Comparison

Tempo vs Equalizer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Tempo

This app automatically adjusts your music volume based on your activity, such as walking, biking, or skiing. Customize modes and enjoy seamless audio control without manual adjustments. It prioritizes privacy and works with most audio apps and devices.

Highlights
  • Adaptive volume adjustment
  • Customizable modes
  • Ski lift audio handling
  • WatchOS app integration
  • Privacy-focused location data
  • Wide audio app compatibility
Features
Read full description

Never touch the volume control again. Tempo is the first adaptive audio app for iOS that adjusts your music volume based on what you are doing so you don’t have to. Walking with music? Let Tempo turn it down so you can talk to your friend. Slowing down at a stop sign? Tempo will turn down the music so you can listen for cars. Biking quickly? Tempo can turn up your music so you can hear it over the wind. On a ski lift? No worries, Tempo will start the music again once you get off. You can customize individual modes so Tempo can control your music the way you want it to. Tempo features: - Editable speed and volume curves. - Multiple modes and the option to create more. - Ski Mode: Tempo understands how ski lifts work and handles audio accordingly. - A WatchOS app: Start/Stop Tempo and change modes on the go. - Easy Off: Receive a push notification on your lock screen when using tempo to easily disable it. - Support for both MPH and KPH - Geo Coordinate Display: See your longitude, latitude and altitude. - Speed Telemetry: See your current speed and volume in app. - Compatible with everything! Tempo works with bluetooth, wired headphones (lighting and headphone jack), the phone speaker, AirPlay, and almost any other way to play audio. Tempo also works with many audio apps on iOS including Apple Music. - Tempo will automatically disable itself whenever the volume is manually adjusted. Tempo is a privacy first application. Tempo does not store your location data. Once it has been used to calculate your speed it is deleted. Tempo is not a substitute for proper safety procedures. Riders, runners, drivers and any user of this application is solely responsible for their own safety. Tempo is not responsible for improper volume adjustments and users are advised to never have a volume curve exceeding 70%. Tempo works with nearly any audio app on iOS, Tempo is not affiliated or endorsed by any of these apps.

About

Equalizer

Enhance your music listening experience with advanced audio controls. Adjust bass, volume, and frequency with various presets and effects. Access your music library and enjoy immersive sound.

Highlights
  • EQ Presets
  • Volume Maximizer
  • Frequency Equalizer
  • Spatial Audio
  • Pitch/Time Effect
  • iTunes & DropBox Integration
Features
Read full description

Redefine the way you play music. This is Equalizer – Volume Booster, and it is the only EQ presents app you’ll ever need. Turn on full bass, pump out the music, and feel it deep in the soul like never before. Create rockin’ music and deep bass experiences that wow. With Spatial Audio it’s more true than ever! Hear the difference with the maximizer, which turns the volume to the MAX! What’s inside Equalizer? Packed with tons of music altering features, inside Equalizer, discover all these handy features to make the listening experience so much more authentic: - EQ Presets for all occasions. - Maximizer to increase the volume or turn it down (NEVER). - Equalizer for correcting the frequency of those tunes. - Spatial Audio so that music is EVERYWHERE. - Pitch/Time effect - changes the key pitch of the song and allows you to speed up or slow down it. - Access music stored on iTunes and DropBox so those favorite turns are always at hand. Change it up the way you like. EQ presets means you can change the style to: - Full Bass - Bright - EDM - Pop - Rock - Classics - Soft - Radio Get advanced music altering power right on the smartphone. No need for an expensive set-up to enjoy crystal-clear beats. Rock on with Equalizer and feel the power of the sounds. PREMIUM subscription The app contains the following subscription options: - “Music One” - Weekly with a 3-day free trial at $9.99 (access to 15+ music apps) - Weekly, no trial at $5.99 - Monthly with a 3-day free trial at $14.99 - Yearly with a 7-day free trial at $34.99 * Full access to audio effects *Prices are equal to the value that "Apple's App Store Matrix" determines is the equivalent of the subscription price in $USD. Privacy Policy: https://gismart.com/privacy-policy/ Terms of Service: https://gismart.com/terms-of-service/

Screenshots

Tempo4 screens
Equalizer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Equalizer at 4.3 against Tempo's 3.7. Equalizer also leads on ratings volume (6.5K vs 7). Tempo's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (33% vs 16%). On price, update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Tempo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Equalizer sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Equalizer holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Equalizer has 6.5K ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of Tempo's written reviews are positive against 16% of Equalizer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempo ships an update every 2 months, Equalizer every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Tempo versus Equalizer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempoEqualizer
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (7 ratings)4.3 (6.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews — better15.7% of reviews
Number of ratings76.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 3 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB185 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLucas KleinGismart Limited

Customer experience

Tempo

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral0.0%
Negative28.6%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Equalizer

All ratings6,493 ratings
Positive80.8%
Neutral4.4%
Negative14.9%
Written reviews249 reviews
Positive15.7%
Neutral5.6%
Negative78.7%

Bugs and requests

Tempo

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Equalizer

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes frequently
  • Inability to save or export edited audio
  • Incompatibility with certain music libraries and streaming services

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to use equalizer with all audio apps, not just in-app music player
  • Support for more music streaming services like Spotify
  • Option to purchase a one-time license instead of subscription

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Tempo

One-time1
  • Tempo Pro$1.99
7 purchases

Equalizer

Subscriptions7
  • Equalizer Premium Weekly$5.997 Days
  • Equalizer Premium access3 Days trial$7.997 Days
  • Music One3 Days trial$9.997 Days
Show 4 more
  • Equalizer Premium access3 Days trial$14.991 Month
  • Full Access to Pro Features$19.993 Months
  • Equalizer Premium access$24.991 Year
  • Equalizer Premium access7 Days trial$34.991 Year

Questions

Is Tempo free?
Tempo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Equalizer free?
Equalizer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tempo or Equalizer?
Equalizer is rated higher. Tempo averages 3.7 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Equalizer averages 4.3 from 6.5K ratings.
Do Tempo or Equalizer have ads?
Equalizer shows ads; Tempo does not.
Which is updated more often, Tempo or Equalizer?
Tempo ships an update every 2 months, and Equalizer every 3 months. Most recently, Tempo was updated on November 2, 2026 and Equalizer on November 4, 2026.

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