Comparison

Symphony vs Cider Remote

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

Head to head
About

Symphony

This app transforms your Apple Music listening experience into a personalized dashboard. Track your top songs, artists, and listening habits with detailed statistics, custom charts, and home screen widgets. It also integrates features like Shazam, Last.fm scrobbling, and local file playback.

Highlights
  • Detailed listening statistics
  • Customizable widgets
  • Shazam integration
  • Last.fm scrobbling
  • Local file playback
  • CarPlay support
  • Customizable themes and icons
Features
Read full description

Symphony turns Apple Music into your personal listening dashboard. See your stats like never before, top songs, artists, albums and genres, total listening time, daily trends, streaks, and a year-round calendar of everything you play. Then go further: identify songs with Shazam, scrobble to Last.fm, play local files, and take it all to CarPlay. Symphony Connect: switch audio seamlessly between multiple devices. YOUR LISTENING STORY • Top songs, artists, albums & genres • Listening time, daily trends & streaks • Listening calendar heatmap & clock • Weekly standouts & all-time favorites • Hidden gems in your library • Build custom charts in Insights Lab • Home Screen stat widgets • Apple Intelligence powered AI summary for Music Insights. MAKE APPLE MUSIC YOURS • Themes, 10 accent colors & app icons • Fully customizable CoverFlow • Playlist artwork collages • Custom library sorting & tabs • Crossfade & sleep timer • Mini player controls & Seek HUD DISCOVER & MANAGE MORE • Shazam from the Lock Screen or Control Center • Apple Music Radio • Play local MP3s & audio files • Artist info & upcoming concerts • Block artists you don't want to hear • Playlist backup & restore • Last.fm scrobbling • CarPlay & Siri Symphony makes Apple Music feel personal, visual, and powerful, without the clutter. Download Symphony and rediscover your music. EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Cider Remote

This music app offers comprehensive control over your listening experience, allowing you to manage playback, adjust volume, and organize your queue from your mobile device. It provides real-time track progress and customizable settings for a personalized music journey.

Highlights
  • Complete music playback control
  • Adjustable volume levels
  • Real-time track progress tracking
  • Easy queue management
  • Viewable music library
  • Customizable settings
  • Live Activity display
Read full description

Cider Remote is the ultimate tool for music lovers who want full control over their listening experience. Whether you're at home or on the go, Cider Remote allows you to manage your music playback with ease. With an intuitive interface, you can play, pause, skip tracks, and adjust the volume, all from the palm of your hand. Cider Remote integrates seamlessly with your existing music library, providing a smooth and responsive experience. Key features include: - Complete control over music playback - Adjustable volume levels with precision - Real-time progress tracking of your current track - Easy queue managing - Viewable library at any time - User-friendly interface designed for quick access to essential controls - Customizable settings to suit your listening preferences - Live Activity to display your currently playing track - Control Center buttons and toggles - Shortcut actions with tons of parameters Cider Remote is the perfect companion for anyone who wants to enhance their music experience. Whether you're using it to control music during a party or to manage your playlist while working, Cider Remote offers convenience and simplicity. Enjoy the freedom to control your music, your way, with Cider Remote. Cider 2.5.0+ is required.

Screenshots

Symphony4 screens
Cider Remote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cider Remote at none against Symphony's 3. Cider Remote also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Symphony's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.8) and review sentiment (59% vs 33%). On price, 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

Both are free to download. Symphony sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Cider Remote asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Symphony holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Symphony's written reviews are positive against 33% of Cider Remote's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Symphony ships an update every 9 days, Cider Remote weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Symphony versus Cider Remote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSymphonyCider Remote
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (35 ratings) — better3.8 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews59.1% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings35 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size126 MB5 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperHeshan PathiranaElijah Klaumann

Customer experience

Symphony

All ratings35 ratings
Positive74.3%
Neutral5.7%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive59.1%
Neutral9.1%
Negative31.8%

Cider Remote

All ratings5 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Symphony

Subscriptions2
  • Symphony Pro: Apple Music Stats$4.991 Month
  • Symphony Pro: Apple Music Stats$12.991 Year
One-time1
  • Symphony Pro Lifetime$29.99
None

Cider Remote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Symphony free?
Symphony is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cider Remote free?
Cider Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Symphony or Cider Remote?
Symphony is rated higher. Symphony averages 4.2 out of 5 from 35 ratings, while Cider Remote averages 3.8 from 15 ratings.
Do Symphony or Cider Remote have ads?
Neither Symphony nor Cider Remote shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Symphony or Cider Remote?
Symphony ships an update every 9 days, and Cider Remote weekly. Most recently, Symphony was updated on November 2, 2026 and Cider Remote on October 27, 2026.

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