# FM Essential vs NoteHero Piano

The clearest difference is ads: FM Essential at none against NoteHero Piano's shown. NoteHero Piano's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

FM Essential ships an update every 15 months, NoteHero Piano daily. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FM Essential | NoteHero Piano |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.0 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm-essential-us/id1121442614/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **70** | — |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 88 MB | 159 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yamaha Corporation of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/408058585) | [Tung Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1469659568) |

## What reviewers say

### FM Essential

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm-essential-us/id1121442614)

This app is an FM tone generator and synthesizer for iPhone and iPad, offering real-time performance capabilities and voice editing. It includes a variety of presets, arpeggiator patterns, chord pads, and scales, along with drum functionalities. The app also supports external hardware integration and advanced sound manipulation through effects, EQ, and a ball controller.

**Highlights:** FM tone generator, Real-time synth performance, Voice editing, Arpeggiator and chord pads, Effects and EQ edit, Ball controller for sound modulation, Step sequencer

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Fantastic sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- ✨ Amazing synth capabilities
- 💡 Great FM synth app
- 🎵 Wonderful, flexible, intuitive synth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔓 App locked by hardware
- 🔌 Connection issues
- 💸 Expensive hardware required
- ❓ Deceptive free app
- 😩 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Does not unlock with USB-C adapter
- App crashes when loading combinations
- Preset menus crash the app
- Combined Sounds no longer read from keyboard after iPad update
- Instruments stop working if effect filters are turned off

**Requested features**

- Unlock without hardware purchase
- Allow in-app purchase to unlock
- Bring back Tenori On apps
- Fix LFO delay parameter
- Add separate volume control for drums


### NoteHero Piano

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/notehero-piano/id6758575015)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FM Essential free?

FM Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NoteHero Piano free?

NoteHero Piano is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do FM Essential or NoteHero Piano have ads?

NoteHero Piano shows ads; FM Essential does not.

### Which is updated more often, FM Essential or NoteHero Piano?

FM Essential ships an update every 15 months, and NoteHero Piano daily. Most recently, FM Essential was updated on October 22, 2026 and NoteHero Piano on October 28, 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.*