Comparison

Primare App vs Roon

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

Head to head
About

Primare App

Stream high-resolution audio from network sources, USB devices, and internet radio. Manage playlists, control playback, and adjust volume for compatible hardware. This app allows renaming inputs and network devices.

Highlights
  • Network audio streaming
  • USB playback
  • High-resolution audio support (24bit/192kHz)
  • Internet radio playback
  • Playlist management
  • Volume control
  • Input source selection
Features
Read full description

The Primare App allows you to choose and play media (including Internet radio) at resolutions up to 24bit/192kHz from network shared music sources and storage through NP30, PRE60 and from I32 and PRE32 with installed MM30 board. Primare App will: - Establish network connections and play from any network shared music source - Play from USB-A, (stick, iPhone etc) - Play files up to 24bit /192 kHz resolution - Play internet radio (vTuner – http://www.vtuner.com) - Display and save playlists - Display format, bit rate and sample rate of the song playing - Provide fast forward and back navigation of the song playing - Provide volume control (fixed or variable on NP30) - Allow source selection of devices connected to inputs of the I32, PRE32, PRE60 and NP30 - Allow the renaming of inputs on I32, PRE32 and PRE60 - Give the I32, PRE32, PRE60 or NP30 a name on the network - Manage software updates on I32, PRE32, PRE60 and NP30

About

Roon

This app serves as a controller for a Roon Server, enabling users to browse and play their music library. It offers a rich metadata-driven interface for musical discovery, connecting to over 1,000 compatible audio devices for seamless playback.

Highlights
  • Music library browsing and playback
  • Rich metadata for musical discovery
  • Connects to 1,000+ audio devices
  • Seamless in-home audio connection
  • Access music library remotely via Roon ARC
  • Bit-perfect playback and format support
Features
Read full description

*** The Roon experience requires a Roon Server on your network. *** The Roon App is another controller for your Roon Server. You browse and play your music library on over 1,000 compatible audio devices, and provides a seamless in-home connection. You can install the free Roon App on as many devices as you like. What is Roon? The very best way to experience your music: Roon reshapes the way you browse and explore music. Powered by rich metadata, Roon's interface invites you on a new journey of musical discovery every time you log in. Your music library becomes the starting point on a vast map of performers, composers, influences, and genres. Follow the path emanating from the music you love to discover exciting new sounds and reconnect with long-forgotten favorites. You can delve even deeper through lyrics, artist photos, bios, reviews, and tour dates - then continue the journey with recommendations specifically tailored to your tastes and listening habits. Listen anywhere, on all your gear: Roon lets you play from your collection of music files and TIDAL, Qobuz, and KKBOX libraries on thousands of Roon Ready, Airplay, Chromecast, and USB devices from one app inside your home. Meanwhile, Roon ARC provides access, playback, and precision audio control for your entire Roon music library directly from your phone, wherever you are in the world. Flawless playback. Everywhere, every time: Roon is built to ensure your music sounds perfect every time you hit play, no matter where you are. Roon guarantees the best possible sound quality from every piece of audio gear - our MUSE sound engine delivers bit-perfect playback, exhaustive format support, and precision audio control for a fully customizable and flawless listening experience. From headphones to your home hi-fi, and everything in between.

Screenshots

Primare App4 screens
Roon4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Roon at every 3 weeks against Primare App's every 12 months. Roon also leads on ratings volume (556 vs 4) and rating (3.6 vs 3.3). Primare App's advantage is review sentiment (43% vs 33%) and iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Roon holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Roon has 556 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 43% of Primare App's written reviews are positive against 33% of Roon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Primare App ships an update every 12 months, Roon every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Primare App versus Roon: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrimare AppRoon
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.3 (4 ratings)3.6 (556 ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews — better32.6% of reviews
Number of ratings4556 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS5.1.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB616 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPrimare ABRoon Labs

Customer experience

Primare App

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

Roon

All ratings556 ratings
Positive59.2%
Neutral9.0%
Negative31.8%
Written reviews233 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral15.5%
Negative51.9%

Bugs and requests

Primare App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Roon

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on search
  • Audio devices disappearing
  • Volume issues after updates
  • Inability to find Roon core

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Offline music playback
  • Better Tidal/Spotify integration
  • Improved metadata editing
  • Apple Watch support

In-app purchases

None

Primare App

No in-app purchases

None

Roon

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Primare App free?
Primare App is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Roon free?
Roon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Primare App or Roon?
Roon is rated higher. Primare App averages 3.3 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Roon averages 3.6 from 556 ratings.
Do Primare App or Roon have ads?
Neither Primare App nor Roon shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Primare App or Roon?
Primare App ships an update every 12 months, and Roon every 3 weeks. Most recently, Primare App was updated on October 11, 2026 and Roon on October 20, 2026.

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