Helix Tuner vs TB GonioMeter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Helix Tuner
This app offers a novel approach to instrument tuning by visualizing sound as an interference pattern. It avoids pitch detection, instead creating an optical illusion of motion that indicates sharpness or flatness, appearing stable when in tune. This method is highly resistant to background noise and harmonics, providing clear tuning information even in noisy environments.
- Visual interference pattern tuning
- No pitch detection
- Optical illusion of motion for tuning
- Stable visualization when in tune
- Resistant to background noise
- Useful in noisy environments
Read full descriptionHide full description
Helix Tuner is a completely new way to tune your instrument. Unlike all other tuning apps, it does not detect your pitch at all. Instead, it combines the sound coming into the microphone with the desired tuning pitch to create a beautiful interference pattern on the screen. The interaction between your sound and the reference pitch creates an optical illusion of motion when your note is sharp or flat, and it appears stable when you're in tune. If you are tired of digital tuners that jump around erratically, have slow or delayed response to changes in your tuning, or in general just don't give you good tuning information, then Helix Tuner is the one you are looking for. When you manually select the tuning note, as opposed to letting the app detect it automatically, Helix Tuner is extremely resistant to background noise and higher string harmonics that confuse other tuners, causing them to jump around to higher notes and give wrong tuning information. Because the visualization system naturally responds more clearly to sounds near the selected tuning pitch, it is useful even when other musicians are playing nearby.
TB GonioMeter
Analyze stereo image imbalances and frequency correlations in real-time. Ensure your audio content is high quality and compatible with mono down-mixes, crucial for mobile entertainment. This tool offers detailed waveform inspection and balance spectrum analysis.
- Real-time goniometer for stereo image waveforms
- Real-time correlation meter and spectrum
- Real-time stereo balance and spectrum meter
- Color themes for UI
- Mono down-mix compatibility check
- Optimized for iPad, compatible with iPhone/iPod Touch
Read full descriptionHide full description
ToneBoosters GonioMeter is a one-stop stereo image analysis AUv3 plug-in. Easily identify stereo image imbalance or frequency ranges with negative correlation. Ensure that the content you create is of high quality and mono down-mix compatible, an essential requirement for mobile entertainment! The ToneBoosters GonioMeter stand-alone app captures the microphone input and processes the signals in real time. Since most iOS devices only have mono microphone capabilities, we strongly suggest to use the integrated AUv3 plug-in (app extension) version instead. To use it as a plug-in, use an AUv3-compatible host app such as Steinberg Cubasis, Apple Garageband, Audio Evolution Mobile Studio, Auria, AUM, or others. ToneBoosters GonioMeter will appear in the list of Audio Unit extensions for effect plug-ins. Key features: - Real-time goniometer to inspect stereo image waveforms - Real-time correlation meter and correlation spectrum meter - Real-time stereo balance an stereo balance spectrum meter - Color themes for the user interface - Max screen support in Garageband - Optimised for iPad and compatible with iPhone and iPod Touch What you should know: - Licenses acquired for this platform are not compatible with other platforms. - Audio Unit (AUv3) extensions require an iPad mini 2, iPad 4 or later models.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TB GonioMeter at Free against Helix Tuner's $15.99. TB GonioMeter also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Helix Tuner's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (166 vs 22). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
TB GonioMeter is free to download; Helix Tuner costs $15.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Helix Tuner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Helix Tuner has 166 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Helix Tuner's written reviews are positive against 100% of TB GonioMeter's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Helix Tuner ships an update every 4 months, TB GonioMeter every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Helix Tuner | TB GonioMeter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (166 ratings) — better | 4.6 (22 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 89.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 166 — better | 22 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 198 MB | 11 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Blue Mangoo Consulting Company Limited | ToneBoosters |
Customer experience
Helix Tuner
TB GonioMeter
In-app purchases
Helix Tuner
No in-app purchases
TB GonioMeter
No in-app purchases








