sequencism vs Progressions
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
sequencism
A music sketchbook tool for creating short, simple musical pieces. It offers traditional track and piano roll editors enhanced with touch-screen capabilities, plus helpful tools like chord helpers. Designed for sketching ideas, not complex productions or live performance.
- Track and piano roll editors
- MIDI instrument and AUv3 support
- Chord helper tracks
- MIDI keyboard with scale support
- Export to MIDI
- Audiobus 3 and Ableton Link support
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Description sequencism is a music sketchbook tool that allows the creation of short and simple pieces of music. It is designed to provide a traditional user interface of track and piano roll editors, while taking advantage of the touch-screen capabilities of the iPad. It also includes other helper tools, such as chord helper tracks. Note that the main goal of this app is to work as a sketchbook, thus it is not recommended to use sequencism to produce complex songs or to play songs live on stage. Features • Simple track mixer and visual mixer (volume, pan) • Multitrack editor: MIDI instrument tracks, chord helper tracks • Support for SF2* and AUv3 instruments (*lightweight SF2 files only) • AUv3 Effects support • AU MIDI support for instruments and effects • Piano roll editor: add, move, copy notes within blocks • MIDI keyboard, supports multiple scales, including user-defined scales • Support for diatonic and chromatic chords, borrowed chords (modal interchange) • Automatic transposing when changing chords or scales • Supports Audiobus 3 and Ableton Link • Support for MIDI keyboards, including Bluetooth keyboards • Export to MIDI Planned features • Undo, Redo • Automation • Import MIDI files (improve existing support) --------- AUv3 instruments requires iPad Mini 2, iPad 4 or newer. AU MIDI requires iOS 11 or newer.
Progressions
Generate unique chord progressions beyond traditional scales using mathematical algorithms. Control complexity and freedom to explore new harmonic territories. Features include arpeggiators, strumming patterns, and humanization for expressive musical output.
- Generate unique chord progressions
- Adjust complexity and freedom levels
- Block Chord, Arpeggiator, and Strummer modes
- Supports open and closed chords with selectable voicings
- Humanize chord and note timings
- Integrated ARP and STRUM pattern editor
- Sync multiple instances
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Progressions is an AUv3 MIDI plugin for your favourite DAW. It can be used to generate a unique set of chords that are unrelated to traditional scales, which become predictable and repetative over time. Instead, Progressions uses a unique way of mathermaically generating a series of related chords using only a root note and mode (major or minor). Chord sequences are limited by the selected complexity and freedom levels, which mimic the way traditional composers of old would wander away from tonality and back again. The complexity level start off at Basic, which uses only the most common chords (I, IV, V and relative minor ii, iii, and vi triads). As you progress through the levels, you can add parallel majors and minors, sus and dom chords etc. At level 3 we start to introduce 6th and 7th chords, and then 9ths chords, all the way to 11ths, 13ths, Quartals and all their variations. The freedom level allows us to specify how far to drift away from tonality (the root), even allowing you to create never ending randomized soundscapes. Progressions allows you to quickly randomize a toolbox of chords, that can be played in a variety of modes (block chords, arpeggiated, or strummed). These can be synced to a host application, triggered remotely or pieced together into a song. Song mode allow you to change play modes on the fly as well as being able to control many features of the app in real time. Progressions supports open and closed chords with selectable voicings. It has an intelligent algorithm that attempts to align top notes of chords, add additional bass, and open chord padding to give equal weight to chords with only 3 notes. You can even play with rootless voicings. The Humanize section allows you to control chord and note timings, as well as set velocity variations to ensure things don't get too robitic. Progressions also features an integrated arpeggiator and strummming pattern editor. You can load up to 6 arp and 6 strum patterns at the same time and seemlessly switch between them manually, remotely, or using song mode. If you run multiple instances, Progressions allows you to sync your chord pads, song chain, arpeggiator / strum patterns between instances. Progressions can be loaded as a MIDI plugin or as an Instrument for those programs that don't support MIDI plugins (such as GB). Additionally when loaded as an instrument, you can use either internal sounds (soundfonts) or send MIDI directly to other MIDI instruments. Features • Block Chord, Arpeggiator and Strummer modes. • Supports open and closed Chords. • Varying complexity levels of chords. • Freedom levels control how far from the root key you can go. • Rootless voicing mode. • Open chord padding support. • Additional bass note mode. • Supports all common chord types. • Edit the preferred chord list to exclude certain chord types. • Input MIDI control for chords and play modes. • Automatic top note alignment of chords. • Hold Pedal support. • Built in ARP and STRUM editor. • Humanize options for chord and note velocity and timings. • Comprehensive Song Mode with 256 steps and looping. • Randomize chord progressions, arps and strumming patterns. • Route Chord/Arp/Strum modes & MIDI thru to any of 4 output ports. • Supports soundfonts when loaded as an Instrument plugin. • Sync multiple instances of Progressions. • AUv3 compatible MIDI plugin supporting Sync to Host.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: sequencism at Free against Progressions's $14.99. sequencism also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 13.0). Progressions's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
sequencism is free to download; Progressions costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Progressions holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 34 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 67% positive.
sequencism ships an update every 2 months, Progressions every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | sequencism | Progressions |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 3.9 (18 ratings) | 4.1 (34 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 18 | 34 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 117 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rodrigo Roman | 4Pockets.com |
Customer experience
sequencism
Progressions
In-app purchases
sequencism
No in-app purchases
Progressions
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is sequencism free?
Is Progressions free?
Which has better reviews, sequencism or Progressions?
Do sequencism or Progressions have ads?
Which is updated more often, sequencism or Progressions?
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