# Wave vs Spindle

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Wave at none against Spindle's 3. Spindle's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, rating, review sentiment and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Spindle sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Wave asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Wave against 5.0 for Spindle. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 24 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, Spindle every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Wave | Spindle |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-rate-share-discover/id6760871461/reviews) | [5.0 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spindle-vinyl-tracker/id6763497326/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **24** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 40 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [CARSON DAVID MILLER](https://appshunter.io/developer/1886590890) | [Michael Warner](https://appshunter.io/developer/526192220) |

## What reviewers say

### Wave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/wave-rate-share-discover/id6760871461)

This app allows users to rate albums, build a personal music collection, and discover new music through friends' recommendations. Log concerts and music videos to further personalize your listening profile. It focuses on the albums that have made a lasting impact.

**Highlights:** Rate albums out of 10, Build a personal album collection, Follow friends and see their music taste, Discover new music through friends, Log concerts and music videos, Create a musical identity profile

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Spindle

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spindle-vinyl-tracker/id6763497326)

This app helps you journal your vinyl listening experience, tracking hours spun, sides played, and forgotten records. It allows importing collections, noting thoughts during playback, and participating in community challenges. It also integrates with Last.fm for automatic scrobbling.

**Highlights:** Log every spin from Lock Screen, Import collection from Discogs, Track multiple turntables, Real-time listening stats, Private journal for thoughts, Community listening challenges, Automatic Last.fm scrobbling

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Wave free?

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

### Is Spindle free?

Spindle is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Wave or Spindle?

Wave and Spindle are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 5 and 24 ratings respectively.

### Do Wave or Spindle have ads?

Wave shows ads; Spindle does not.

### Which is updated more often, Wave or Spindle?

Wave ships an update every 3 weeks, and Spindle every 4 days. Most recently, Wave was updated on October 31, 2026 and Spindle on November 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.*