Ruddarr vs Pipplee
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ruddarr
Control your movie, documentary, and TV series collections remotely. Browse upcoming releases, manage your media library, and receive notifications. Customize the app's appearance and sync settings across devices.
- 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
- Synchronize settings via iCloud
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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/
Pipplee
Control and animate WLED-powered LED matrices without coding. Apply dynamic effects, display text and GIFs, and create custom playlists. Supports all rectangular matrix sizes with live previews and fine brightness control.
- Dynamic animations and effects
- Live pixel editor
- Animated text display
- Image and GIF playback
- Favorites and playlists
- Clock mode
- Smart layout support
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Pipplee is the easiest way to control a WLED 2D LED matrix from your iPhone. Play animations, turn music into a light show, draw pixel art, scroll text, run arcade games and show live weather on your LED panel - no coding, no config files. WORKS WITH ANY WLED MATRIX 16x16, 32x32, 8x32, 24x16 or a custom layout - if WLED supports your 2D matrix, Pipplee fits content to it automatically. You need an ESP32 running WLED (ESP8266 and ESP32-C3 are not supported). GIF and image playback needs WLED 16.0.0 or newer. MUSIC VISUALIZER • Your matrix dances to whatever is playing, using your iPhone's microphone • 13 visualizers: Spectrum Bars, Mirror, Waveform, Bass Fire, Waterfall, Starburst, Radial and more • Colour gradients or a single colour, plus a sensitivity control • Smart beat detection that ignores steady background noise like fans • Music playing on your iPhone keeps playing while it listens • Keep it running in the background, or keep your screen on while it plays • Sound is analysed on your iPhone - nothing is recorded or sent anywhere ANIMATIONS & PIXEL ART • 1000+ ready-made animations and pixel art, searchable by category • Live pixel editor with instant preview on your LEDs • Upload your own GIFs and images • AI pixel art: describe it and Pipplee generates it for your matrix • 200+ built-in WLED effects with animated previews TEXT, CLOCK & LIVE INFO • Scrolling text with gradients, backgrounds and effects • Digital clock faces with animated backgrounds • Live local weather that updates on its own • Live sports scores, stock prices and a game-night scoreboard PLAY ARCADE GAMES ON YOUR LED MATRIX Snake, Blocks, Pong, Breakout, Flappy Bird, Space Invaders and Racing - play on your iPhone and watch it run on your LED matrix. CAMERA EFFECTS • Body Glow: your silhouette lights up on the matrix using your iPhone camera AUTOMATE EVERYTHING • Favorites and playlists for hands-free animation cycling • Schedule presets by time of day • Smart-home friendly: send messages to your matrix from your own scripts with the Pipplee API • Built-in WLED settings, so you never leave the app WHO IS PIPPLEE FOR? WLED users with an LED matrix, makers and DIY electronics fans, pixel artists, gamers, music lovers, and anyone who wants a glowing display for a desk, bedroom, game room or shop window. GET STARTED IN MINUTES 1. Flash WLED on an ESP32 and set up your LED matrix in 2D mode. 2. Connect your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network. 3. Open Pipplee, scan for devices and pick your matrix - you're playing in seconds. SIMPLE PRICING Free to try with limited plays. Unlock every feature with a yearly subscription or a one-time lifetime license. Each license covers one physical WLED device (one controller), and everyone in your home can use it. If you replace your controller, the new one needs its own license. The yearly subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment is charged to your Apple ID. Manage or cancel it in Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions. Questions? pippleeapp@gmail.com | pipplee.com Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://pipplee.com/privacy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ruddarr at 90% against Pipplee's 40%. Ruddarr also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (759 vs 5). Pipplee's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Ruddarr sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $5.99 per year and Pipplee sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Ruddarr holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ruddarr has 759 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Ruddarr's written reviews are positive against 40% of Pipplee's.
Ruddarr ships an update monthly, Pipplee every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Ruddarr | Pipplee |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (759 ratings) — better | 4.0 (5 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.1% of reviews — better | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 759 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 42 MB | 20 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Ruddarr | Bipul Jain |
Customer experience
Ruddarr
Pipplee
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
Pipplee
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ruddarr
- Ruddarr+$5.991 Year
Pipplee
- Yearly Device License$4.991 Year
- Yearly License per WLED device2 variants$2.99
- Lifetime Access$3.99
- Yearly License per WLED device$4.99
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- Lifetime Access for Device$9.99
- Lifetime Access for Device$14.99
- Lifetime Access for Device$19.99








