Comparison

bFaaaP Pro & Switch vs LoopBud

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

Head to head
About

bFaaaP Pro & Switch

This app works with a special device to allow individuals with leg disabilities, young children, and the elderly to play the piano with sustained tones using head movements. An iOS device detects head motion and transmits signals to activate an electric piano pedal.

Highlights
  • Head motion detection via iOS device
  • Sustained piano tones without foot pedal
  • Electric piano pedal activation
  • Accessibility for leg disabilities
  • User-friendly setup guide
Features
Read full description

bFaaaP Pro & Switch turns head movements into piano sustain-pedal control, so you can play the pedal completely foot-free. It is the companion app for the bFaaaP barrier-free assist pedals — one app that drives two devices, depending on your instrument: - bFaaaP Pro (acoustic pianos): a motorized device that physically presses the real sustain pedal. It anchors with an inflatable "airback" — non-destructive, no bolting — and self-calibrates. - bFaaaP Switch (digital pianos): switches the sustain electronically through the pedal jack. Small, light and motor-free. Using the front camera, the app detects the angle of your head and converts it into pedal ON/OFF signals, sent over Bluetooth Low Energy to the bFaaaP device on your instrument. The same head-angle control works for both devices. This lets people who cannot use a foot pedal — including wheelchair users and players with limited leg mobility — enjoy expressive, pedal-based performance. WHO IT IS FOR - Pianists who cannot operate a foot pedal - Music therapy, special-needs and inclusive music education - Anyone exploring accessible, barrier-free music making HOW IT WORKS - Detects head angle with the front TrueDepth camera (ARKit face tracking) - Converts the angle into sustain pedal ON/OFF - Sends the signal over Bluetooth Low Energy to bFaaaP Pro or bFaaaP Switch PRIVACY - The camera is used ONLY to read your head/face angle. - That value is processed on-device, used to generate the pedal signal, then discarded. - No face data, image or video is stored or shared with anyone. AN OPEN-SOURCE PROJECT bFaaaP is an open-source, open-hardware barrier-free project by Shishido & Associates. The source code, hardware build details, the story behind it, and ways to contribute are public: - Project & community: https://bfaaap.com - Source code (open source): https://github.com/bfaaap/bfaaap_opensource - Developer & related services: https://saaipf.com SEE IT IN ACTION Watch bFaaaP being played in real concerts and recitals, with setup and how-to guides: - How the system works (overview): https://youtu.be/iyRqPa8TLgE - Live concert — grand piano + bFaaaP Pro: https://youtu.be/V3cXeNW9jXY - How to use bFaaaP Switch (electronic piano): https://youtu.be/XOVENtBsOp4 - Full performance & demo collection (English): https://saaipf.com/en/bfaaap/#videos - Build & set up your own — step-by-step guide (English): https://bfaaap.com/en/build/ - All videos (YouTube channel): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcAvTy1k8rHs2WrEKPx1amg The app's source code is open and free on GitHub, so anyone can build and run it themselves. This App Store version is free, too — just install it and start playing. If you would like to help keep bFaaaP free and open for everyone, donations and support are always welcome (see the links above and at saaipf.com). Thank you for your support. You will need a bFaaaP Pro or bFaaaP Switch device to control a real pedal. Both are open hardware — visit bfaaap.com to learn how they are built and how to take part.

About

LoopBud

Record, loop, and jam with unlimited MIDI patterns and bars. Features two recording modes, quantization, and tempo control for live performance effects. Export MIDI for further editing in other applications.

Highlights
  • Unlimited MIDI patterns and bars
  • Add and New recording modes
  • Quantization with adjustable levels
  • Tempo control for live effects
  • Single bar focus for recording/looping
  • MIDI export for external editing
Features
Read full description

LoopBud is a super simple yet very powerful MIDI recorder and looper. You can work with unlimited patterns. Although the 4-bar loops are very fun, you can work with an unlimited number of bars on each pattern! LoopBud has two record modes, Add mode and New mode. The "add mode" keeps adding new notes on each loop-cycle. The "new mode" clears out the previous recording and lets you record freshly on each cycle. You can work very fast with those modes. If you make a mistake, don't worry, you can use the "undo" option and get everything back! LoopBud has quantization enabled by default. You can toggle quantizing by pressing the "quantize" button on the top-left side. You can also set the level of quantization from the settings menu. If you want to speed up or slow down the clock, you can do so by pressing the "clock" button on the top-left side. You can achieve different effects on your live performances without a new recording. You can also focus on a single bar by pressing the bar measure on the top. You can either record or loop a single bar - which is a unique feature of LoopBud. In the settings menu, you can edit the piano roll's lowest and highest notes. The notes on the piano roll is not editable. However, you can export MIDI from the settings menu, and do editing on your favorite piano roll editor app! LoopBud is not an audio app, it's a MIDI app. You need to connect a MIDI input and a MIDI output for LoopBud to work. You can do so from the settings menu in the standalone app. You can use the MIDI matrix editor on your DAW if you are using the AUv3 plugin. LoopBud also supports Ableton Link on the standalone app.

Screenshots

bFaaaP Pro & Switch4 screens
LoopBud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: bFaaaP Pro & Switch at Free against LoopBud's $5.99. LoopBud's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 20 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

bFaaaP Pro & Switch is free to download; LoopBud costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

bFaaaP Pro & Switch ships an update every 20 months, LoopBud every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
bFaaaP Pro & Switch versus LoopBud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterbFaaaP Pro & SwitchLoopBud
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating—3.8 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings—14 — better
Update frequencyEvery 20 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomoyuki ShishidoCem Olcay

In-app purchases

None

bFaaaP Pro & Switch

No in-app purchases

None

LoopBud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is bFaaaP Pro & Switch free?
bFaaaP Pro & Switch is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is LoopBud free?
LoopBud costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do bFaaaP Pro & Switch or LoopBud have ads?
Neither bFaaaP Pro & Switch nor LoopBud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, bFaaaP Pro & Switch or LoopBud?
bFaaaP Pro & Switch ships an update every 20 months, and LoopBud every 3 weeks. Most recently, bFaaaP Pro & Switch was updated on October 21, 2026 and LoopBud on October 24, 2026.

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