# Cambridge Connect vs Roon ARC

The clearest difference is rating: Roon ARC at 3.3 against Cambridge Connect's 2.2. Roon ARC also leads on review sentiment (36% vs 18%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). Cambridge Connect's advantage is iOS requirement (7.1 vs 15.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Roon ARC holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 66 and 199 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of Cambridge Connect's written reviews are positive against 36% of Roon ARC's.

Cambridge Connect ships an update every 3 months, Roon ARC monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cambridge Connect | Roon ARC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.2 (66 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-connect/id922431442/reviews) | **[3.3 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 66 | **199** |
| Positive reviews | 17.6% of reviews | **35.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 15 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.1** | 15.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Audio Partnership](https://appshunter.io/developer/323403466) | [Roon Labs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1014764082) |

## What reviewers say

### Cambridge Connect

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cambridge-connect/id922431442)

Control your Cambridge Audio network audio player with your iOS device. Browse and play media from UPnP servers or USB drives, manage queues, and control internet radio, inputs, and volume.

**Highlights:** Browse and play UPnP media, Play media from USB drives, Queue management, Internet Radio control, Input selection, Volume control

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and functional
- 🚀 Fast connection to device
- 💡 Tidal integration
- 🔒 Stable and reliable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and disconnections
- 🔍 Limited search and navigation functionality
- 📚 Inability to manage playlists
- 🔋 Drains device battery
- 🎨 Outdated and unappealing design

**Reported bugs**

- App fails to detect connected devices
- Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
- Volume controls not working as expected
- Issues with browsing and playing music from USB drives

**Requested features**

- Add ability to create and save playlists
- Implement comprehensive search functionality
- Improve integration with music libraries and streaming services
- Provide more customization options (themes, layouts, etc.)


### Roon ARC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roon-arc/id1555549544)

Access your entire Roon music library, including personal files and streaming services, from anywhere. Enjoy high-quality audio playback, offline listening, and in-depth music discovery features optimized for mobile and car use.

**Highlights:** Access Roon library anywhere, Offline music downloads, High-quality audio playback, Advanced EQ and audio shaping, In-depth music discovery, Car integration

**Features:** Siri integration, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless integration with Roon
- 🌍 Access music library anywhere
- 🔊 High-quality audio playback
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly
- 💡 Useful feature additions like EQ presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤖 Unreliable performance, especially on mobile networks
- 📱 Lack of iPad-optimized interface
- 🔌 Requires complex network setup for remote access

**Reported bugs**

- Corrupted media files
- Disappearing playlists
- Inability to select external storage for downloads
- Inconsistent connectivity to Roon server

**Requested features**

- Native iPad app
- Siri integration for voice control
- Improved browsing and search capabilities
- Automatic offline downloads
- MQA decoding support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cambridge Connect free?

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

### Is Roon ARC free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cambridge Connect or Roon ARC?

Roon ARC is rated higher. Cambridge Connect averages 2.2 out of 5 from 66 ratings, while Roon ARC averages 3.3 from 199 ratings.

### Do Cambridge Connect or Roon ARC have ads?

Neither Cambridge Connect nor Roon ARC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cambridge Connect or Roon ARC?

Cambridge Connect ships an update every 3 months, and Roon ARC monthly. Most recently, Cambridge Connect was updated on October 23, 2026 and Roon ARC on October 30, 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.*