Roon AlternativesAudio Players and other similar apps like Roon

Roon is described as 'Identifies your music files and streams, and then overlays a ton of rich metadata to add context to what you're listening to. That information drives Roon's unique experience of browsing, discovering, and organizing music' and is a Audio Player in the audio & music category. There are more than 100 alternatives to Roon for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, Android and BSD apps. The best Roon alternative is VLC Media Player, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like Roon are foobar2000, AIMP, Clementine and MusicBee.

filter to find the best alternatives

Roon alternatives are mainly Audio Players but may also be Media Players or Internet Radio Services.  Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Roon.
Roon iconRoon
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  • ...

Roon identifies your music files and streams, and then overlays a ton of rich metadata to add context to what you're listening to. That information drives Roon's unique experience of browsing, discovering, and...

More about Roon
Roon alternatives page was last updated May 30, 2024
  1. VLC Media Player icon
     7552 likes

    VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework. Owned by the non-profit organization VideoLAN.

    295 VLC Media Player alternatives
    VLC Media Player screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • BSD
    • iPad
    • AppImageHub
    • Apple Watch
    • Snapcraft
    • Google Chrome
    • Apple TV
    • Flathub
    • PortableApps.com
    • F-Droid
    • Kindle Fire
    • Haiku
    • Android TV
    • Homebrew
    • Chocolatey

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Ad-free
    2.  Video Converter
    3.  Video playback
    4.  Built-in Media converter
    5.  Support for subtitles
    6.  Integrated Codecs
    7.  Audio Recording
    8.  Cross-Platform
    9.  Internet Radio
    10.  Compatibility Layer
    11.  Media Streaming
    12.  Replay Gain
    VLC Media Player iconRoon Icon

    VLC Media Player VS Roon

    Is VLC Media Player a good alternative to Roon?
     
    Comments about VLC Media Player as an Alternative to Roon
     
    Guest

    VLC is not intended as a professional music player. The main features of Roon over other music players is it's presentation of the music, while VLC is both more barebones, and more versatile. VLC is a great media player in it's own way, but not when one is looking for an alternative to Roon.

    Negative commentFeb 6, 2019
    8
    Tim Heymans

    VLC doesn't integrate with streaming services. Also, it's very, very basic compared to Roon in terms of music management.

    Negative commentJan 7, 2024
    0
    Guest

    It doesn't handle library managment. Also VLC is NOT music oriented, it is video oriented but can play music.

    Negative commentMay 2, 2021
    1
    Roon Icon
    VLC Media Player icon
    • This alternative is disputed. VLC Media Player is a legitimate Roon alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.

    • VLC Media Player is the most popular Windows, Android, Mac & iPhone alternative to Roon.

    • VLC Media Player is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Roon.

    • VLC Media Player is Free and Open SourceRoon is Paid and Proprietary
    • VLC Media Player is CustomizableRoon is not according to our users
  2. foobar2000 icon
     1517 likes

    foobar2000 is an advanced multi-platform freeware audio player.

    184 foobar2000 alternatives
    Foobar custom.

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Properties

    1.  Customizable
    2.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Music Library
    3.  Audio Conversion
    4.  Replay Gain
    5.  Ad-free
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  MP3 / ID3 Renaming
    8.  Portable
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Audio processing/resampling
    11.  No registration required
    12.  Gapless Playback
    foobar2000 iconRoon Icon

    foobar2000 VS Roon

    Is foobar2000 a good alternative to Roon?
     
    Comments about foobar2000 as an Alternative to Roon
     
    Guest

    Powerful, versatile and free.

    Positive commentOct 13, 2022
    0
    Roon Icon
    foobar2000 icon
    • Some users think foobar2000 is a great Roon alternative, some don't.

    • foobar2000 is Free Personal and ProprietaryRoon is Paid and Proprietary
    • foobar2000 is Customizable and LightweightRoon is not according to our users
  3. AIMP icon
     847 likes

    AIMP is a powerful free audio player that supports for local files, NAS, clouds, and podcasts. Additionally, it includes powerful tools to operate with audio files.

