Comparison

iPeng vs HQPDcontrol v4

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

Head to head
About

iPeng

Control your Squeezebox or Roon music server with this remote app. Manage playlists, control multi-room playback, and even turn your device into a music player with an in-app purchase. Optimized for the latest iOS devices and features.

Highlights
  • Squeezebox and Roon server control
  • Multi-room playback management
  • Playlist and favorites management
  • Customizable main menu
  • Today Widget and Apple Watch support
  • Optional playback capability via IAP
Features
Read full description

iPeng 9, the music remote for the Logitech® Squeezebox™, has been designed for the latest iOS versions and fully supports all iPhone and iPad form factors. iPeng 9 is a remote control app that will work all over your home with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple Watch. You can also purchase an additional playback capability as an In-App-Purchase that will turn your iPhone or iPad into a full-blown music player for your Squeezebox Server or Roon Server. *** New in iPeng 9 *** • Support of iPhone 11, Pro, X/XS and XS Max • Latest Apple Watch support including Series 5, under watchOS 3 and newer • Today Widget to use iPeng in Notification Center and on the lock screen. • Full multitasking support on iPad and iPad Pro, including Split View and Slide Over under iOS 9 and newer. *** What’s new compared to iPeng Classic? *** * Full Support of latest iOS Versions * • iPeng has been redesigned, matching Apple's flat UI design for an up-to-date appeal, and uses a modernized platform and code base for continuous support of new iOS features. * Universal App * • iPeng 9 is a universal app for both iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, so you only have to purchase the app once. Older iPeng versions had separate apps for iPhone and iPad. * Customizable * • The customizable main menu allows you to show different menu items in your top level menu or hide things that you don’t need. • Change the structure of your main menu through a simple drag-and-drop interface. • You can select a bright or dark color scheme for iPeng, and iPeng can even automatically select it based on your lighting conditions. * Easier Multi-Room Control * • The redesigned MultiPlayer Control simplifies handling many players. • QuickSwitch lets you move playlists from one player to another easily with a swipe of your finger. • Have direct access to Power/Volume for each connected player and change other player settings in the player details. • Group players to synchronized groups. Jointly control playback and volume for these groups and move players between them using drag-and-drop or a toolbar. • Power all players in a group off with a single click when you leave. * Manage Playlists and Favorites * • View, save, change and rearrange not only your current playlist but also saved playlists and favorites. * Works with Logitech Squeezebox and compatible players * • iPeng 9 works with all Logitech Squeezebox Players as well as many Squeezebox-compatible players like Innuos Zen, the SOtM sMS-1000SQ and sMS-100 or VortexBox players. • With iPeng Playback, iPeng also works as a player with Roon. *** Enjoy the familiar features and comfort of iPeng. *** * Easy and Fast to Use * • The functionality of iPeng is optimized for speed of use guaranteeing long-term fun. • Built-in Tutorials help you to learn iPeng’s operation. * Explore Your Music Library (1) * • Browse your own files by categories like Albums, Artists, Genres or simply search for your music. * Explore Remote Services * • You get access to a whole world of internet radio and music services like Rhapsody™ and Spotify™ and have control over them as if they were in your own library. * Use 3rd Party Plugins (2) * • iPeng supports a growing number of 3rd party plugins for Squeezebox™, e.g. CustomBrowse, TrackStat, Music and Artist Information and many more. * Use MySqueezebox.com * • iPeng 9 doesn’t require a server to operate your Squeezebox, it also supports Logitech’s MySqueezbox.com online service. Note: This does not apply to the Playback functionality. iPeng requires one or more Squeezebox™ or any compatible hard- or software player. Squeezebox™ is a trademark of Logitech. (1) LogitechMedia Server/Squeezebox Server version 7.5 or newer available for free from mysqueezebox.com/download or downloads.slimdevices.com/nightly/ (2) Installation of 3rd party plugins in Logitech Media Server required.

About

HQPDcontrol v4

Control your high-quality audio playback and upsampling from your mobile device. Browse your music library, manage playback queues, and adjust audio processing settings remotely. Seamlessly connect to your HQPlayer setup for an intuitive audiophile experience.

