Comparison

Play vs BluRemote

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

Head to head
About

Play

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
Read full description

Breakthrough DTS Play-Fi(R) technology powers simple, great-sounding whole-home wireless audio systems for smartphones and tablets. You can stream your favorite tunes over Wi-Fi right from the Play-Fi app to speakers from DTS Play-Fi product partners. It's a huge step up from Bluetooth - the audio quality and reliability are outstanding, and you can enjoy music from your phone in one room, or all your rooms. The "Hi-Fi over Wi-Fi" listening experience is just a touch away, thanks to this handy app. Choose a speaker, choose a song, and your favorite tunes are streaming all through the house. The app offers built-in streaming options: stream from worldwide music services; use AM/FM and Internet radio, connect to DLNA servers, or play anything from your device's music library, including your iTunes playlists. The app automatically organizes and indexes the music for you. The app also handles set-up for your speakers, and gives you full control of volume and speaker selection. Choose one, set up speaker groups, or stream to all of them at once. Manage speaker groups for Spotify Connect, too. IMPORTANT NOTE: If you have a Play-Fi product from Polk Audio, Definitive Technology or Phorus, please search for and download the custom Play-Fi app for your audio brand. Please also note that the Play-Fi app is companion software to audio products enabled with Play-Fi technology. It is not intended as a stand-alone audio player.

About

BluRemote

Control your BluOS-enabled music players with a faster, cleaner interface. Enjoy immediate access to presets, playlists, and playback controls, with interactive widgets and Siri command support for seamless automation.

Highlights
  • BluOS player control
  • Preset and playlist access
  • Playback and volume control
  • Interactive widgets
  • Siri commands and automation
  • Landscape support
Features
Read full description

BluRemote is a quick and easy-to-use controller for BluOS-based music players – compatible with Bluesound, NAD, DALI and other brands! It is an alternative to the official BluOS controller app, providing better usability, native app performance and several nice integrations into the Apple ecosystem. Features: - Quickly access all presets - Browse radio stations - Switch audio sources - Playback and volume control - Player search and grouping - Fast player switching - Now playing and play queue - Interactive widgets - Shortcuts and automation Next features on the roadmap: - Browse your local music library - Browse music streaming services The app plays nicely with your iPhone and iPad: - Portrait and landscape orientation - Dark and light appearance - Dynamic text size - Home Screen, Lock Screen and StandBy widgets - App Shortcuts and Siri commands Your purchase includes the app for iPhone, iPad und Mac. No ads, no tracking, no subscriptions, no nonsense. Buy once – get all upcoming features for free and use it on all your devices. Made in Berlin, Germany – by an independent developer. By buying this app, you support the independent app development. Thank you! Terms: https://goeldner.ch/terms Privacy: https://goeldner.ch/privacy Support: https://goeldner.ch/support Please note that the initial setup of your player, OS-updates and other settings still have to be done using the official BluOS Controller app. BluOS is a trademark of Lenbrook Industries Limited, a member of the Lenbrook Group of Companies. The BluRemote app uses the "BluOS Custom Integration API" according to the "API Use Policy" of Lenbrook Industries Limited, but is not endorsed or certified by Lenbrook Industries Limited.

Screenshots

Play4 screens
BluRemote4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Play at Free against BluRemote's $3.99. Play also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.5) and ratings volume (3.5K vs 21). BluRemote's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (47% vs 25%). On update cadence, 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

Play is free to download; BluRemote costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Play holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play has 3.5K ratings behind it against 21, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of Play's written reviews are positive against 47% of BluRemote's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Play ships an update every 2 months, BluRemote every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Play versus BluRemote: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayBluRemote
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.5 (3.5K ratings) — better3.5 (21 ratings)
Positive reviews25.4% of reviews47.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3.5K — better21
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.4
Further details — not scored
Size285 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDTS, Inc.Christoph Goldner

Customer experience

Play

All ratings3,465 ratings
Positive87.8%
Neutral6.6%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews209 reviews
Positive25.4%
Neutral13.4%
Negative61.2%

BluRemote

All ratings21 ratings
Positive61.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative38.1%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral11.8%
Negative41.2%

Bugs and requests

Play

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • 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

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

BluRemote

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Play

No in-app purchases

None

BluRemote

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Play free?
Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BluRemote free?
BluRemote costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Play or BluRemote?
Play is rated higher. Play averages 4.5 out of 5 from 3.5K ratings, while BluRemote averages 3.5 from 21 ratings.
Do Play or BluRemote have ads?
Play shows ads; BluRemote does not.
Which is updated more often, Play or BluRemote?
Play ships an update every 2 months, and BluRemote every 5 weeks. Most recently, Play was updated on November 6, 2026 and BluRemote on November 7, 2026.

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