    327 AIMP alternatives
    AIMP screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Android
    • PortableApps.com

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable
    3.  Support for Themes

    Features

    1.  Music Library
    2.  Playlists management
    3.  Skins
    4.  Mp3 Tag Editor
    5.  Audio Conversion
    6.  Remembers position in file
    7.  Crossfading
    8.  Internet Radio
    9.  Full keyboard shortcuts
    10.  Hi-Fi Sound
    11. Last.fm icon  Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
    12.  Dark Mode
    AIMP iconRoon Icon

    AIMP VS Roon

    Is AIMP a good alternative to Roon?
     
  4. Clementine icon
     729 likes

    Clementine is a cross-platform free and open source music player and library organizer. It is a port of Amarok 1.4 to the Qt 4 framework and the GStreamer multimedia framework, focusing on a fast and easy-to-use interface for searching and...

    241 Clementine alternatives
    Clementine with lyrics pane

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1.  Smart playlists
    2.  Podcast Player
    3.  Dynamic/Intelligent Playlists
    4. Last.fm icon  Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
    5.  Playlists management
    6.  Audio Visualization
    7.  Lossless Audio
    8.  File Tagging
    9.  Ad-free
    10.  No registration required
    11.  No Tracking
    12.  Moodbar
    Clementine iconRoon Icon

    Clementine VS Roon

    Is Clementine a good alternative to Roon?
     
  5. MusicBee icon
     576 likes

    MusicBee makes it easy to manage, find, and play music files on your computer. MusicBee also supports podcasts, web radio stations and SoundCloud integration.

    116 MusicBee alternatives
    Promo 1: Main Features

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows

    Properties

    1.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Library Organization
    2.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    3.  Skins
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Music Library
    6.  Automatic Lyrics Finder
    7.  Artwork
    8.  Library Management
    9.  Playlists management
    10.  Auto fetch album covers
    11.  Auto tag music
    12.  No registration required
    MusicBee iconRoon Icon

    MusicBee VS Roon

    Is MusicBee a good alternative to Roon?
     
  6. Strawberry icon
     240 likes

    Strawberry is a music player and music collection organizer. It is a fork of Clementine released in 2018 aimed at music collectors and audiophiles. The name is inspired by the band Strawbs. It's written in C++ using the Qt framework.

    232 Strawberry alternatives
    Strawberry screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight
    2.  Customizable

    Features

    1.  Music Library
    2.  Music collection
    3.  Automatic Lyrics Finder
    4.  Auto fetch album covers
    5.  Playlists management
    6.  Ad-free
    7.  Lossless Audio
    8. Last.fm icon  Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
    9.  Cross-Platform
    10.  Gapless Playback
    11.  Automatic album art download
    12.  ListenBrainz scrobbling
    Warning

    It is still open source but now the Windows and macOS builds are tied to having a Patreon subscription.

    Strawberry iconRoon Icon

    Strawberry VS Roon

    Is Strawberry a good alternative to Roon?
     
  7. Audacious icon
     287 likes

    Audacious is an advanced audio player. It is free, lightweight, based on GTK+, runs on Linux and many other *nix platforms and is focused on audio quality and supporting a wide range of audio codecs. There is also support for several visual styles from Winamp.

    128 Audacious alternatives
    Audacious screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Haiku
    • Xfce

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Create Playlist
    2.  Windows Compatible
    3.  Music Library
    4.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    5.  Playlists management
    6.  3D visualization
    7.  Dark Mode
    8.  Ad-free
    9.  No Tracking
    10.  Works Offline
    11.  Lossless Audio
    12.  Portable
    Audacious iconRoon Icon

    Audacious VS Roon

    Is Audacious a good alternative to Roon?
     
  8. Winamp icon
     878 likes

    Winamp is a media player for Windows developed by Justin Frankel and Dmitry Boldyrev by their company Nullsoft, which they later sold to AOL, who sold to Radionomy in January 2014. Since version 2 it has been sold as freemium and supports extensibility with plug-ins and skins...

