# JBL Portable vs Equalizer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: JBL Portable at none against Equalizer's 7. JBL Portable also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Equalizer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. JBL Portable asks for nothing beyond the download.

JBL Portable holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JBL Portable has 62K ratings behind it against 6.5K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 39% of JBL Portable's written reviews are positive against 16% of Equalizer's.

JBL Portable ships an update every 5 weeks, Equalizer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | JBL Portable | Equalizer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (62K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jbl-portable/id994041762/reviews)** | [4.3 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equalizer-volume-booster-eq/id1550086698/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **62K** | 6.5K |
| Positive reviews | **39.4% of reviews** | 15.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 159 MB | 185 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Harman International Industries](https://appshunter.io/developer/419840205) | [Gismart Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1550086700) |

## What reviewers say

### JBL Portable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jbl-portable/id994041762)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Free · Music (US App Store)

Enhance your JBL portable speaker experience with this app. Connect, control, and personalize your audio device to amplify sound, create a party atmosphere, or receive software updates and support.

**Highlights:** Connect to compatible JBL speakers, Stereo and Party modes, Personalize speaker settings, Control speaker functions, Software updates, Product support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Easy to use
- 👍 Customizable sound settings
- 🚀 Reliable Bluetooth connectivity
- 💡 Useful battery life indicator
- 👍 Sleek and durable design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent connection issues
- 🐛 Unreliable stereo pairing
- 🐛 Slow app performance
- 🐛 Inconsistent firmware updates
- 🔋 Poor battery life

**Reported bugs**

- App unable to detect connected speakers
- Stereo mode disconnects unexpectedly
- Firmware update process causes speaker issues
- Equalizer settings not saving properly
- Party Boost feature unreliable

**Requested features**

- Add remote power on/off
- Improve stereo mode stability
- Expand EQ customization options
- Provide better battery life reporting
- Support for older speaker models


### Equalizer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/equalizer-volume-booster-eq/id1550086698)

Enhance your music listening experience with advanced audio controls. Adjust bass, volume, and frequency with various presets and effects. Access your music library and enjoy immersive sound.

**Highlights:** EQ Presets, Volume Maximizer, Frequency Equalizer, Spatial Audio, Pitch/Time Effect, iTunes & DropBox Integration

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Equalizer Premium Weekly | $5.99 | per 7 days |
| Equalizer Premium access | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Music One | $9.99 | per 7 days |
| Equalizer Premium access | $14.99 | per month |
| Full Access to Pro Features | $19.99 | per 3 months |
| Equalizer Premium access | $24.99 | per year |
| Equalizer Premium access | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Good sound quality
- 🔊 Enhances audio experience
- 👍 Interesting and clever features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription fees
- 🚫 Limited functionality without subscription
- 🤔 Misleading free trial and pricing information
- 🔒 Restricted access to personal music libraries
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes frequently
- Inability to save or export edited audio
- Incompatibility with certain music libraries and streaming services

**Requested features**

- Ability to use equalizer with all audio apps, not just in-app music player
- Support for more music streaming services like Spotify
- Option to purchase a one-time license instead of subscription


## Frequently asked questions

### Is JBL Portable free?

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

### Is Equalizer free?

Equalizer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, JBL Portable or Equalizer?

JBL Portable is rated higher. JBL Portable averages 4.7 out of 5 from 62K ratings, while Equalizer averages 4.3 from 6.5K ratings.

### Do JBL Portable or Equalizer have ads?

Equalizer shows ads; JBL Portable does not.

### Which is updated more often, JBL Portable or Equalizer?

JBL Portable ships an update every 5 weeks, and Equalizer every 3 months. Most recently, JBL Portable was updated on October 22, 2026 and Equalizer on October 21, 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.*