BPM Detector vs Refader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BPM Detector
This application automatically detects the tempo (BPM) of any music or rhythm in real-time using your device's microphone. It offers features like song identification, detection history, and a visual BPM graph for precise timing analysis.
- Automatic BPM detection
- Real-time tempo analysis
- Shazam song identification
- BPM detection history
- Fullscreen BPM display
- BPM variation graph
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Any song. Any room. Instant BPM. Point your iPhone at the music and watch the tempo appear — automatically, in real time. No tapping. No guessing. BPM Detector listens through your mic and locks onto the beat of whatever's playing — a track, a live band, a drum loop, a record — and shows the BPM the moment it hears it. WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT • Zero tapping — the BPM just appears, and keeps updating live. • Real-time accuracy — watch the number lock in within seconds. • Made for how you work — DJs, producers, drummers, dancers, fitness instructors, and curious listeners. FEATURES • Automatic BPM detection — read the live tempo of any music or instrument, hands-free. • Shazam built in — grab the song title and artist while you read its BPM. • Apple Watch app — see the tempo right on your wrist. • Detection history — every reading saved with timestamp, track info, and BPM. Perfect for sets, rehearsals, and crate-digging. • Fullscreen mode — huge, high-contrast numbers you can read across the room. • Variation graph — see how steady the tempo holds, beat for beat. Open it, hear the music, get the BPM. That's it. Download BPM Detector and never guess a tempo again. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Refader
Control MIDI devices and hosts remotely via USB or Wi-Fi. Connect your device to a computer using "Audio MIDI Setup" to establish a networked MIDI session.
- MIDI fader controller
- Control MIDI devices
- Control MIDI hosts
- USB connectivity
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Networked MIDI sessions
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Refader is a MIDI fader controller to control MIDI devices and hosts via USB or wi-fi sessions. To connect to your computer, use "Audio MIDI Setup" and join the networked MIDI session on the "MIDI Studio" app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Refader at none against BPM Detector's 13. Refader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (80% vs 59%). BPM Detector's advantage is ratings volume (254 vs 6). On price, rating, update cadence 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
Both are free to download. BPM Detector sells 12 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Refader asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for BPM Detector against 4.2 for Refader. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BPM Detector has 254 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of BPM Detector's written reviews are positive against 80% of Refader's.
BPM Detector ships an update every 3 days, Refader every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BPM Detector | Refader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.3 (254 ratings) — better | 4.2 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 58.9% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 254 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 61 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Quentin Hayot | Pedro Yamada |
Customer experience
BPM Detector
Refader
Bugs and requests
BPM Detector
Reported bugs
9 issues- Ads cover screen and won't go away
- Ads get stuck and cannot be exited
- Music cuts out during detection
- Inaccurate BPM for certain genres (e.g., drum and bass)
- App gets hot on iPhone Pro
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- BPM readings drop significantly after initial detection
- Inappropriate advertisements (e.g., gambling)
- App sometimes registers double BPM for slow tracks
- Sensitivity settings don't detect subtle sounds
Requested features
8 requests- Apple Watch integration
- Ableton Link support
- Dark mode
- Metronome function with click sound
- DJ Tap Tempo feature
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- Custom BPM detection range
- Graph of last 30s BPM
- Mac version
Refader
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
BPM Detector
- BPM Detector Pro$0.991 Month
- BPM Detector Pro3 Days trial$0.991 Month
- BPM Detector Pro$1.991 Month
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- BPM Detector Pro Weekly7 Days trial$1.997 Days
- BPM Detector Pro Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- BPM Detector Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- BPM Detector Pro 4 FriendsFree
- BPM Detector Pro Unlimited$3.99
- BPM Detector Pro Unlimited$4.99
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- BPM Detector Pro Unlimited2 variants$7.99
- BPM Detector Pro Lifetime$9.99
- BPM Detector Pro Unlimited$12.99
Refader
No in-app purchases









