Comparison

iPeng vs JPLAY

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

JPLAY

This app is a high-fidelity music player designed for audiophiles. It seamlessly integrates streaming services like Qobuz and Tidal with local music files, offering a unified interface for all your audio content. Experience superior sound quality and discover new music through its intuitive design and advanced features.

Highlights
  • Plays Qobuz, Tidal, and local music files
  • Works with most streamers and network DACs
  • HQPlayer Control API integration
  • Dramatically better sound quality
  • Radio feature for music discovery
  • Extended playlist management
  • Artist bios and album reviews
Features
Read full description

JPLAY is an award winning music playback app for audiophiles. It works instantly with nearly every streamer or network DAC on the market. It combines Qobuz, Tidal and local content in a single interface allowing user to access each library separately. Main features: • Beautiful, clean and easy to use app allowing you to play music on nearly all streamers/network DACs - no core needed! (UPnP AV/DLNA) • Plays from Qobuz, Tidal and files on local libraries • HQPlayer Control API – Seamlessly integrate and remotely control HQPlayer directly from JPLAY • Dramatically better sound quality thanks to minimizing network traffic • Radio feature discovers new music for you • Single library, individual library and folder views • Extended playlists management • Advanced search, sort, focus • Artists bios, album reviews etc • Highlighted audiophile formats • My Activity, My history keep your playback stats • Native iOS controls from locked screen • Sharing your favorite music on social media • And much, much more! JPLAY requires an active subscription to access its content and features. Sign up for a JPLAY subscription in the app. New users can enjoy a 14-day free trial period that will be automatically converted into a yearly subscription. Subscription is automatically renewed and charged on a yearly basis. You can cancel it at any time up until the day before renewal and you can at any time turn off the auto renewal.

Screenshots

iPeng4 screens
JPLAY4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: JPLAY at Free against iPeng's $8.99. JPLAY also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 weeks). iPeng's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and review sentiment (76% vs 59%). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

JPLAY is free to download; iPeng costs $8.99 up front. iPeng sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and JPLAY sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $49.99 per year. 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 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iPeng has 1K ratings behind it against 52, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of iPeng's written reviews are positive against 59% of JPLAY's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iPeng ships an update every 5 weeks, JPLAY every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
iPeng versus JPLAY: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriPengJPLAY
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1K ratings) — better4.3 (52 ratings)
Positive reviews76.5% of reviews — better58.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1K — better52
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.3 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB50 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperPenguinLovesMusic.comMarcin Ostapowicz

Customer experience

iPeng

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

JPLAY

All ratings52 ratings
Positive80.8%
Neutral5.8%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews190 reviews
Positive58.9%
Neutral6.3%
Negative34.7%

User reviews

iPeng

From 1K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Best app for controlling Squeezebox
  • 👍 Excellent functionality and interface
  • 🎨 Customizable and flexible
  • 💻 Works across Apple devices
  • 🔊 Supports high-res audio

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and glitches
  • 🔁 Inconsistent behavior when switching between players
  • 🖼️ Artwork issues with streaming services
  • 🤖 Outdated or unintuitive UI in places
  • 💰 Expensive for some users

JPLAY

From 52 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Superior sound quality compared to competitors
  • 👍 Intuitive and clean user interface
  • 🚀 Fast and responsive app performance
  • 🔌 Seamless UPnP/DLNA integration
  • 📱 Works without requiring a server

Room to improve

  • 💰 Expensive subscription pricing ($50/year, $199 lifetime)
  • ❌ No monthly subscription option available
  • 🐛 Frequent connectivity and playback issues
  • 📱 iOS-only application
  • 🔄 No cross-device synchronization

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

JPLAY

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Tracks fail to render or play from Tidal
  • App crashes on startup with older iOS versions
  • Playback stuttering and lag issues
  • Renderer in transition errors
  • Device discovery failures
Show 9 more
  • Missing cover art for local files
  • Playback gets stuck at end of songs
  • Random track order despite settings
  • Skips tracks mid-playback
  • Connection drops with certain streamers
  • Metadata not syncing properly
  • Album art not loading from Synology/Plex servers
  • Qobuz favorites import not working
  • Tidal playlist suggestions missing

Requested features

16 requests
  • Monthly subscription option
  • Cross-device synchronization for playlists and favorites
  • EQ and tone adjustment controls
  • DSD file playback support
  • Multi-room audio capability
Show 11 more
  • Apple Watch control support
  • AirPlay support
  • Android version
  • Gapless playback improvement
  • Family sharing support
  • Apple Music integration
  • Internet radio support
  • Volume control in player screen
  • Automatic iCloud backup between devices
  • WebDAV support
  • Better error messages for troubleshooting

In-app purchases

1 purchases

iPeng

One-time1
  • iPeng Playback$4.99
3 purchases

JPLAY

Subscriptions1
  • JPLAY Premium14 Days trial$49.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime$149.00
  • JPLAY Lifetime$199.00

Questions

Is iPeng free?
iPeng costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is JPLAY free?
JPLAY is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, iPeng or JPLAY?
iPeng is rated higher. iPeng averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while JPLAY averages 4.3 from 52 ratings.
Do iPeng or JPLAY have ads?
Neither iPeng nor JPLAY shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iPeng or JPLAY?
iPeng ships an update every 5 weeks, and JPLAY every 3 weeks. Most recently, iPeng was updated on October 15, 2026 and JPLAY on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons