# HEOS vs AV Setup Guide

The clearest difference is update cadence: HEOS at every 3 weeks against AV Setup Guide's every 7 months. HEOS also leads on ratings volume (27K vs 254). AV Setup Guide's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

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

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for HEOS against 4.4 for AV Setup Guide. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEOS has 27K ratings behind it against 254, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of HEOS's written reviews are positive against 33% of AV Setup Guide's.

HEOS ships an update every 3 weeks, AV Setup Guide every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HEOS | AV Setup Guide |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (27K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/heos/id843129434/reviews) | [4.4 (254 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-setup-guide-us/id888396447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **27K** | 254 |
| Positive reviews | 29.5% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | **Free** |
| Size | 328 MB | 29 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) | [Yamaha Corporation of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/408058585) |

## 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


### AV Setup Guide

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/av-setup-guide-us/id888396447)

This app simplifies the setup of your audio-visual receiver and source devices. It provides visual guides for cable connections and assists with various settings, including automatic network setup for compatible receivers. Access owner's manuals and understand complex configurations with ease.

**Highlights:** Cable connection guidance, AV receiver setup assistance, Automatic network setup, System illustrations, Owner's manual access, Speaker connection guide

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HEOS free?

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

### Is AV Setup Guide free?

AV Setup Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HEOS or AV Setup Guide?

HEOS and AV Setup Guide are both rated 4.4 out of 5 on the App Store, from 27K and 254 ratings respectively.

### Do HEOS or AV Setup Guide have ads?

Neither HEOS nor AV Setup Guide shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HEOS or AV Setup Guide?

HEOS ships an update every 3 weeks, and AV Setup Guide every 7 months. Most recently, HEOS was updated on October 16, 2026 and AV Setup Guide on October 15, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*