# AO vs Stackwax

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Stackwax at 15.0 against AO's 17.6. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. AO sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Stackwax sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

AO ships an update weekly, Stackwax every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | AO | Stackwax |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 13 MB | 18 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fujishima Tomokazu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892404244) | [Martin Allais](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895003438) |

## What reviewers say

### AO

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao-ringo-player/id6762004779)

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee Support | $0.99 | one-time |
| Premium Coffee Support | $1.99 | one-time |
| Coffee & Cake Support | $3.99 | one-time |


### Stackwax

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stackwax/id6762770909)

Instantly identify music playing around you, detect its BPM and key, and add it to your digital library. Organize your music by key or BPM, plan DJ sets, and discover vinyl versions through integrated Discogs listings.

**Highlights:** Real-time track identification, BPM and key detection, Camelot code generation, Digital music library, DJ set planning, Discogs vinyl integration

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Stackwax Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Stackwax Pro Annual | $34.99 | per year |
| Stackwax Pro Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AO free?

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

### Is Stackwax free?

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

### Do AO or Stackwax have ads?

Neither AO nor Stackwax shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AO or Stackwax?

AO ships an update weekly, and Stackwax every 5 days. Most recently, AO was updated on October 20, 2026 and Stackwax on October 11, 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.*