# Soundwaves vs Lyris

The clearest difference is price: Lyris at Free against Soundwaves's $3.99. Lyris also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). Soundwaves's advantage is rating (4.1 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (12 vs 2). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Lyris is free to download; Soundwaves costs $3.99 up front. Soundwaves sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Lyris sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Soundwaves holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Soundwaves has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Soundwaves ships an update every 2 months, Lyris every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Soundwaves | Lyris |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundwaves/id736139596/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lyris-navidrome-player/id6764873657/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 60.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 4 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simone Tellini](https://appshunter.io/developer/372931565) | [Emile Vignoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895945077) |

## What reviewers say

### Soundwaves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundwaves/id736139596)

This app connects your iOS device to your Subsonic music server, allowing you to stream audio and video content. It supports various audio formats and can also play movies, making it ideal for home theater setups or car audio systems.

**Highlights:** Connects to Subsonic music servers, Streams audio and video content, Supports FLAC, Opus, Ogg Vorbis, Plays movies from server, Works with other Subsonic API servers, Adjustable max bit rate for limited connections

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ads-free Edition | $3.99 | one-time |


### Lyris

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lyris-navidrome-player/id6764873657)

This app allows you to stream and manage your self-hosted music library from Navidrome, Subsonic, or Jellyfin servers. Enjoy your entire music collection with features like offline downloads, synced lyrics, and personalized recommendations. It prioritizes privacy with no tracking or ads.

**Highlights:** Connect to Navidrome, Subsonic, Jellyfin servers, Browse artists, albums, tracks, genres, playlists, Offline downloads for albums and playlists, Synced lyrics and equalizer, CarPlay and AirPlay support, Music recommendations and Lidarr integration, Private by design, no tracking or ads

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 7-day Trial | Free | one-time |
| Lyris Unlock | $12.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Soundwaves free?

Soundwaves costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Lyris free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Soundwaves or Lyris?

Soundwaves is rated higher. Soundwaves averages 4.1 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Lyris averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Soundwaves or Lyris have ads?

Neither Soundwaves nor Lyris shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Soundwaves or Lyris?

Soundwaves ships an update every 2 months, and Lyris every 2 days. Most recently, Soundwaves was updated on November 9, 2026 and Lyris on October 31, 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.*