# Artic Audio vs Crate for Plex

The clearest difference is price: Artic Audio at Free against Crate for Plex's $3.99. Artic Audio also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.4). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Artic Audio is free to download; Crate for Plex costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Artic Audio ships an update every 2 weeks, Crate for Plex every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Artic Audio | Crate for Plex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-for-plex/id6767005738/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | — | Paid |
| Size | 22 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 26.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jeremy Blanchard](https://appshunter.io/developer/1823313275) | [Darren Ebbing](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896345622) |

## What reviewers say

### Artic Audio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/artic-audio/id6748662036)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Crate for Plex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-for-plex/id6767005738)

A native, unofficial music player for your Plex Media Server, designed for iPhone and Apple Watch. Enjoy your owned music library with features like offline listening, crossfade, and queue management without subscriptions or ads.

**Highlights:** Plex music library browsing, Offline listening, Apple Watch app, Crossfade playback, Queue management, Smart caching

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Artic Audio free?

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

### Is Crate for Plex free?

Crate for Plex costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Artic Audio or Crate for Plex have ads?

Neither Artic Audio nor Crate for Plex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Artic Audio or Crate for Plex?

Artic Audio ships an update every 2 weeks, and Crate for Plex every 2 months. Most recently, Artic Audio was updated on September 17, 2026 and Crate for Plex on September 9, 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.*