HEOS vs On
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
HEOS
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.
- True multi-room audio
- Quick and easy setup
- Access online music services
- Search across multiple music sources
- Control playback remotely
- Access locally stored music
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HEOS is the controller app for the world’s biggest and best range of connected audio gear. It is a smart music streaming technology found in all devices Powered by HEOS from Denon, Marantz, and Definitive Technology. HEOS is for music lovers who want a beautiful and intuitive way to enjoy the latest advances in connected audio. You can find HEOS built into great sounding AV receivers, Hi-Fi equipment, sound bars, speakers, mini systems and specialty multi-room models. Features: True multi-room audio: play different songs in different rooms or the same song in multiple rooms. Quick and easy setup: add all your speakers with step-by-step instructions. Instant access to your favorite music: play from your favorite online music services, like Spotify, Amazon Music, TIDAL, and more. Search your music in one place: use one search function to browse across multiple music sources. See what’s playing any time: play, pause, and skip music from anywhere in the app. Access locally stored music: play music saved to your phone, USB, analog inputs, computers, and NAS drives. Share with your friends and family: support for multiple users and multiple music service accounts.
On
Wirelessly control your whole-home audio system from your mobile device. Access internet radio, your personal music library, and streaming services for a seamless listening experience throughout your home.
- Wireless audio system control
- Internet radio access
- Personal music library playback
- Streaming service integration
- Whole-home audio management
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Required: On-Q Digital Audio http://www.legrand.us/onq/digital-audio.aspx The On-Q Digital Audio app makes it easy to control the music you love throughout your entire home. Designed for intuitive and aesthetic wireless control of your entire On-Q Digital Audio System (sold separately), the app puts the expansive variety of Internet Radio, plus your personal music library, right in the palm of your hand. Play any music selection from your iTunes or Windows libraries, or even access audio from favorite streaming services. Enjoy the listening freedom.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: HEOS at 4.4 against On's 1.5. HEOS also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (27K vs 232). On's advantage is monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, ads, 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
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 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HEOS has 27K ratings behind it against 232, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of HEOS's written reviews are positive against 10% of On's.
HEOS ships an update every 3 weeks, On every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | HEOS | On |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.4 (27K ratings) — better | 1.5 (232 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 29.4% of reviews — better | 9.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 27K — better | 232 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #197 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 328 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | D&M Holdings | Legrand, Inc. |
Customer experience
HEOS
On
User reviews
HEOS
From 27K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🔒 Robust wireless connectivity
- 👍 Convenient app control
- 💡 Integrates with various music services
Room to improve
- 🐛 Buggy and unstable app
- 👎 Poor user interface and navigation
- 🔌 Connectivity issues and frequent disconnects
- 💤 Slow app performance and loading times
On
From 232 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎵 Good sound quality when system works
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface design
- 🎛️ Easy zone and speaker control
- 📱 Convenient phone-based remote control
- 🔌 Whole-home audio capability
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent connection failures
- ❌ App crashes and freezes constantly
- 🔄 Requires constant reconnection and resets
- 📡 Unreliable network connectivity
- ⚠️ Non-functional after updates
Bugs and requests
HEOS
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes and freezes frequently
- Speakers randomly disappear from the network
- Volume controls are inconsistent and unreliable
- Sync issues between grouped speakers
Requested features
4 requests- 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
On
Reported bugs
14 issues- App won't connect to distribution module
- Cannot bind to digital source
- App fails to open or launch
- Forced update loops that never complete
- Music source selection disappears
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- App crashes when selecting zones
- Bluetooth pairing failures
- WiFi connection drops frequently
- Home button disappears after updates
- Incompatibility error messages with no resolution
- Music playback cuts out mid-song
- DRM errors preventing playback
- System master not elected error
- App freezes on connection screen
Requested features
10 requests- Apple Music support
- YouTube Music and Google Play integration
- Spotify reliable connectivity
- SiriusXM station list updates
- AirPlay support
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Apple Watch app version
- Alarm clock feature
- DRM error resolution for SiriusXM
- Tidal music app support
- iTunes streaming capability
In-app purchases
HEOS
No in-app purchases
On
No in-app purchases
