Comparison

Kalimba ∞ vs Kalimbar

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Kalimba ∞

Transform your device into a virtual kalimba, an African thumb piano. Pluck the metal tines with your fingers to create music. Record your compositions and share them with others, with an optional reverb effect for added ambiance.

Highlights
  • Virtual kalimba instrument
  • Two instrument options (Kalimba, Sansula)
  • Music recording functionality
  • Share recorded music
  • Optional reverb effect
Features
Read full description

Kalimba (mbira or thumb piano) is an African musical instrument consisting of a wooden board with attached metal tines, played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs. Turn your device into a kalimba that you can play with your fingers. Features: • 2 instruments (Kalimba, Sansula) • Record the music you're playing • Share your records • Optional reverb effect

About

Kalimbar

This app offers a realistic kalimba simulation with customizable tones, effects, and a metronome. Record and overdub performances, share them with a companion app, and enjoy a simple staff notation display. Many features are available for free, with no ads during screen recording.

Highlights
  • Realistic kalimba sounds
  • Customizable tone and transposition
  • Metronome and tuner
  • Recording and overdubbing
  • Staff notation display
  • Portrait and landscape modes
Features
Read full description

Kalimbar supports layouts with 17, 34, or 41 keys. It is a full-featured kalimba performance app used by professional kalimba players. • Portrait and landscape support with realistic kalimba sounds • A wide range of tones, with quick tone switching from the performance screen • Rich customization for transposition, note-name display, pin appearance, original wallpapers, and more • Pin outline display and shadow movement that responds to device tilt • Effects • Metronome • Tuner / tuning fork • Recording and playback • Layer your performances with additional recording. • Change the key and tempo during playback. • Performance data can be shared with the sister app Melodician. • Simple staff display • Many other features are available for free. No ads are shown during screen recording. FAQ Q. I notice latency between tapping and hearing sound. A. We recommend using the device speaker or a wired connection, such as earphones, headphones, USB-C, or Lightning audio. Bluetooth audio is more likely to have noticeable latency due to how wireless audio works. Q. Sounds or animations become unstable with three-finger or larger multi-touch gestures. A. If Settings > Accessibility > Zoom is turned on, iOS/iPadOS gives priority to three-finger system gestures, which can interfere with this app. If needed, temporarily turn off Zoom while using the app.

Screenshots

Kalimba ∞2 screens
Kalimbar1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kalimbar at 100% against Kalimba ∞'s 40%. Kalimbar also leads on rating (4.0 vs 3.0) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Kalimba ∞'s advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Kalimba ∞ sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Kalimbar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kalimbar holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kalimba ∞ has 10 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Kalimba ∞'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Kalimbar's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kalimba ∞ ships an update every 3 months, Kalimbar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kalimba ∞ versus Kalimbar: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKalimba ∞Kalimbar
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (10 ratings)4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB137 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDmytro DenysYuichi Sato

Customer experience

Kalimba ∞

All ratings10 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral26.7%
Negative33.3%

Kalimbar

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Kalimba ∞

One-time1
  • Remove Ad$0.99
2 purchases

Kalimbar

Subscriptions2
  • All features + Ad-Free Monthly$1.991 Month
  • All features & Ad-Free Yearly$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Kalimba ∞ free?
Kalimba ∞ is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kalimbar free?
Kalimbar is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Kalimba ∞ or Kalimbar?
Kalimbar is rated higher. Kalimba ∞ averages 3.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Kalimbar averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Kalimba ∞ or Kalimbar have ads?
Both Kalimba ∞ and Kalimbar show ads.
Which is updated more often, Kalimba ∞ or Kalimbar?
Kalimba ∞ ships an update every 3 months, and Kalimbar fortnightly. Most recently, Kalimba ∞ was updated on October 20, 2026 and Kalimbar on October 16, 2026.

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