Comparison

AO vs SparkTune

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

Head to head
About

AO

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AO-ringo Player is a music player designed specifically for continuously playing albums from your Apple Music library. [Key Features] ・Continuous Album Playback: When the last track of an album ends, the app automatically transitions to the next album and continues playing. ・Seamless Transitions: Preloading minimizes wait time when switching between albums. ・Offline Mode: Automatically detects tracks saved on your device and keeps playing without interruption even without a network connection. ・Library Integration: Works directly with your Apple Music library and playlists. ・Favorites: Add artists and playlists to your favorites and quickly access them sorted by play count. ・Custom Themes: Choose from Auto (follows OS settings), fixed Light/Dark, or custom color themes from the appearance settings (※ options other than Auto require an in-app purchase).

About

SparkTune

Features
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SparkTune is a private music player for your own audio files. Import songs and folders, organize your library, and listen without a streaming subscription. Your music stays yours, with playback controls built for everyday listening. Features: Import MP3s and other supported audio files Add songs from Files, iCloud Drive, external drives, or shared attachments Browse by songs, albums, artists, and playlists View lyrics when available Use favorites, play history, recently added, and most played collections Control playback speed, sleep timer, equalizer, and volume normalization Use CarPlay for safer listening in the car Sync your library across iPhone and iPad with SparkTune Pro SparkTune Pro unlocks unlimited imports, iCloud library sync, folder imports, backup/export tools, and advanced audio controls. SparkTune does not include a music subscription or streaming catalog. It is built for music files you own and choose to import.

Screenshots

AO4 screens
SparkTune4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SparkTune at every 3 days against AO's weekly. SparkTune also leads on device support (3 vs 1). AO's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.4). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. AO sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and SparkTune sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AO ships an update weekly, SparkTune every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 3 level
AO versus SparkTune: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAOSparkTune
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better26.4
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFujishima TomokazuSilestis Labs

In-app purchases

3 purchases

AO

One-time3
  • Coffee Support$0.99
  • Premium Coffee Support$1.99
  • Coffee & Cake Support$3.99
1 purchases

SparkTune

One-time1
  • SparkTune Pro$7.99

Questions

Is AO free?
AO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SparkTune free?
SparkTune is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AO or SparkTune have ads?
Neither AO nor SparkTune shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AO or SparkTune?
AO ships an update weekly, and SparkTune every 3 days. Most recently, AO was updated on October 20, 2026 and SparkTune on October 5, 2026.

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