# Quartet 1 vs Pianoteq 8

The clearest difference is price: Pianoteq 8 at Free against Quartet 1's $19.99. Pianoteq 8 also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Quartet 1's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 74%). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Pianoteq 8 is free to download; Quartet 1 costs $19.99 up front. Quartet 1 sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and Pianoteq 8 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Quartet 1 against 4.6 for Pianoteq 8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 191 and 133 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Quartet 1's written reviews are positive against 74% of Pianoteq 8's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Quartet 1 | Pianoteq 8 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (191 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quartet-1/id1623038041/reviews)** | [4.6 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianoteq-8/id1642344241/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **191** | 133 |
| Positive reviews | **84.5% of reviews** | 73.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 706 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UK Music Apps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/579320222) | [Modartt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1363148724) |

## What reviewers say

### Quartet 1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quartet-1/id1623038041)

Practice and perform jazz standards with high-quality backing tracks. Mute your instrument, change keys, adjust tempo, and loop sections. Features animated chord diagrams and playlist creation for an enhanced musical experience.

**Highlights:** Live jazz standards backing tracks, Mute your instrument, Change key and tempo, Loop practice sections, Animated chord diagrams, Multi-app playlist creation, Multitrack export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade song | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy 10 tokens | $8.99 | one-time |
| Buy 20 tokens | $14.99 | one-time |
| Buy 50 tokens | $22.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade all songs | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Excellent sound quality
- 🎸 Real musicians' performance
- 👍 Great value for money
- 🚀 Flexible tempo and key changes
- 🎵 Inspiring for practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Clunky UI
- 😵 Fiddly tempo adjustment
- 🎚️ Limited mixer options
- 🎛️ No individual instrument volume control
- 🎚️ Sound quality degradation with tempo/key changes

**Reported bugs**

- Playlists disappear
- Playlists replaced by old ones
- Looping parts not saved
- Edits wiped out
- Cannot put song into desired key

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Tap tempo button
- Ability to create own charts
- Export to WAV and MP3
- Export chord chart in different ways


### Pianoteq 8

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianoteq-8/id1642344241)

This virtual instrument uses advanced physical modeling to generate realistic sounds for a wide range of instruments, including pianos, electric pianos, and guitars. It offers compact file sizes and faithful sound reproduction, making it ideal for musicians on the go. Connect a MIDI device and start playing, or use it as a plugin in other music applications.

**Highlights:** Physical modeling sound generation, Simulates pianos, electric pianos, guitars, and more, Realistic playability, Compact file size, Works as a plugin, MIDI device compatible

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Use existing licence | Free | one-time |
| Upgrade to latest version | $29.99 | one-time |
| Electric Pianos | $49.99 | one-time |
| Hohner Collection | $49.99 | one-time |
| Classical Guitar | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Shigeru Kawai SK-EX | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Bösendorfer 280VC | $49.99 | one-time |
| Stage to Standard | $129.99 | one-time |
| Standard to Pro | $129.99 | one-time |
| Pianoteq STAGE | $139.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Realistic piano sounds
- 💻 Cross-platform compatibility
- 💡 Physical modeling technology
- 🤏 Small app size
- 🎹 High playability and expressiveness

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive pricing
- 🤔 Steep price for casual users
- 🛒 Difficult purchase process
- 💻 Requires additional license slot
- 👎 Terrible user interface

**Reported bugs**

- Some keys do not work
- Significant latency issues
- Cannot activate due to missing serial number
- Stuttering audio on iOS
- App not updated for new iOS

**Requested features**

- Add Yamaha p125 instrument
- iPad only version
- Add second row of keyboard
- Increase/decrease number of visible keys


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Quartet 1 free?

Quartet 1 costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pianoteq 8 free?

Pianoteq 8 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Quartet 1 or Pianoteq 8?

Quartet 1 is rated higher. Quartet 1 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 191 ratings, while Pianoteq 8 averages 4.6 from 133 ratings.

### Do Quartet 1 or Pianoteq 8 have ads?

Neither Quartet 1 nor Pianoteq 8 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Quartet 1 or Pianoteq 8?

Quartet 1 ships an update every 2 months, and Pianoteq 8 every 2 months. Most recently, Quartet 1 was updated on November 3, 2026 and Pianoteq 8 on November 3, 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.*