Best Last.fm Scrobblers for iPhone: Orchard vs Eavescrob vs Marvis Pro

Quick verdict

If you just want a simple answer: it depends on what you need.

• Want a free, set-and-forget scrobbler? → Orchard
• Want a full music player replacement with scrobbling? → Marvis Pro
• Want a lightweight scrobbler you've used for years? → Eavescrob

Keep reading for the full breakdown. I've tested all three daily for this comparison.

How iOS scrobbling actually works (before we compare)

Something most comparison articles don't explain: every iOS scrobbler uses the same underlying mechanism. Apple's MediaPlayer framework gives apps read-only access to your listening history. No scrobbler "hears" what you play in real-time from the background (iOS doesn't allow that).

What differs between apps is:

• How they handle the foreground ↔ background gap (iOS suspends background apps aggressively)
• How accurately they deduplicate between real-time and history-based scrobbles
• How they handle offline plays
• How much battery they use

Understanding this makes the comparison below much clearer. For a deeper dive, see our complete guide to scrobbling Apple Music.

Orchard — The dedicated scrobbler

What it is: A purpose-built Apple Music scrobbler. That's all it does — and it does it well.

What makes it different: Orchard is built on a custom native Swift module that reads playback data directly from iOS. When the app is open, it scrobbles in real-time with a 15-second polling timer. When you reopen after it's been closed, it reads your full listening history from iOS and bulk-scrobbles anything it missed — with deduplication to avoid double entries.

Strengths

• Free — no purchase, no subscription, no paywall. All features available to everyone.
• Native Swift module — the critical playback detection runs in native code, not through a JavaScript bridge.
• Offline recovery — automatically bulk-scrobbles tracks you played offline when your connection returns.
• Privacy-first — uses Last.fm's official OAuth, stores credentials in iOS Keychain, no analytics SDKs, data goes directly from your phone to Last.fm's servers.
• Simple — three-tap setup, no configuration needed.

Limitations

• It's only a scrobbler — no music player, no stats browser, no social features. If you want those, Marvis Pro is better.
• Banner ad — supported by a small, non-intrusive banner. There's no paid option to remove it.
• iPhone only — shows an "iPhone Required" screen on iPad.

Download Orchard on the App Store (Free)

Eavescrob — The established scrobbler

What it is: One of the longer-running Last.fm scrobblers for iOS. Eavescrob has been around for years and has a loyal user base.

Strengths

• Track record — it's been maintained for years, and many Last.fm users trust it.
• Simple interface — similar to Orchard in that it's a dedicated scrobbler without extra bloat.
• Background support — reads listening history on app open, similar to other iOS scrobblers.

Limitations

• Pricing model — check the App Store for current pricing; it has historically been a paid app.
• Update frequency — check the "Version History" on the App Store to see how actively it's maintained.

View Eavescrob on the App Store

Marvis Pro — The power player

What it is: Marvis Pro is not a scrobbler — it's a full-featured, highly customizable music player for Apple Music that happens to include excellent Last.fm scrobbling.

Strengths

• Highly customizable — arguably the most powerful third-party music player for Apple Music. Custom sections, rules, smart playlists, and deep UI customization.
• Reliable scrobbling — because it IS the player you're using, track detection is extremely accurate. No gap between "background" and "foreground."
• Duplicate detection — can detect if a track was already scrobbled from another device (e.g., Mac).
• Active development — regularly updated with new features.

Limitations

• Paid app — one-time purchase required.
• You need to use it as your player — if you open Apple Music directly instead of Marvis, the scrobbling advantage disappears. You're back to the same background limitations as any other scrobbler.
• Complexity — the customization options can be overwhelming if you just want to scrobble.

View Marvis Pro on the App Store

Feature comparison table

Who should use what?

Choose Orchard if you:

• Want a free, zero-config scrobbler
• Prefer using Apple Music's native app to play music
• Care about privacy (no analytics, direct-to-Last.fm API)
• Just want to scrobble — no stats, no social, no music player

Choose Eavescrob if you:

• Already use it and are happy with it (don't fix what isn't broken)
• Want a lightweight scrobbler with a proven track record

Choose Marvis Pro if you:

• Want a replacement music player with deep customization
• Listen on multiple devices and need duplicate detection
• Don't mind paying for a premium app
• Want the most reliable scrobbling possible (because it IS the player)

FAQ