# Year One vs Pulsar

Year One and Pulsar both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Pulsar's written reviews are positive against 0% of Year One's. Pulsar also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). Year One's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Year One is free to download; Pulsar costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Year One against 4.3 for Pulsar. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 7 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of Year One's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pulsar's.

Year One ships an update every 7 months, Pulsar every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Year One | Pulsar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/year-one/id1282314928/reviews) | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **7** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 407 MB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TCW](https://appshunter.io/developer/1193839943) | [Dmytro Kiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621893756) |

## What reviewers say

### Year One

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/year-one/id1282314928)

Experience music in a new dimension with augmented reality. Move around your space to uncover hidden sounds, build melodies, and create unique listening experiences by interacting with spatial audio arrangements.

**Highlights:** Spatial album listening, Augmented reality soundscapes, Interactive music exploration, Build melodies and chords, Dynamic audio effects, Create unique listening experiences

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pulsar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756)

This music app provides a virtual drum machine with 8 pads for improvising and playing along to built-in rhythm presets. It features real-time rhythm switching, tempo control, and various effects. It also supports Ableton Link and MIDI for seamless integration with other music software and hardware.

**Highlights:** 8-pad drum machine, Built-in rhythm presets, Real-time rhythm switching, Tempo and accent control, Drive, reverb, and filter effects, Ableton Link synchronization, MIDI In/Out support, AUv3 compatibility

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Year One free?

Year One is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pulsar free?

Pulsar costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Year One or Pulsar?

Year One and Pulsar are both rated 4.3 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 7 ratings respectively.

### Do Year One or Pulsar have ads?

Neither Year One nor Pulsar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Year One or Pulsar?

Year One ships an update every 7 months, and Pulsar every 3 weeks. Most recently, Year One was updated on October 5, 2026 and Pulsar on October 17, 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.*