Comparison

Start Playing vs Mellow FM

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

Head to head
About

Start Playing

Streamline your music listening by selecting multiple playlists to play seamlessly. Enjoy intelligent shuffling, original playlist order playback, or artist-avoidance for a smoother audio experience.

Highlights
  • Select multiple playlists
  • Intelligent shuffling
  • Original playlist order playback
  • Avoid back-to-back artists
  • Clean and intentional playback
Read full description

Apple Music is an incredible app - lyrics, discovery, radio, playlists, and more. But when all you want to do is pick a few playlists and press play, things can feel more complicated than they need to be. Start Playing focuses on that one simple idea. Select multiple playlists, then just play them: cleanly and intentionally. Shuffle intelligently, play songs in their original playlist order, or avoid back-to-back artists when possible for a smoother flow. Whether you’re heading to the gym, getting in the car, or letting music run in the background, Start Playing stays out of the way and lets your music take center stage.

About

Mellow FM

Features
Read full description

Mellow FM is a radio app that automatically plays music suited to your current moment. Time of day, activity, weather, season — the app reads multiple contexts to deliver the perfect soundtrack. Crisp jazz for your morning commute, ambient for late-night work, chill for a rainy afternoon. No need to pick a song or search. Just press play, and music that fits the moment starts flowing. [Context-Aware Selection] Combines time of day, motion detection (walking, running, driving), weather, and season to select the perfect tracks from the Apple Music catalog in real time. [Gets Smarter Over Time] Every skip or full listen teaches the app your preferences. Over time, music gets closer to what you love in the same time and situation. [Simple Gesture Controls] • Tap the logo — Play / Stop • Tap the artwork — Pause / Resume • Swipe left — Skip • Swipe up — Request a song • Swipe down — Settings panel [Song Request] Craving a specific track? Swipe up to open the request panel, search by artist or title, and add it to the queue. [Sleep Timer] Set a timer from 5 to 120 minutes using the slider. Music fades out automatically when you're ready to sleep. [Weather-Based Music (Optional)] Enable "Weather-Based Music" in settings to match your local weather conditions. [Now Playing Support] Control playback from the Lock Screen and Control Center. CarPlay supported. • Requires an active Apple Music subscription for music streaming. • Location access is only requested when Weather-Based Music is enabled. • All personal data stays on your device. Mellow FM is ad-free and tracking-free. A quiet radio that focuses entirely on your music experience.

Screenshots

Start Playing3 screens
Mellow FM3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Mellow FM at none against Start Playing's 1. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Start Playing sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mellow FM asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Start Playing versus Mellow FM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStart PlayingMellow FM
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrian SimmonsYoshiyuki Koyama

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Start Playing

One-time1
  • Unlimited Play$2.99
None

Mellow FM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Start Playing free?
Start Playing is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mellow FM free?
Mellow FM is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Start Playing or Mellow FM have ads?
Neither Start Playing nor Mellow FM shows ads.

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