# Pianoteq 8 vs Quartet 3

The clearest difference is price: Pianoteq 8 at Free against Quartet 3's $16.99. Pianoteq 8 also leads on ratings volume (133 vs 22) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Quartet 3's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 74%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Pianoteq 8 is free to download; Quartet 3 costs $16.99 up front. Pianoteq 8 sells 28 one-off in-app purchases and Quartet 3 sells 5 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 — 4.6 for Pianoteq 8 against 4.7 for Quartet 3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pianoteq 8 has 133 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 74% of Pianoteq 8's written reviews are positive against 90% of Quartet 3's.

Pianoteq 8 ships an update every 2 months, Quartet 3 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pianoteq 8 | Quartet 3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $16.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianoteq-8/id1642344241/reviews) | **[4.7 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quartet-3/id6740534501/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **133** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 528 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Modartt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1363148724) | [UK Music Apps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/579320222) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 (28)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Use existing licence | Free | one-time |
| Upgrade to latest version | $29.99 | one-time |
| Grand C. Bechstein DG | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Blüthner | $49.99 | one-time |
| Celeste | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Grotrian | $49.99 | one-time |
| Electric Pianos | $49.99 | one-time |
| Hohner Collection | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Petrof | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Steingraeber | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Steinway B | $49.99 | one-time |
| Upright U4 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand YC5 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Classical Guitar | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand K2 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Shigeru Kawai SK-EX | $49.99 | one-time |
| Vibes: Vibraphones V-B & V-M | $49.99 | one-time |
| Harp | $49.99 | one-time |
| Harpsichord | $49.99 | one-time |
| Kremsegg collection 1 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Steinway D | $49.99 | one-time |
| Karsten collection | $49.99 | one-time |
| Kremsegg collection 2 | $49.99 | one-time |
| Grand Bösendorfer 280VC | $49.99 | one-time |
| Steelpans | $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


### Quartet 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quartet-3/id6740534501)

Enhance your jazz performance and practice with live studio recordings of jazz standards. Mute your instrument to play along, change keys, adjust tempo, and loop sections for focused learning. Features animated chord diagrams and playlist creation for seamless practice sessions.

**Highlights:** Live jazz standards play-along, Mute your instrument, Change key and tempo, Loop sections for practice, 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 | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Superb tool for drum teachers
- 👍 Huge selection of styles and tempos
- 👍 Ability to mute drums for playing along
- 👍 High-quality audio recordings
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pianoteq 8 free?

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

### Is Quartet 3 free?

Quartet 3 costs $16.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 3?

Quartet 3 is rated higher. Pianoteq 8 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while Quartet 3 averages 4.7 from 22 ratings.

### Do Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 3 have ads?

Neither Pianoteq 8 nor Quartet 3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 3?

Pianoteq 8 ships an update every 2 months, and Quartet 3 monthly. Most recently, Pianoteq 8 was updated on October 27, 2026 and Quartet 3 on October 26, 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.*