Beatonal vs Xequence 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Beatonal
Easily create and share music with built-in synthesizers and a drum machine. Sketch melodies, bass lines, and chord progressions using intuitive pattern pads. Unlock advanced features and project saving with an in-app purchase.
- Create drum loops with pattern pads
- Sketch bass lines, chords, and melodies
- 4 audio channels (drum, bass, chords, lead)
- Analog synth with modulation and effects
- User-friendly track sharing via URL
- Export tracks as MIDI or WAV
- Load custom drum samples
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!!! ON SALE !!! NOW 20% OFF !!! Beatonal is an accessible music making app, enabling you to easily create and share your musical ideas using the built-in synthesizers and drum machine. Create drum loops using pattern pads, and effortlessly sketch bass lines, chord progressions and melodies. This app is free to try, but requires an in-app purchase to unlock all advanced features and project saving. other features include: - 4 audio channels: drum machine, bass, chords and lead - Input is automatically fixed to a user selectable scale - Contains demo tracks to get you started - Analog synth with two oscillators, FM, AM and pitch modulation, lowpass filter, and various effects - Contains 60 built-in synth presets, but you can also create and store your own presets - Store tracks on your device - User friendly track sharing via track-url's - Export track as MIDI so you can continue your work inside other apps or a DAW - Export track as wav - Output realtime midi to other apps on multiple channels, or to an external device such as your DAW - Small app size - Load your own drumsamples through iTunes on your mac - Synchronize with other music apps using Ableton Link
Xequence 2
A powerful MIDI sequencer, editor, and controller for digital music production on iPhone and iPad. It offers a desktop-class editing experience, robust import/export, and advanced features like MPE support and Ableton Link.
- MIDI sequencer, editor, arranger, and controller
- Desktop-class editing experience
- Robust MIDI file import/export
- MPE support with per-note editing
- Scale support in editors and keyboard
- Ableton Link and Audiobus 3 integration
- Advanced clip-based arranger
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This app is targeted at digital music production enthusiasts & professionals. Xequence is a comprehensive, fast & reliable MIDI sequencer, editor, arranger & controller for iPhone & iPad. Providing a desktop-class editing experience, it is the perfect centerpiece for a hardware studio, or for apps like AUM & Audiobus 3 to create a modular mobile music production environment. HIGHLIGHTS: - Efficient & fast User Interface for an amazing editing workflow - Robust MIDI File Import & Export (notes, controllers, program changes, etc.) - Extensive support for MPE (In-App Purchase) with per-note expression data editing - Support for scales everywhere (keyboard, pianoroll, etc.) - Over 70 included scales in 10 categories - MIDI Time Stretching in all editors - Best-in-class MIDI timing and clock output - Full Ableton Link 3 support - Full Audiobus 3 support - MIDI In & Thru with re-channelization & re-routing - MIDI Sync Master (Clock/Start/Stop/Continue/SPP) to sync other DAWs & sequencers to Xequence, e.g. to use audio tracks, or external drum machines. Several options for compatibility ARRANGER: - Unlimited Clips - Unlimited Tracks - Unlimited Sub Tracks per Track - 64 Undo/Redo steps - Flexible grid - Per-track non-destructive Swing & MIDI Delay - Linked Clips / Clones (editing the original changes all copies) - Powerful clip-based, per-track independent looping - Program changes - Selection tools: Marquee/Rectangle, Same Track, Same Instrument, Linked Clips, Invert, etc. - Editing tools: Create Copy, Create Linked Copy, Unlink, Split, Join, Convert loops to clips, etc. - Global clipboard, even between projects - Movement/Trimming Handles at screen edges for efficient editing PIANOROLL EDITOR: - 256 Undo/Redo steps - Scale-awareness ("folding") - Relative or absolute grid (move by grid increments or snap to nearest grid lines) - Live MIDI previews of all edits - Selection tools: Box, Same Note, Same Key, Same Beat Position, Invert, etc. - Editing tools: Copy, Legato, Quantize, Quantize Ends, Octave +/-, Flip H/V (mirror), Fill clip with selection, etc. - Smart Draw mode: Touch to create, touch again to delete, drag up/down to transpose, drag left/right to change length - Global clipboard, even between projects - Configurable "ghost" overlays - Note velocities quickly adjustable via a handle, or editable like controllers, see below: CONTROLLER EDITOR: - 256 Undo/Redo steps - Selection tools: Box, Same Beat Position, Invert - Selection modes: Add & Replace - Editing tools: Copy, Reduce, Quantize, Compress/Expand, Flip H/V (mirror), Ramp (various curves), Fill clip with selection - Smart Draw mode - Note Velocities can be shown as controllers and edited with the same tools - Configurable vertical grid & value entry KEYBOARD / CONTROLLER: - Scale-aware, very playable single or dual keyboards - Glide support - Adjustable key width - Velocity emulation (via vertical position) - Drum maps and pads, fully editable, 40+ factory maps - Touch ribbons for live control - Controllers can be moved by sliding (ribbon), device rotation (up to three axes at once), like a button (sustain pedal, "trance gates"), or by touching the keys at different vertical positions. All highly configurable. INSTRUMENTS: - Unlimited Instruments (MIDI configurations for devices / apps) - Up to 150controller slots per Instrument - Optional support for (N)RPNs (In-App Purchase) - Loading & Saving of instruments for re-use in other projects, 40+ factory presets included (In-App Purchase) - Compatible with virtually ALL apps and class-compliant MIDI interfaces VARIOUS: - Audio or MIDI Metronome - Note chasing (notes play even when playback starts in the middle) - Controller chasing - Perfect song looping, no dropouts/jitter at loop points - Supports any time signature/BPM (fixed per song) - Includes PolyHymnia, an advanced Generative Music module - Light and Dark themes Please report any issues via our website, we provide quick and comprehensive support!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Beatonal at Free against Xequence 2's $19.99. Beatonal also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.2). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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
Beatonal is free to download; Xequence 2 costs $19.99 up front. Beatonal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Xequence 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Beatonal against 4.6 for Xequence 2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 65 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Beatonal's written reviews are positive against 78% of Xequence 2's.
Beatonal ships an update weekly, Xequence 2 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Beatonal | Xequence 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $19.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (39 ratings) | 4.6 (65 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.8% of reviews — better | 77.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 39 | 65 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 14.2 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Luuk van der Graaff | Alexander Ewering |
Customer experience
Beatonal
Xequence 2
Bugs and requests
Beatonal
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Xequence 2
Reported bugs
4 issues- No sound for some users
- Auto-save failed, lost work
- Exported MIDI out of sync
- Controller values not resetting properly
Requested features
5 requests- AUV3 support
- Tempo and time signature changes mid-song
- MIDI control for transport (start/stop)
- SysEx support
- Always visible Metronome button
In-app purchases
Beatonal
- Pro License$2.99
Xequence 2
- Enhanced Pack$4.99
Questions
Is Beatonal free?
Is Xequence 2 free?
Which has better reviews, Beatonal or Xequence 2?
Do Beatonal or Xequence 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, Beatonal or Xequence 2?
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