Comparison

Xonora vs Mobile MA

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

Head to head
About

Xonora

Features
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Xonora is a native iPhone and iPad app for Music Assistant, the free, open-source music server you run yourself. Your server holds your library and talks to your streaming services and speakers; Xonora is the app you use it from, at home, in the car and on your wrist. You need your own Music Assistant server. Xonora does not host, supply or sell music, and it never connects to a streaming service itself. EVERYTHING YOUR SERVER CAN DO STAYS FREE There is no paywall. Multi-room, hi-res, CarPlay, Siri, Apple Watch: none of it sits behind a payment, now or later. PLAY ANYWHERE - Your iPhone, iPad or Mac becomes a speaker on your server, clock-synced with the rest of the house, gapless, up to 192 kHz / 24-bit, over an encrypted link. - Pick any player in the house, see what it is doing, move playback between rooms, group speakers, set volume without leaving Now Playing. - Listen away from home through your server's remote access, with the app picking the connection back up when the network changes. IN THE CAR, ON YOUR WRIST - CarPlay: browse your library and control playback from the dash, with artwork on every row. - Siri: "Play the album Blue on Xonora", for tracks, albums, artists and playlists. - Apple Watch companion, full lock-screen and Control Center controls, background playback. YOUR LIBRARY, YOUR WAY - Artists, albums, playlists, genres, folders, favorites, audiobooks with series and chapters, podcasts, and radio with live song information. - Search that holds up on very large collections. - Now Playing with lyrics, the queue, the stream format, and colours taken from the cover. Swipe sideways to move between your players. - Your server's own sleep timer, crossfade, Keep playing and AI DJ, surfaced in the app. NEARLY EVERYTHING IS A SETTING Section order, sorts, accent colour, canvas backgrounds, frosted or flat surfaces, light or dark, which tabs you see. Set it up once and it stays that way. Available in 33 languages. NOTHING OF YOURS REACHES US No account, no backend, no analytics. Your library and what you play travel between your device and your server only. The few things that go anywhere else, such as an optional lyrics lookup, are listed one by one in the privacy policy at xonora.app/privacy. Requires Music Assistant 2.9 or later; 2.10 recommended. User guide and FAQ at xonora.app.

About

Mobile MA

Control your self-hosted music server from your iPhone with real-time playback, library browsing, and lightning-fast search. Enjoy offline caching and a secure, private connection.

Highlights
  • Real-time multiroom audio control
  • Full music library browsing
  • Lightning-fast search
  • Offline library cache
  • Secure token storage
  • Customizable appearance
Features
Read full description

Mobile MA is an unofficial Music Assistant client. It is independent and not affiliated with, developed, endorsed or reviewed by the Music Assistant project or the Open Home Foundation. Press play – in every room, on every device. Mobile MA is the music player for your home: it brings together your albums, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks and radio stations and plays them wherever you are – on your speakers, your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac, Apple Watch or in the car. PLAYBACK THAT'S ACTUALLY FUN • Multiroom done right: group speakers with a tap – and everything plays in sync • Save scenes ("Dinner", "Party everywhere") and start them with one tap – from your Watch, TV and CarPlay too • A queue you fully control: play next, edit – and automatic continued playback when the queue ends • Live lyrics, a party mode for guests, per-player volume limits • Play directly on your device or on any player in the house – switch seamlessly MADE WITH LOVE • An interface that celebrates your music: artwork shapes every view – from albums to a Now Playing with rich color gradients • A spectrum analyzer that dances to your music – full-screen if you like • Full-screen artist artwork, playlist collages, thoughtful details everywhere • Fully native: fluid, fast, with fine-tuned haptics • Make it yours: themes, appearance options and alternative app icons YOUR ENTIRE LIBRARY • Artists, albums, playlists, podcasts, audiobooks, radio and genres – all in one place • Lightning-fast search across your music and your streaming providers • A customizable home screen with Continue Listening, Discover and anniversaries • Smart playlists built on your rules, favorites, radio bookmarks and Listen Later • Audiobooks and podcasts with chapter marks and remembered playback speed SOUND & AUDIO INTELLIGENCE • Audio analysis with loudness leveling for a balanced sound • Tone control with bass, mids and treble plus Smart Fades for seamless transitions • Pro DSP tools for everyone who wants to go deeper • Data-friendly on the go: automatic quality adjustment on cellular AT HOME EVERYWHERE • CarPlay: your library, scenes and Now Playing right on the dashboard • Apple Watch: remote control and scenes on your wrist, with its own complications • Apple TV: a full app with library, search, big-screen Now Playing and Top Shelf – set up conveniently from your iPhone • Mac: a full desktop app including a menu bar player • Widgets, Live Activities, Lock Screen and Siri support SMART & CONVENIENT • Music suggestions your way: privately on device or with your own AI key • Listening history with export, in-app tips for hidden features • In ten languages: English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil and Portugal), Czech YOUR SERVER. YOUR DATA. Mobile MA is a native client for Music Assistant, the open-source music platform for your home. Your music runs through your own server – no forced accounts, no cloud in between. • Automatic server discovery on your network: sign in and go • Multiple connection profiles, optionally synced to all your devices via iCloud • Remote access on the go through your own secure connection • Real time: changes on the server appear in the app instantly GOOD TO KNOW Mobile MA is an independent app and requires a running Music Assistant server (free and open source, e.g. on a home server or NAS). The capabilities of your streaming providers depend on your server. The core features are free; advanced features can be unlocked with Mobile MA Unlimited via in-app purchase. Purchases are subject to Apple's standard license agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Xonora4 screens
Mobile MA4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Xonora at none against Mobile MA's 4. Mobile MA's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, ads 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. Mobile MA sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Xonora asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Xonora versus Mobile MA: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterXonoraMobile MA
PriceFreeFree
Rating—2.8 (10 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—10 — better
Update frequency—Every 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS18.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHay UpadhyayaSven Uwe Hanold

In-app purchases

None

Xonora

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Mobile MA

One-time4
  • Song$2.99
  • Album$3.99
  • Anthology$8.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlimited$22.99

Questions

Is Xonora free?
Xonora is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mobile MA free?
Mobile MA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Xonora or Mobile MA have ads?
Neither Xonora nor Mobile MA shows ads.

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