# Cortex Cloud vs Pedalboard Layout

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cortex Cloud at none against Pedalboard Layout's 2. Cortex Cloud also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Pedalboard Layout's advantage is rating (3.7 vs 3.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pedalboard Layout sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.49 per month. Cortex Cloud asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pedalboard Layout holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 72 and 88 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of Cortex Cloud's written reviews are positive against 24% of Pedalboard Layout's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Cortex Cloud ships an update every 6 weeks, Pedalboard Layout every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cortex Cloud | Pedalboard Layout |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (72 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-cloud/id1484938666/reviews) | **[3.7 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pedalboard-layout/id1575318679/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 72 | **88** |
| Positive reviews | **28.9% of reviews** | 23.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 100 MB | 187 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Neural DSP](https://appshunter.io/developer/1458496080) | [Ilia Ambrazhevich](https://appshunter.io/developer/1491193492) |

## What reviewers say

### Cortex Cloud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-cloud/id1484938666)

Manage your Nano Cortex and access cloud-based content with an elegant interface. Browse and download presets, neural captures, and more. Control your device's profile and privacy settings.

**Highlights:** Control Nano Cortex, Access Cortex Cloud, Browse users and presets, Download content, Manage profile and privacy, Share content

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pedalboard Layout

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pedalboard-layout/id1575318679)

Design and visualize your guitar pedalboard setups with a vast library of over 300 pedals. Create custom pedals and boards, save unlimited configurations, and enjoy a bug-free, intuitive user experience.

**Highlights:** 300+ pedals and growing, Custom pedals and pedalboards, Unlimited setup saving, Intuitive visualization, Bug-free experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscribe | $0.49 | per month |
| Pay Once | $2.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💡 Good idea for planning rigs
- 👍 Easy to use interface (initially)
- 👍 Good for basic ideas/sense of sizes
- 👍 Great start to the app
- 👍 Good foundation for planning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Very limited pedal selection
- 👎 Outdated pedal list
- 👎 Custom pedal dimensions glitchy/unusable
- 👎 Pedals do not scale correctly
- 👎 Custom adds need to be in mm

**Reported bugs**

- Custom pedal dimension input is glitchy
- Custom pedal section is unusable
- App crashes when loading custom pedals
- Custom pedal dimensions are incorrect
- Backspace function for dimensions doesn't work

**Requested features**

- Expand pedal selection
- Add more user-friendly features
- Include Vertex board
- Add newer smaller Strymon pedals
- Add Ibanez pedals


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cortex Cloud free?

Cortex Cloud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pedalboard Layout free?

Pedalboard Layout is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Cortex Cloud or Pedalboard Layout?

Pedalboard Layout is rated higher. Cortex Cloud averages 3.4 out of 5 from 72 ratings, while Pedalboard Layout averages 3.7 from 88 ratings.

### Do Cortex Cloud or Pedalboard Layout have ads?

Neither Cortex Cloud nor Pedalboard Layout shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cortex Cloud or Pedalboard Layout?

Cortex Cloud ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pedalboard Layout every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cortex Cloud was updated on October 12, 2026 and Pedalboard Layout on September 30, 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.*