Comparison

Handpaner vs PanStrobe

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

Head to head
About

Handpaner

Create your own virtual handpan by customizing each note. Discover scales, chords, and learn to play songs on your unique instrument.

Highlights
  • Customizable virtual handpan
  • Discover scales and chords
  • Learn to play songs
  • Create unique handpan models
Features
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Handpaner is a virtual handpan where you can customize each note to create your perfect handpan model and help you find all the scales, chords it contains and some songs you can play with it.

About

PanStrobe

Features
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PanStrobe is a harmonic strobe tuner built for handpan makers, tuners and players. A handpan note is not one frequency — it is a fundamental with an octave and a compound fifth tuned above it. PanStrobe shows all of them at once as true strobe motion: each ring is one partial, position is phase, and drift speed is exactly how far off you are. When a ring stands still, that partial is in tune. TUNE BY SIGHT • Half-circle strobe disc or horizontal strobe rows — one band per partial • True strobe physics: left = flat, right = sharp, stillness = in tune • Live cents readouts with glitch rejection — and no averaging: the wobble you see is real signal • Strobe divisors (÷2, ÷3, ÷5) slow the pattern for far-off notes HEAR THE WHOLE NOTE • Real-time spectrum with a piano-key axis and labelled peaks • Waterfall view: watch each strike's harmonics evolve over time • Automatic note detection, or lock to the note you are working on BUILT FOR THE WORKSHOP • Chromatic notes with octave control, adjustable A4 reference, global cents offset • Band editor with multi-partial templates (1:2:3 and more) • Pitch pipe on every band — double-tap a strobe for a reference tone • Dark, glare-free UI designed for metal shops • Works fully offline — audio never leaves your device, no account, no tracking FREE TRIAL, FAIR PRICING Every install starts with a full-featured 8-day trial. After that, the free tier stays a single-band chromatic strobe tuner. PanStrobe Pro adds what the app is really for — every partial of a note at once, the spectrum analyser, the band editor and the pitch pipe — monthly, or yearly at about 20% less. Made by Panlab — we build and tune handpans in Hong Kong. This is the tuner we use ourselves. Privacy Policy: https://panstrobe.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Handpaner2 screens
PanStrobe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PanStrobe at Free against Handpaner's $9.99. Handpaner's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On ads 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

PanStrobe is free to download; Handpaner costs $9.99 up front. PanStrobe sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Handpaner asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Handpaner versus PanStrobe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpanerPanStrobe
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating2.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews14.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB8 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperRobin BERGEREPanlab Limited

In-app purchases

None

Handpaner

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

PanStrobe

Subscriptions2
  • PanStrobe Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • PanStrobe Pro Yearly$76.991 Year

Questions

Is Handpaner free?
Handpaner costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PanStrobe free?
PanStrobe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Handpaner or PanStrobe have ads?
Neither Handpaner nor PanStrobe shows ads.

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