# Phorus vs Play

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Play at 3.5K against Phorus's 203. Play also leads on monetization model (ad-supported vs free with in-app purchases). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Phorus against 4.5 for Play. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play has 3.5K ratings behind it against 203, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 32% of Phorus's written reviews are positive against 25% of Play's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Phorus | Play |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (203 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phorus/id671366457/reviews) | **[4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 203 | **3.5K** |
| Positive reviews | **31.8% of reviews** | 25.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 248 MB | 285 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DTS, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/779245460) | [DTS, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/779245460) |

## What reviewers say

### Phorus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/phorus/id671366457)

Stream your favorite music wirelessly throughout your home with this app. It uses DTS Play-Fi technology to deliver high-quality audio over Wi-Fi to compatible speakers, offering a superior alternative to Bluetooth. Enjoy music from various sources, control volume, and manage speaker groups with ease.

**Highlights:** Whole-home wireless audio streaming, DTS Play-Fi technology, Wi-Fi streaming to compatible speakers, Stream from music services, radio, DLNA, and device library, Automatic music organization and indexing, Speaker setup and group management, Volume and speaker selection control

**In-app purchases:** none


### Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456)

Wirelessly stream high-fidelity audio throughout your home using Wi-Fi. Control music from various sources, including streaming services, radio, and your device's library. Easily set up and manage multiple speakers for a whole-home listening experience.

**Highlights:** Whole-home wireless audio, Wi-Fi streaming, Multiple music sources, Speaker group management, Volume control, DLNA server support

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Integrates well with amplifier
- 👍 Keeps improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, glitchy, and unreliable
- 👎 Limited features and functionality
- 🔌 Constant connection issues
- 💤 Slow to load and connect
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Drops connections frequently
- Fails to recognize devices
- Resets music playback unexpectedly
- Issues with volume control and balancing
- Incompatible with recent firmware/software updates

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Spotify integration
- Implement gapless playback
- Provide better interface and navigation
- Add search functionality for local music libraries


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Phorus free?

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

### Is Play free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Phorus or Play?

Play is rated higher. Phorus averages 4.5 out of 5 from 203 ratings, while Play averages 4.5 from 3.5K ratings.

### Do Phorus or Play have ads?

Both Phorus and Play show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Phorus or Play?

Phorus ships an update every 2 months, and Play every 2 months. Most recently, Phorus was updated on June 9, 2026 and Play on September 23, 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.*