# ShadowPlayKA vs plugdata

The clearest difference is rating: ShadowPlayKA at 5.0 against plugdata's 4.4. plugdata's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 25 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ShadowPlayKA holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: plugdata has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

ShadowPlayKA ships an update every 25 months, plugdata every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShadowPlayKA | plugdata |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowplayka/id1585959421/reviews)** | [4.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plugdata/id6473122351/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **17** |
| Positive reviews | — | 63.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 147 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Daniel Wilcox](https://appshunter.io/developer/970528307) | [Timothy Schoen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1718448510) |

## What reviewers say

### ShadowPlayKA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowplayka/id1585959421)

This app transforms light and shadow patterns into music as you cycle through outdoor spaces. It uses your smartphone's brightness sensor and a Bluetooth speaker to create a unique auditory experience based on your surroundings.

**Highlights:** Light and shadow as musical score, Bicycle-mounted smartphone sensor, Bluetooth speaker integration, Exploration of urban architecture, Unique soundscape generation

**In-app purchases:** none


### plugdata

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plugdata/id6473122351)

This app provides a visual programming environment for audio experimentation, prototyping, and education. It allows users to create and run audio patches on their mobile devices, enabling creative sound design on the go.

**Highlights:** Visual programming environment, Audio experimentation, Prototyping, Educational tool, Standalone application, Audio plugins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShadowPlayKA free?

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

### Is plugdata free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ShadowPlayKA or plugdata?

ShadowPlayKA is rated higher. ShadowPlayKA averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while plugdata averages 4.4 from 17 ratings.

### Do ShadowPlayKA or plugdata have ads?

Neither ShadowPlayKA nor plugdata shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ShadowPlayKA or plugdata?

ShadowPlayKA ships an update every 25 months, and plugdata every 3 months. Most recently, ShadowPlayKA was updated on September 29, 2026 and plugdata on October 9, 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.*