# Piano ٞ vs Real Kalimba

The clearest difference is update cadence: Piano ٞ at every 5 days against Real Kalimba's every 11 months. Piano ٞ also leads on ratings volume (173K vs 20) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Real Kalimba's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Piano ٞ sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Real Kalimba sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Piano ٞ holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Piano ٞ has 173K ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Piano ٞ's written reviews are positive against 46% of Real Kalimba's.

Piano ٞ ships an update every 5 days, Real Kalimba every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piano ٞ | Real Kalimba |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (173K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano/id1126477246/reviews)** | [4.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kalimba/id1533030138/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **173K** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **60.0% of reviews** | 46.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#38** | — |
| Size | 199 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Impala Studios B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063279743) | [Budali Kingsley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453294453) |

## What reviewers say

### Piano ٞ

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano/id1126477246)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Free · Music, #60 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Learn and play piano with interactive rhythm games or a realistic keyboard. Explore a vast library of songs across genres, record your creations, and share them. Offers multiple instrument sounds and progress tracking for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** Interactive rhythm gameplay, Realistic freestyle keyboard, Vast song library, Record and share music, Multiple instrument sounds, Progress tracking and rewards

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Piano Premium - Try Weekly | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Piano Premium | $2.69 | per 7 days |
| Piano Premium | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Piano Premium | $4.99 | per 7 days |
| Play-Along Premium | $5.29 | per 7 days |
| Piano Member Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Piano Premium | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Piano Pro Max Fun | $7.99 | per month |
| Enjoy a full Piano experience | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Piano Premium - Monthly | $9.99 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Impressive and interesting app
- ⭐ Provides a great piano learning experience
- ⭐ Realistic piano sounds
- ⭐ Convenient for practicing piano on the go
- ⭐ Helpful for singers and musicians

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Unauthorized charges for subscription
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app not working
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 📢 Too many intrusive ads
- 🔑 Requires internet connection to use

**Reported bugs**

- Keys getting stuck or not registering properly
- Recorded songs not saving or unable to be accessed
- App freezing or getting stuck on loading screens

**Requested features**

- Add more instruments and sound options
- Implement a metronome and MIDI support
- Improve recording capabilities to allow multi-track recordings
- Provide more comprehensive learning tools and lessons for beginners
- Allow customization of the keyboard size and layout


### Real Kalimba

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kalimba/id1533030138)

Experience the soothing sounds of a thumb piano with this realistic simulator. Slide your fingers to play notes, tune the instrument, and explore various reverb effects. Record your melodies, learn new songs with interactive tutorials, and customize the visual appearance.

**Highlights:** Realistic kalimba sound and visuals, Adjustable tine range and tuning, Multiple reverb environments, Audio recorder with editing and sharing, Over 100 songs and 20+ tabs for learning, Customizable backgrounds, colors, and key markings

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Go Pro-Unlock All with No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piano ٞ free?

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

### Is Real Kalimba free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Piano ٞ or Real Kalimba?

Piano ٞ is rated higher. Piano ٞ averages 4.6 out of 5 from 173K ratings, while Real Kalimba averages 4.3 from 20 ratings.

### Do Piano ٞ or Real Kalimba have ads?

Both Piano ٞ and Real Kalimba show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piano ٞ or Real Kalimba?

Piano ٞ ships an update every 5 days, and Real Kalimba every 11 months. Most recently, Piano ٞ was updated on November 14, 2026 and Real Kalimba on November 13, 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.*