# Play vs Roon ARC

The clearest difference is rating: Play at 4.5 against Roon ARC's 3.3. Play also leads on ratings volume (3.5K vs 199) and device support (4 vs 2). Roon ARC's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Play holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play has 3.5K ratings behind it against 199, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of Play's written reviews are positive against 36% of Roon ARC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Play ships an update every 2 months, Roon ARC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play | Roon ARC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (3.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456/reviews)** | [3.3 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.5K** | 199 |
| Positive reviews | 25.5% of reviews | **35.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 285 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [DTS, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/779245460) | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) |

## What reviewers say

### Play

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-fi/id779245456)

Wirelessly stream high-fidelity audio throughout your home using Wi-Fi. Control music from various sources, including streaming services, radio, and your device's library. Easily set up and manage multiple speakers for a whole-home listening experience.

**Highlights:** Whole-home wireless audio, Wi-Fi streaming, Multiple music sources, Speaker group management, Volume control, DLNA server support

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Works well
- 🔒 Integrates well with amplifier
- 👍 Keeps improving with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy, glitchy, and unreliable
- 👎 Limited features and functionality
- 🔌 Constant connection issues
- 💤 Slow to load and connect
- 🤯 Frustrating user experience

**Reported bugs**

- Drops connections frequently
- Fails to recognize devices
- Resets music playback unexpectedly
- Issues with volume control and balancing
- Incompatible with recent firmware/software updates

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve Spotify integration
- Implement gapless playback
- Provide better interface and navigation
- Add search functionality for local music libraries


### Roon ARC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544)

Access your entire Roon music library and streaming services on the go. Enjoy personalized recommendations, offline listening, and advanced audio controls with a familiar interface.

**Highlights:** Access Roon library anywhere, Stream TIDAL, Qobuz, KKBOX, Offline music downloads, Personalized recommendations, Advanced audio controls (MUSE), Car integration

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with Roon
- 🌍 Access music library anywhere
- 🔊 High-quality audio playback
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Useful feature additions like EQ presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Unreliable performance, especially on mobile networks
- 📱 Lack of iPad-optimized interface
- 🔌 Requires complex network setup for remote access

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted media files
- Disappearing playlists
- Inability to select external storage for downloads
- Inconsistent connectivity to Roon server

**Requested features**

- Native iPad app
- Siri integration for voice control
- Improved browsing and search capabilities
- Automatic offline downloads
- MQA decoding support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play free?

Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Roon ARC free?

Roon ARC is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Play or Roon ARC?

Play is rated higher. Play averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while Roon ARC averages 3.3 from 199 ratings.

### Do Play or Roon ARC have ads?

Play shows ads; Roon ARC does not.

### Which is updated more often, Play or Roon ARC?

Play ships an update every 2 months, and Roon ARC monthly. Most recently, Play was updated on October 24, 2026 and Roon ARC on October 25, 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.*