# polybeat vs BrainBud

The clearest difference is rating: BrainBud at 5.0 against polybeat's 4.5. BrainBud also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (100% vs 72%). polybeat's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (20 vs 2). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

polybeat costs $7.99 and BrainBud $2.99 up front. polybeat sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. BrainBud asks for nothing beyond the download.

BrainBud holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: polybeat has 20 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of polybeat's written reviews are positive against 100% of BrainBud's.

polybeat ships an update fortnightly, BrainBud every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | polybeat | BrainBud |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.5 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polybeat/id1542598929/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainbud-bud-app-controller/id6446066258/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **20** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 18 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Corne Driesprong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1086747837) | [Cem Olcay](https://appshunter.io/developer/523633853) |

## What reviewers say

### polybeat

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polybeat/id1542598929)

This advanced music production tool generates complex polyrhythmic and polymetric patterns. It offers extensive control over sequence length, step length, and step modulation for each drum voice. Requires an AUv3-compatible host or external sound source to produce audio.

**Highlights:** Configurable sequence and step length per drum voice, Modulation of sequencer steps (accent, ratchet, chance, offset), Sample-accurate sequencing engine, Sequence transformation actions (shift, rotate, randomize), AUv3 preset and state saving, Offline functionality, No ads or in-app purchases

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Big tip | $5.99 | one-time |


### BrainBud

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brainbud-bud-app-controller/id6446066258)

This app acts as a central controller for other music creation applications, allowing you to manage keys and scales simultaneously. It integrates with a variety of Bud apps via MIDI, enabling synchronized changes and broadcasting of musical parameters. Experiment with randomization and automate settings through its AUv3 plugin.

**Highlights:** Centralized key and scale control, MIDI out to multiple Bud apps, Budcast for parameter broadcasting, Randomize musical parameters, AUv3 plugin for automation, Requires other Bud apps to function

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is polybeat free?

polybeat costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is BrainBud free?

BrainBud costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, polybeat or BrainBud?

BrainBud is rated higher. polybeat averages 4.5 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while BrainBud averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do polybeat or BrainBud have ads?

Neither polybeat nor BrainBud shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, polybeat or BrainBud?

polybeat ships an update fortnightly, and BrainBud every 2 months. Most recently, polybeat was updated on September 25, 2026 and BrainBud on September 21, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*