AmpliTube TONEX vs Tone Trace
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AmpliTube TONEX
This app uses AI to recreate the sound of guitar and bass amps and effects. Play, practice, and record anywhere with hyper-realistic gear models. Access a vast library of tones and shape your sound with powerful editing tools.
- AI Machine Modeling™ Tone Models
- Standalone app and AUv3 plug-in
- Tone Model library browsing and downloading
- Preset editing and saving
- Built-in tone shaping tools (compressor, EQ, reverb)
- VIR™ cabinet technology
- Cross-platform tone model syncing
Read full descriptionHide full description
AI Machine Modeled tones player on the go • Play, practice and record anywhere with your TONEX Tone Models on iPhone and iPad • Standalone universal app and plug-in compatible with AUv3 host apps • Enjoy the exact same tone and sound-shaping tools as on Mac/PC • Browse, search and download additional Tone Models from TONEX in ToneNET • Edit and save presets on your iPhone or iPad • Free to download with 20 premium must-have and 20 à-la-carte Tone Models • Connect to one of our iRig interfaces for the ultimate mobile experience Your dream rig always with you TONEX lets you experience breakthrough AI Machine Modeling™ Tone Models anywhere. Play, practice and record on the go using the most authentic and hyper-realistic gear models ever made. This free app lets you access your Premium Tone Model library anywhere with seamless sync, for a limitless supply of inspiration. More tone, more playing, more fun! TONEX puts the world’s most iconic guitar and bass gear right in your pocket with realism like you never imagined. Plug into the experience TONEX offers the most hyper-realistic guitar and bass tones ever thanks to IK’s advanced AI Machine Modeling™. Feel the warmth and dynamic response of real amps and pedals right on your iPhone or iPad as never before. Connect one of our mobile interfaces to practice and jam along with your favorite songs or record guitar and bass tracks with ease when inspiration strikes. Standalone or inside your favorite recording apps TONEX works as a standalone iPhone and iPad app, but also supports AUv3 to work as a plug-in inside top AU host apps like GarageBand, Cubasis 3, Auria Pro and many more. Powerful tone shaping Tweak your tone to perfection using a built-in compressor, pre- and post-amp EQ, noise gate and beautiful stereo reverbs using IK’s latest award-winning algorithms. Built-in VIR™ cabinet technology lets you place and adjust microphones with stunning accuracy, and all your edits with TONEX can be saved as presets. A limitless library of gear and tone Explore user-created Tone Models in the new TONEX section of ToneNET, IK’s online tone-sharing platform. You can instantly search, filter, demo and download a massive range of Premium and user-generated Tone Models. Any user or paid Tone Model you download is yours to keep forever and use with TONEX app, TONEX Mac/PC and inside AmpliTube 5 with seamless integration of Premium Tone Models between all your devices. For subscriptions, user or paid Tone Models work exclusively with TONEX app while your subscription is active. Access your real gear anywhere Since TONEX works across all platforms, you can easily use TONEX Mac/PC to model your own gear and bring it anywhere. Model your own gear, post Tone Models on ToneNET and then download them to your mobile device. Tweak settings on a plane, jam in a hotel room, record at a remote studio, the TONEX brings your signature sound along for the experience with the same ultra-accurate Tone Models as the desktop version. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.ikmultimedia.com/privacy
Tone Trace
This app helps guitarists and bassists optimize their pedalboard signal flow. It audits pedal order, buffer placement, and more, providing a real-time chain score and a troubleshoot wizard to fix issues like hum and tone suck. It's designed for musicians with multiple pedals who want their rig to sound its best.
- Drag-and-drop pedal chain builder
- Real-time signal flow scoring
- Symptom-driven troubleshoot wizard
- Signal map for documentation
- FX loop routing awareness
- Clone artist rigs
- Set list creation and sharing
Read full descriptionHide full description
Tone Trace is the rig analyzer for guitarists and bassists who want their pedalboard to sound right — not just look right. Drag pedals onto a chain canvas, and Tone Trace audits your signal flow as you build. The chain score grades pedal order, buffer placement, FX-loop routing, and gain staging in real time. When something is off, the troubleshoot wizard walks you through the actual fix — tone suck, hum, high-pitched whine, impedance mismatch — by symptom, not by guesswork. Built for the gear-forward player who already owns three or more pedals and is tired of static pedalboard layouts that don't tell you whether the rig actually works. KEY FEATURES • Chain Builder — drag-place pedals on a grid canvas; signal lines auto-route between cells. • Chain Score — quantitative grade of your rig's signal flow with sub-score bars for order, FX loop, gain staging, and impedance. • Troubleshoot Wizard — symptom-driven diagnostic cards walk you from "my rig sounds bad" to a specific fix. • Signal Map — annotated read-only flow diagram for documentation, screen-share, or repatch reference. • FX Loop Aware — the chain layout knows which side of the amp's effects loop each pedal belongs on. • Artist Rigs — clone curated rigs from the artist library, then tune to your gear. • Walkthroughs + Lessons — guided onboarding and concept lessons (gain staging, true bypass vs buffered, 4-cable method) without leaving the app. • Set Lists — build a set list with rigs attached, print or share the call sheet. • Share + Export — export a rig diagram or set list as a PDF/PNG; share via the system share sheet. WHO IT'S FOR Guitarists and bassists with three or more stompbox pedals — bedroom, gigging, and worship-team players. Especially useful for Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp users wrangling 4-cable method routing, and stereo-pedalboard builders chasing tone-suck culprits. WHAT IT'S NOT Tone Trace is not an amp or FX simulator. It does not generate audio. It is a rig planner, auditor, and diagnostic tool — the layer above the simulator and below the soldering iron. Drag a pedal in. Watch the chain score react. Fix what the score flags. Save the rig. TERMS AND PRIVACY Tone Trace Pro is a one-time purchase — there is no subscription and nothing auto-renews. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase confirmation. You can restore your purchase anytime from the app's paywall. Privacy policy: https://www.remnantworkshop.com/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tone Trace at 100% against AmpliTube TONEX's 25%. Tone Trace also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). AmpliTube TONEX's advantage is ratings volume (10 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. AmpliTube TONEX sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Tone Trace sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Tone Trace holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AmpliTube TONEX has 10 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 25% of AmpliTube TONEX's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tone Trace's.
AmpliTube TONEX ships an update every 2 months, Tone Trace fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AmpliTube TONEX | Tone Trace |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.5 (10 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 24.7% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 10 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 565 MB | 64 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | IK Multimedia US, LLC | Remnant Workshop, Inc. |
Customer experience
AmpliTube TONEX
Tone Trace
Bugs and requests
AmpliTube TONEX
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes when connecting to ToneNet
- Inability to save settings and presets
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to import and manage custom presets
- Inclusion of more effects like delay and modulation
- MIDI support for remote control
- Improved integration with DAWs and other apps
Tone Trace
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
AmpliTube TONEX
- TONEX MAX Monthly (iOS only)$9.991 Month
- TONEX Clean$19.99
- TONEX Drive$19.99
- TONEX Metal$19.99
Show 4 moreShow fewer
- TONEX Lead$19.99
- TONEX SE$59.99
- TONEX$149.99
- TONEX MAX$249.99
Tone Trace
- Unlock PRO forever$1.99
Questions
Is AmpliTube TONEX free?
Is Tone Trace free?
Which has better reviews, AmpliTube TONEX or Tone Trace?
Do AmpliTube TONEX or Tone Trace have ads?
Which is updated more often, AmpliTube TONEX or Tone Trace?
Other comparisons















