Comparison

Sonic Stream vs Subwavr

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

Head to head
About

Sonic Stream

This music player connects to your Subsonic server, allowing you to stream your personal music library. Enjoy your favorite tunes on the go with a dedicated client designed for seamless playback.

Highlights
  • Subsonic server client
  • Music streaming
  • Personal music library access
  • Dedicated player interface
Features
Read full description

Sonic Stream is a music player client for your subsonic server.

About

Subwavr

Features
Read full description

Subwavr is a Navidrome music client built for listeners who run their own music server. Connect to any Navidrome or Subsonic-compatible server, browse your full library, and stream or download to your device — without giving your music to a third party. **Your music, your server** Subwavr mirrors your Navidrome library directly to your phone. Artists, albums, playlists, and songs are all stored in a local database, so browsing feels instant even on a slow connection — and your library is fully available offline. **Block Shuffler** A smarter kind of shuffle. A Block Shuffler is a named collection of albums or playlists — your "blocks." When you hit Block Shuffle, Subwavr randomizes the order of the blocks but plays the tracks inside each block in their original album order. You get variety across your whole collection without an album being torn apart mid-listen. Build one for your favorite jazz era, your workout stack, a road-trip rotation — then hit shuffle and let it run. **Stream and download** • Stream any song directly from your Navidrome server • Download albums and playlists for fully offline listening • HTTP servers only connect on WiFi, keeping your data off metered connections **Playlists, your way** Create, edit, and delete playlists directly from the app. Changes sync back to Navidrome automatically in the background. NSP smart playlists are recognized and treated as read-only. **Scrobbling** Every play is scrobbled back to your Navidrome server at the 50% mark. Scrobbles are queued locally if the server is unreachable, so your listening history stays accurate even offline. **Analytics** See your top songs and top artists by week, month, or all time — straight from your own listening data. **Privacy by design** Subwavr talks only to your Navidrome server. There are no analytics SDKs, no advertising networks, and no third-party backends involved. Your music stays between you and your server.

Screenshots

Sonic Stream3 screens
Subwavr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sonic Stream at every 5 days against Subwavr's every 2 weeks. 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

Sonic Stream ships an update every 5 days, Subwavr every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Sonic Stream versus Subwavr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSonic StreamSubwavr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.415.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB36 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperJohn HaupenthalBenjamin Wright

In-app purchases

None

Sonic Stream

No in-app purchases

None

Subwavr

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sonic Stream free?
Sonic Stream is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Subwavr free?
Subwavr is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sonic Stream or Subwavr have ads?
Neither Sonic Stream nor Subwavr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sonic Stream or Subwavr?
Sonic Stream ships an update every 5 days, and Subwavr every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sonic Stream was updated on November 5, 2026 and Subwavr on October 31, 2026.

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