounds bringing the holiday spirit to life. For Display Owners: If you create light displays and want a seamless way to stream synchronized music to your audience, PulseMesh has you covered. Our platform makes it easy to manage your shows, set up real-time audio, and ensure that everyone in the audience gets a perfect experience, whether they’re viewing from their car or on foot.

Screenshots

Ruddarr4 screens
PulseMesh3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PulseMesh at none against Ruddarr's 1. PulseMesh also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Ruddarr's advantage is ratings volume (771 vs 14). On price, rating, 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. Ruddarr sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per year. PulseMesh asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Ruddarr against 5.0 for PulseMesh. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ruddarr has 771 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Ruddarr's written reviews are positive against 100% of PulseMesh's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ruddarr ships an update monthly, PulseMesh every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 4, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Ruddarr versus PulseMesh: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRuddarrPulseMesh
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (771 ratings)5.0 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.1% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings771 — better14
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size68 MB70 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperRuddarrPulseMesh LLC

Customer experience

Ruddarr

All ratings771 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral0.8%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews223 reviews
Positive90.1%
Neutral2.7%
Negative7.2%

PulseMesh

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Ruddarr

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Fails with error when trying to add any service
  • Crashes and freezes all the time

Requested features

3 requests
  • Support one time purchase
  • List view not just posters
  • Latest releases or trending lists that could be pulled from trakt or IMDb

PulseMesh

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Ruddarr

Subscriptions1
  • Ruddarr+$5.991 Year
None

PulseMesh

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ruddarr free?
Ruddarr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PulseMesh free?
PulseMesh is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ruddarr or PulseMesh?
PulseMesh is rated higher. Ruddarr averages 4.9 out of 5 from 771 ratings, while PulseMesh averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.
Do Ruddarr or PulseMesh have ads?
Neither Ruddarr nor PulseMesh shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ruddarr or PulseMesh?
Ruddarr ships an update monthly, and PulseMesh every 2 weeks. Most recently, Ruddarr was updated on November 4, 2026 and PulseMesh on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons