# HEOS vs Roon

The clearest difference is rating: HEOS at 4.4 against Roon's 3.6. HEOS also leads on ratings volume (27K vs 556). Roon's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported) and review sentiment (33% vs 25%). On price, update cadence, ads 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.

HEOS holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEOS has 27K ratings behind it against 556, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 25% of HEOS's written reviews are positive against 33% of Roon's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HEOS | Roon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heos/id843129434/reviews)** | [3.6 (556 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **27K** | 556 |
| Positive reviews | 24.6% of reviews | **32.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 327 MB | 616 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [D&M Holdings](https://appshunter.io/developer/388608883) | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) |

## What reviewers say

### HEOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heos/id843129434)

Control a wide range of connected audio devices from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. Stream music from online services or local storage, and enjoy true multi-room audio with easy setup and intuitive control.

**Highlights:** True multi-room audio, Quick and easy setup, Access online music services, Search across multiple music sources, Control playback remotely, Access locally stored music

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🔒 Robust wireless connectivity
- 👍 Convenient app control
- 💡 Integrates with various music services

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and frequent disconnects
- 💤 Slow app performance and loading times

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Speakers randomly disappear from the network
- Volume controls are inconsistent and unreliable
- Sync issues between grouped speakers

**Requested features**

- Add support for Apple Music
- Improve playlist management and queue functionality
- Provide better customization options for rooms and speakers
- Implement a more intuitive and user-friendly app design


### Roon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon/id1014764083)

This app serves as a controller for a Roon Server, enabling users to browse and play their music library. It offers a rich metadata-driven interface for musical discovery, connecting to over 1,000 compatible audio devices for seamless playback.

**Highlights:** Music library browsing and playback, Rich metadata for musical discovery, Connects to 1,000+ audio devices, Seamless in-home audio connection, Access music library remotely via Roon ARC, Bit-perfect playback and format support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great when it works
- 🎨 Fantastic app
- 🎧 Best way to experience music
- 🤖 Powerful music management
- 🔍 Excellent music discovery

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🔌 Unstable connection
- 🕰️ Slow performance
- 🤯 Confusing interface
- 🚫 Lack of accessibility

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on search
- Audio devices disappearing
- Volume issues after updates
- Inability to find Roon core

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Offline music playback
- Better Tidal/Spotify integration
- Improved metadata editing
- Apple Watch support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HEOS free?

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

### Is Roon free?

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

### Which has better reviews, HEOS or Roon?

HEOS is rated higher. HEOS averages 4.4 out of 5 from 27K ratings, while Roon averages 3.6 from 556 ratings.

### Do HEOS or Roon have ads?

Neither HEOS nor Roon shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HEOS or Roon?

HEOS ships an update every 3 weeks, and Roon every 3 weeks. Most recently, HEOS was updated on September 30, 2026 and Roon on September 24, 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.*