Comparison

C.ARP vs Parrot

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

Head to head
About

C.ARP

This app offers a unique approach to music creation, inspired by vintage instruments. It allows users to play chords and melodies with intuitive touch controls, apply real-time audio effects, and utilize a dynamic rhythm section. Advanced features include sampling, MIDI output via Bluetooth, and an iPad-optimized interface.

Highlights
  • Chord and melody playing
  • Real-time audio effects
  • Dynamic rhythm section
  • Sampling and looping
  • MIDI output via Bluetooth
  • iPad optimized interface
  • In-app tutorial
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

C.ARP is a totally different keyboard. Inspired by old keyboards, omnichords and tape effects, it lets you play chords and melodies as well. Its design makes everything easier for a musician who just wants to play on mobile. Just hold on a button and then swipe or tap on the right section. But if you prefer, you can access chords and notes directly on the notes grid. Pitch them, harmonize, use mod wheel and apply real-time audio effects too. Rhythm section follows you every chord you choose: pick up the style you prefer, adjust BPMs, mute other instrument, change different midi settings, change drums and play them with drum pads. Do arpeggios with different sounds and rhythmic fractions, create different sound environments with delay, reverb and rotation. The design has also been updated for iPads, so you can enjoy the buttons and sections rearranged for the screen size. Record your voice or everything else as a sample, adjust its length, reverse or loop it, make chords and melodies with it and explore other cool features on this 4th version. There's also a tutorial inside! And finally: we added bluetooth out. It means you can connect your iPhone to your Mac and send midi notes right in your preferred DAW. Just follow the guide inside. Thanks to everyone who helped me: Giacomo, Virginia, Mattia, Andrea, Giulia, Cristiano, and the others. Thanks to the masters Suriani, Frankie and Calcutta. For every question or suggestion don't hesitate to write to me

About

Parrot

This app creates rhythmic patterns by sampling and repeating small slices of incoming audio. It offers extensive control over loop length, pitch, variation, and dynamics to generate unique, evolving textures for music production.

Highlights
  • Rhythmic pattern generation
  • Audio sampling and looping
  • Adjustable loop length and pitch
  • Dynamic variation control
  • DAW syncing
  • Free-run generative mode
Read full description

Unpredictables have more fun From subtle beat variation or harmonic accents to glitchy mayhem, Parrot adds something unique and interesting to anything that you feed it with. This effect will help ignite your next dance-floor hit or add that extra je ne sais quoi of flavour to your mix. Whatever you feed the Parrot, it won’t let you down! Parrot creates rhythmic patterns by sampling small slices of incoming audio, and repeating it in a sequenced loop. With control over loop length, pitch, variation, dynamics and filtering, the result can easily take off in any direction you want. Each slice becomes part of a loop that keeps reshaping itself as you adjust parameters, making patterns that feel alive. The sequencer reacts strongly to small changes, so even minor tweaks can introduce new pulses, stutters or harmonic shifts. Parrot can hold on to a steady rhythm, but it’s just as comfortable dissolving into broken loops and glitchy textures that evolve over time. When synced to your DAW it slots neatly into structured productions, while the free‑run mode opens up a more exploratory, generative side. The smallest change can create a new pattern, almost like turning a kaleidoscope and watching the pieces fall into a fresh formation. As the loop repeats, the interplay between timing, pitch and modulation build a sense of movement that keeps the rhythm from feeling static. Filtering can push the sound forward or bury it in grainy motion, and dynamic shaping helps each step take on its own character. Over longer sessions, patterns can morph in ways that feel unexpected yet connected to the original source, gradually forming textures that sit somewhere between groove and ambience. From gentle movement to complete fragmentation, Parrot acts as a creative companion that constantly feeds new rhythmic ideas back to you, encouraging ongoing exploration and rewarding every small adjustment with a new possibility.

Screenshots

C.ARP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: C.ARP at $9.99 against Parrot's $14.99. C.ARP also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 57%) and rating (4.3 vs 4.1). Parrot's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

C.ARP costs $9.99 and Parrot $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

C.ARP holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: C.ARP has 115 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of C.ARP's written reviews are positive against 57% of Parrot's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

C.ARP ships an update every 3 weeks, Parrot every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
C.ARP versus Parrot: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterC.ARPParrot
Price$9.99 — better$14.99
Rating4.3 (115 ratings) — better4.1 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews74.4% of reviews — better57.1% of reviews
Number of ratings115 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#160 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaolo GiorgiKlevgränd produkter AB

Customer experience

C.ARP

All ratings115 ratings
Positive81.7%
Neutral5.2%
Negative13.0%
Written reviews117 reviews
Positive74.4%
Neutral9.4%
Negative16.2%

Parrot

All ratings12 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral8.3%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive57.1%
Neutral14.3%
Negative28.6%

Bugs and requests

C.ARP

Reported bugs

40 issues
  • Sound doesn't work
  • No sound
  • App crashes when opening
  • App crashes when trying to open
  • App auto-quits on start
Show 35 more
  • Chord panel smaller after update
  • System setting always out
  • App crashes after using only once
  • App crashes when pressing a button
  • MIDI Send is broken
  • Can't open the app on Mac
  • Can't close the menu
  • App crashes if sample button is pressed
  • Sample button crashes the app
  • Strumming doesn't work
  • App crashes when sample or reverse is pressed
  • App is not stable / crashy
  • Sampling function is DOA
  • Sampler doesn't work / crashes
  • Crash problem
  • Send midi function greyed out
  • App crashes when pressing the red sample button
  • Sampler crashes the app 100%
  • App crashes when attempting to use record feature
  • Sample button keeps crashing the app
  • Record, loop, or reverse buttons cause crash
  • Bugs related to recording/sampling
  • Sampler may crash
  • Audio panel covers gear button
  • E chord is extremely low octave and sounds muddled
  • App crashes when trying to start an audio recording
  • Certain audio glitches with recording and looping
  • Buttons crash the app
  • App crashes when pressing the sample button
  • Sample and reverse buttons crash the app
  • MIDI out doesn't seem to work
  • Latency is a killer
  • Chord doesn't trigger if not hit perfectly
  • Sliding finger doesn't sound chord
  • Sound can be tinny/harsh

Requested features

18 requests
  • Rearrange layout to be chromatic
  • AUV3 support
  • Inter-app-audio / GarageBand integration
  • MIDI out functionality
  • Save last state
Show 13 more
  • Contextual help menus
  • More sound design options
  • Make it an Auv3 midi controller
  • Support iPad
  • Add "midi out" option
  • Make it an audio app extension for GarageBand
  • Add a way to use this app as a Bluetooth midi controller
  • Add a visual distinction for individual buttons
  • Add velocity on the strum bar
  • Allow autoplay chord to hold like a drone
  • Transpose reverb of strummed notes
  • Add midi connectivity with external devices and other apps
  • Add custom colors for themes

Parrot

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

C.ARP

No in-app purchases

None

Parrot

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is C.ARP free?
C.ARP costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Parrot free?
Parrot costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, C.ARP or Parrot?
C.ARP is rated higher. C.ARP averages 4.3 out of 5 from 115 ratings, while Parrot averages 4.1 from 12 ratings.
Do C.ARP or Parrot have ads?
Neither C.ARP nor Parrot shows ads.
Which is updated more often, C.ARP or Parrot?
C.ARP ships an update every 3 weeks, and Parrot every 8 days. Most recently, C.ARP was updated on October 25, 2026 and Parrot on October 24, 2026.

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