Comparison

Dromio vs Sonora

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

Head to head
About

Dromio

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Dromio is a free open-source Navidrome client for iPhone. It does not support any other type of Subsonic server — it is Navidrome-only. Small and simple, typically occupying just 2MB of your iPhone’s storage, Dromio adopts a minimalist attitude. Its goal is to let you survey, select, and play your music — and that’s all. It is oriented particularly towards Classical music collections, fully displaying long track titles and artist information, and supporting tagging for Composer and Year. Unlike some Subsonic clients, sequential playback of multiple tracks is gapless. Requirements: Dromio requires iOS 18 and a Navidrome server running the “BFR” (0.55.0) or later. You will need to have Subsonic.ArtistParticipations set to true in your configuration; otherwise, Dromio’s artist and composer support will not work. Interface ======= Dromio displays the following information: * Albums and their tracks. * Random albums and their tracks. * Artists and their albums (and those albums’ tracks). * Composers and their albums (and those albums’ tracks). * The current queue (tracks to be played, or currently playing). * Albums, artists, and composers are properly alphabetized, and searchable. Album tracks are searchable. No information is fetched from the server unless you ask for it by navigating to that screen. Full Display ======== Titles and artists can be lengthy, especially for Classical music. Unlike many Subsonic clients, Dromio does _not_ truncate this information. Dromio provides a full display of the information that it fetches — album title and artist; track title, artist, composer, year, and duration. Minimalism ========= Dromio doesn't waste of your time, your space, or your attention: * There is no account administration (e.g. creation of users), because you can do that with Navidrome’s web interface. * There is no creation and storage of named playlists. * Secondary features like favorites, play counts, genres and so forth are unsupported. * No artwork is fetched or displayed. * No “database” is stored on disk! Dromio works by talking to the Navidrome server, not by creating a database and consulting that database. Navidrome is the database. You never need to “update” Dromio’s copy of the database; there is no such copy. Unlike some Subsonic clients, Dromio lets you store credentials for multiple accounts on multiple servers. There is no difficulty or delay switching servers, because no track information has been stored. How to Use ========= Launch the app. The first time, you will be asked to enter your Navidrome server information. You are then taken to the list of Albums. The “page-turn” button at the top left lets you switch between All Albums, Random Albums, Artists, and Composers. You can also use it to return to the app’s initial screen to manage the app’s list of Navidrome servers. Tapping an album takes you to the list of its tracks. Tap a track to add it to the Queue. Nothing will appear to happen. But now, on any screen, tap the “list” button at the top right, to see the Queue. The tracks that you have tapped are here! Now you can tap a track to start listening. About the Queue Screen ================== On the Queue screen, tap a track to begin listening to the Queue, starting with the track you tapped. Download progress is displayed; a downloaded track is fully marked in yellow. Once Dromio has started playing, the currently playing track is marked with a “note” icon in the Queue, and the “playpause” button is enabled, allowing you to pause and resume play. The “scissors” button at the top left makes the queue editable. You can delete a track from the queue, and you can rearrange the order or tracks. While you are editing, the “scissors” changes to a “checkmark”; tap the “checkmark” when you are done editing. The “x” button at the top right clears the queue and erases the downloads. Issues? Suggestions? ================ https://github.com/mattneub/dromio

About

Sonora

This app provides a smooth and native mobile interface for accessing and streaming your self-hosted music library. Browse artists, albums, and playlists with a fast search and enjoy your personal collection anywhere.

Highlights
  • Browse artists, albums, songs, and playlists
  • Fast and clean interface
  • Search personal music collection
  • Stream music on the go
  • Native iPhone experience
Features
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Sonora is a polished Navidrome client for iPhone that brings your self-hosted music library anywhere. Browse artists, albums, songs, and playlists with a fast, clean interface built for everyday listening.  Search your collection in seconds, stream your personal library on the go, and enjoy a music experience designed to feel simple, smooth, and native on iPhone. Sonora is built for self-hosted music lovers who want their own library without giving up a great mobile experience. Your music. Your server. Your way.

Screenshots

Dromio4 screens
Sonora4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sonora at every 2 weeks against Dromio's every 2 months. Sonora also leads on iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dromio ships an update every 2 months, Sonora every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and August 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Dromio versus Sonora: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDromioSonora
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—4 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS26.017.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatt NeuburgGRANT JAMES MADISON

In-app purchases

None

Dromio

No in-app purchases

None

Sonora

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dromio free?
Dromio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Sonora free?
Sonora is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Dromio or Sonora have ads?
Neither Dromio nor Sonora shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dromio or Sonora?
Dromio ships an update every 2 months, and Sonora every 2 weeks. Most recently, Dromio was updated on September 8, 2026 and Sonora on August 22, 2026.

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