Comparison

DS Music vs BeatPlay

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

Head to head
About

DS Music

Features
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DS Music is a clean, native client for your own Synology Audio Station. It is not a streaming service and has no catalog of its own β€” it plays the music on a Synology NAS that you control. β€’ Browse by Artists, Albums and Playlists, or search your whole library β€’ Apple Music–style now playing with full-screen artwork and scrubbing β€’ Background and lock-screen playback, AirPlay output β€’ Lossless streaming from your server β€’ iPhone and iPad, light & dark β€’ No account, no ads, no tracking β€” your music and credentials stay on your devices and your own NAS Requires a Synology NAS running Audio Station.

About

BeatPlay

Features
Read full description

Your music is yours. BeatPlay puts it on your iPhone and Apple Watch β€” without streaming, without the cloud, without a subscription. Import audio files on your Mac. BeatPlay Bridge converts them to compact AAC and sends them to your iPhone over Wi-Fi. Open the app and press play. It's that simple. Going for a run? Sync songs to your Apple Watch and leave the phone behind. BeatPlay plays directly from your wrist β€” no connection needed. HOW IT WORKS 1. Import β€” Drag audio files into BeatPlay Bridge on Mac. Any format works. 2. Convert β€” Bridge compresses everything to AAC automatically. 3. Transfer β€” Send songs to iPhone over local Wi-Fi. No cables. No iTunes. 4. Listen β€” Full offline library on iPhone with every control you need. 5. Sync β€” Push songs to Apple Watch and play music from your wrist. WHAT YOU GET β€’ Offline playback β€” no internet connection required, ever β€’ Apple Watch player β€” music straight from your wrist β€’ Play, pause, skip, loop, shuffle β€” full controls, minimal interface β€’ Manual reorder β€” arrange your list however you like β€’ Wi-Fi transfer from Mac β€” fast, cable-free, painless β€’ Local-only library β€” your music never leaves your devices β€’ Zero account β€” no login, no cloud, no tracking WHY BEATPLAY Streaming services are great for discovery. But when you own your music β€” ripped CDs, purchased albums, your own productions β€” you shouldn't need a monthly fee to play it on your own devices. BeatPlay is built for people who want their music in their pocket. Not locked behind a subscription. Not dependent on a signal. BEATPLAY PRO The free version supports up to 25 tracks. Upgrade to Pro for an unlimited library, playlists, and more. β€’ Pro Annual β€” €9.99/year β€’ Pro Lifetime β€” €39.99 (one-time) WHAT YOU NEED β€’ iPhone with iOS 16+ β€’ BeatPlay Bridge for Mac β€” free download at beatplay.app (macOS 13+) β€’ Apple Watch β€” optional, for watch playback BeatPlay Bridge is the starting point. Download it for free, import your music, and carry your library everywhere. Privacy Policy: https://beatplay.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

DS Music3 screens
BeatPlay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DS Music at none against BeatPlay's 2. DS Music also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). BeatPlay's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. BeatPlay sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per year. DS Music asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DS Music ships an update every 3 days, BeatPlay every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
DS Music versus BeatPlay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDS MusicBeatPlay
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 days β€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size2 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerε₯‡ε³° θ‘£Anthony Sychev

In-app purchases

None

DS Music

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

BeatPlay

Subscriptions1
  • BeatPlay Pro$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • BeatPlay Pro Lifetime$3.99

Questions

Is DS Music free?
DS Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BeatPlay free?
BeatPlay is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DS Music or BeatPlay have ads?
Neither DS Music nor BeatPlay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DS Music or BeatPlay?
DS Music ships an update every 3 days, and BeatPlay every 3 weeks. Most recently, DS Music was updated on October 31, 2026 and BeatPlay on October 24, 2026.

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