Highlights
  • Library browsing by artist, album, genre, and directory
  • Full playback transport controls
  • Real-time audio format and processing display
  • Queue management with drag-and-drop reordering
  • Remote adjustment of HQPlayer audio settings
  • HRA catalog browsing and streaming
  • Automatic HQPlayer instance discovery
Features
Read full description

HQPDcontrol is the remote control for HQPlayer — the renowned high-quality audio player and upsampler. Turn your iPhone or iPad into a powerful, intuitive control surface for your audiophile setup. LIBRARY BROWSING Browse your music collection by artists, albums, genres, directories, or playlists. Search across your entire library instantly. View album artwork, track details, and digital booklets. Choose between grid and list views with configurable column layouts optimized for both phones and tablets. PLAYBACK CONTROL Full transport controls with real-time track information, album art, and a detailed audio format display showing sample rate, format (PCM/DSD), and the processing pipeline. Scrub through tracks, adjust volume, and monitor audio levels with a multi-channel meter view featuring peak indicators. QUEUE MANAGEMENT View and edit your playing queue with drag-and-drop reordering. Add tracks, albums, or entire playlists. Clear the queue or save it as a playlist for later. Jump to the currently playing track with a single tap. HQPLAYER SETTINGS Adjust HQPlayer's audio processing parameters directly from your device. Change filters, modulators, and other settings in real time without interrupting playback. HRA CATALOG ACCESS Browse and search the HRA (HIGHRESAUDIO.com) streaming catalog directly from the app. Manage your HRA playlists and send streaming URLs to HQPlayer for playback — HQPDcontrol acts purely as a remote control, with all audio processing and playback handled by HQPlayer. AUTOMATIC DISCOVERY HQPDcontrol automatically detects HQPlayer instances on your network. Just launch the app and connect — or configure the connection manually if preferred. DESIGNED FOR AUDIOPHILES • Real-time audio level meters with multi-channel support • Detailed format and conversion information display • Support for PCM and DSD formats • Album booklet/liner notes viewer (PDF) • Library statistics and storage overview • Dark and light themes • Left-handed mode • Responsive layout for all screen sizes HQPDcontrol requires a running instance of HQPlayer on your network. No audio is streamed through the app — all playback is handled entirely by HQPlayer. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

iPeng4 screens
HQPDcontrol v44 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HQPDcontrol v4 at Free against iPeng's $8.99. HQPDcontrol v4 also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). iPeng's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (1K vs 10). On review sentiment, 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

HQPDcontrol v4 is free to download; iPeng costs $8.99 up front. iPeng sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and HQPDcontrol v4 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iPeng holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iPeng has 1K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of iPeng's written reviews are positive against 83% of HQPDcontrol v4's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iPeng ships an update every 5 weeks, HQPDcontrol v4 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
iPeng versus HQPDcontrol v4: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriPengHQPDcontrol v4
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1K ratings) — better3.9 (10 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1K — better10
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS9.3 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB53 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperPenguinLovesMusic.comAles Prochazka

Customer experience

iPeng

All ratings1,018 ratings
Positive93.8%
Neutral3.2%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews251 reviews
Positive76.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative16.3%

HQPDcontrol v4

All ratings10 ratings
Positive70.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

Bugs and requests

iPeng

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Album playback issues
  • Disconnection problems with LMS server
  • Inability to log in after updates
  • Syncing problems with non-Squeezebox devices

Requested features

5 requests
  • iOS 18 widget support
  • Improved playlist management
  • Support for Asian languages
  • Built-in VPN for remote access
  • Apple TV app version

HQPDcontrol v4

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

iPeng

One-time1
  • iPeng Playback$4.99
2 purchases

HQPDcontrol v4

Subscriptions2
  • HQPDcontrol v4 (M)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • HQPDcontrol v4 (A)7 Days trial$12.991 Year

Questions

Is iPeng free?
iPeng costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HQPDcontrol v4 free?
HQPDcontrol v4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iPeng or HQPDcontrol v4?
iPeng is rated higher. iPeng averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while HQPDcontrol v4 averages 3.9 from 10 ratings.
Do iPeng or HQPDcontrol v4 have ads?
Neither iPeng nor HQPDcontrol v4 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iPeng or HQPDcontrol v4?
iPeng ships an update every 5 weeks, and HQPDcontrol v4 every 2 weeks. Most recently, iPeng was updated on September 25, 2026 and HQPDcontrol v4 on September 22, 2026.

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