# Pianoteq 8 vs Quartet 4

The clearest difference is price: Pianoteq 8 at Free against Quartet 4's $16.99. Pianoteq 8 also leads on ratings volume (133 vs 22) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.6). Quartet 4's advantage is review sentiment (89% vs 74%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Pianoteq 8 is free to download; Quartet 4 costs $16.99 up front. Pianoteq 8 sells 28 one-off in-app purchases and Quartet 4 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 4. 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 89% of Quartet 4's.

Pianoteq 8 ships an update every 2 months, Quartet 4 monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pianoteq 8 | Quartet 4 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 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-4/id6740534761/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **133** | 22 |
| Positive reviews | 73.6% of reviews | **89.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| 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 4

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quartet-4/id6740534761)

Practice and perform jazz standards with high-quality backing tracks. Mute your instrument, change keys, adjust tempo, and loop sections for focused practice. Features animated chord diagrams and royalty-free multitrack exports for further creative use.

**Highlights:** Live jazz backing tracks, Mute your instrument, Change key and tempo, Looping for practice, Animated chord diagrams, Multitrack export, Playlist creation

**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 interface
- 🎨 Accurately labels tracks by style
- 🎶 Live instrument recordings
- 🔀 Ability to separate and send tracks
- 🎨 High-quality presentation and performance

**Requested features**

- More guitar in rhythm section for future volumes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pianoteq 8 free?

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

### Is Quartet 4 free?

Quartet 4 costs $16.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 4?

Quartet 4 is rated higher. Pianoteq 8 averages 4.6 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while Quartet 4 averages 4.7 from 22 ratings.

### Do Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 4 have ads?

Neither Pianoteq 8 nor Quartet 4 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pianoteq 8 or Quartet 4?

Pianoteq 8 ships an update every 2 months, and Quartet 4 monthly. Most recently, Pianoteq 8 was updated on October 27, 2026 and Quartet 4 on October 30, 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.*