    243 Winamp alternatives
    Winamp screenshot 1

    License model

    • Free PersonalProprietary

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Internet Radio
    2.  Music Library
    3.  Skin customization
    4.  Crossfading
    5.  Playlists management
    6.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    7.  Works Offline
    8.  Lossless Audio
    9.  No registration required
    10.  Ad-free
    11.  Dark Mode
    12.  Mix Music
    Winamp iconRoon Icon

    Winamp VS Roon

    Is Winamp a good alternative to Roon?
     
    • Winamp is the most popular Web-based alternative to Roon.

    • Winamp is Free Personal and ProprietaryRoon is Paid and Proprietary
    • Winamp is LightweightRoon is not according to our users
  9. Pocket Casts icon
     227 likes

    Discover the world's most powerful podcast player. Pocket Casts has all the podcasts you know & love; over 300k. Find Trending, Most Popular podcasts & more.

    117 Pocket Casts alternatives
    Pocket Casts screenshot 1
    Pocket Casts screenshot 2
    +5
    Pocket Casts screenshot 3

    License model

    • FreemiumOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Online
    • Android
    • iPhone
    • Chrome OS
    • Android Tablet
    • iPad

    Top Pocket Casts Features

    1.  Podcast Player
    2.  Works Offline
    3.  Cloud Sync
    4.  Podcast Manager
    5.  Import/Export OPML Feeds
    6.  Dark Mode
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Chromecast Support
    9.  Playlist Filtering
    10.  AirPlay Support
    11.  Auto-delete on listen
    Pocket Casts iconRoon Icon

    Pocket Casts VS Roon

    Is Pocket Casts a good alternative to Roon?
     
    Comments about Pocket Casts as an Alternative to Roon
     
    charlescanlom

    Pocket Casts is a podcast app, not a music app.

    Negative commentMay 29, 2024
    0
    Roon Icon
    Pocket Casts icon
    • Pocket Casts is Freemium and Open SourceRoon is Paid and Proprietary
  10. Rhythmbox icon
     426 likes

    Rhythmbox is an audio player for Linux that plays and organizes digital music. Inspired by Apple's iTunes, it is free software that is designed to work well under the .

    147 Rhythmbox alternatives
    Rhythmbox screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak
    • GNOME

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  File Tagging
    2.  Crossfading
    3.  iPhone/iPod sync
    4.  Smart playlists
    5. Spotify icon  Spotify integration
    6.  Built-In ID3 Tag Editor
    Rhythmbox iconRoon Icon

    Rhythmbox VS Roon

    Is Rhythmbox a good alternative to Roon?
     
  11. DeaDBeeF icon
     193 likes

    DeaDBeeF is a lightweight graphical music player created for easy playback of music and management of playlists. It supports major audio codecs and tags, global hotkeys, gapless playback, streaming audio, command line control, and has an 18-band equalizer.

    171 DeaDBeeF alternatives
    DeaDBeeF screenshot 1

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE
    • Cinnamon
    • GNOME
    • MATE
    • Xfce

    Properties

    1.  Lightweight

    Features

    1.  Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
    2.  Fully customizable interface
    3.  Playlists management
    4.  Support for Hotkeys
    5.  Replay Gain
    6.  Works Offline
    7.  Ad-free
    8.  Lossless Audio
    9.  Command line interface
    10.  Portable
    11. Last.fm icon  Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
    12.  Mods
    DeaDBeeF iconRoon Icon

    DeaDBeeF VS Roon

    Is DeaDBeeF a good alternative to Roon?
     
  12. Amarok icon
     404 likes

    Amarok is a powerful music player with an intuitive interface. It makes playing the music you love and discovering new music easier than ever before — and it looks good doing it.

    165 Amarok alternatives
    Overview

    License model

    • FreeOpen Source

    Application types

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • KDE Plasma
    • Flathub
    • Flatpak

    Properties

    1.  Privacy focused

    Features

    1. Last.fm icon  Integrated Last.fm scrobbler
    2.  Podcast Subscription
    3.  Music Library
    4.  Ad-free
    5.  Dark Mode
    6.  Support for scripting
    7.  Multiple languages
    Amarok iconRoon Icon

    Amarok VS Roon

    Is Amarok a good alternative to Roon?
     
12 of 230 Roon alternatives