Comparison

Play vs CarCue

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

CarCue

Features
Read full description

Give your truck or car a custom welcome every time you start your drive. CarCue lets you choose an audio file from your iPhone and play it automatically when CarPlay connects. Select your favorite startup sound, adjust the volume, and follow the included instructions to create a personal CarPlay automation in Apple Shortcuts. Features: • Import MP3, M4A, WAV, and other supported audio files • Store and manage multiple startup sounds • Preview sounds before selecting one • Choose which sound plays at startup • Adjust the startup volume • Briefly lower other audio while your startup sound plays • Follow simple, step-by-step Shortcuts instructions • Automatically trigger your sound when CarPlay connects CarCue requires a quick, one-time personal automation setup in the Apple Shortcuts app. The recommended five-second wait gives CarPlay time to finish connecting before CarCue plays your selected sound. CarCue runs on your iPhone and works with a CarPlay connection. It is not a dashboard CarPlay app.

Screenshots

Play4 screens
CarCue3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Play at Free against CarCue's $0.99. Play also leads on device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). CarCue's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases 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; CarCue costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Play versus CarCue: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlayCarCue
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.5 (3.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews25.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings3.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size285 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDTS, Inc.Zeke Digital Solutions LLC

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

CarCue

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Play

No in-app purchases

None

CarCue

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Play free?
Play is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CarCue free?
CarCue costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Play or CarCue have ads?
Play shows ads; CarCue does not.

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