Pianist vs Alina String Ensemble
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pianist
Experience a realistic piano on your mobile device with a full 88-key keyboard. Record, overdub, and save your musical compositions. Features include virtual pedals, dual keyboard layout, and a configurable metronome for practice.
- Full 88 key piano keyboard
- Record and save compositions
- Overdubbing and note removal
- Virtual soft and sustain pedals
- Dual keyboard layout
- Configurable metronome
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The first widely available mobile multi-touch piano, Pianist has been featured in a number of Apple advertising campaigns and was one of the 'Awesome iOS4 Apps' in an Apple iTunes promotion. Sound On Sound magazine listed Pianist in its pick of the Top 20 iPhone Apps, and T3 Magazine in its Top 100 iPhone Apps. Pianist has also been recommended by media sources such as the Mail On Sunday and Fox News. Pianist is considered so influential that it has now been listed as one of three examples of musical instrument apps in the primary academic reference: "The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments". - Full 88 key piano keyboard sampled from a real piano for maximum authenticity. - Record and save your compositions for later playback. Overdub as many times as you want, and remove unwanted notes. - Virtual "Soft" and "Sustain" pedals, and expression depending on where you press the key. - Optional dual keyboard layout allows you to reach even more keys without the need to scroll. Up to four octaves can be displayed and played at once. - Stay in time with a completely configurable metronome. To take your music creation to the next step, be sure to also check out our new app: Looptical Music Studio.
Alina String Ensemble
This app is a musical keyboard simulator that recreates the authentic sounds of the Solina String Ensemble from the 1970s. It features a 49-key, 4-octave keyboard with multiple instrument sounds and built-in effects like reverb and modulation.
- Solina String Ensemble sound simulation
- 6 pre-loaded instruments
- 49-key, 4-octave keyboard
- Core MIDI and MIDI compatible
- Built-in spring reverb effect
- Adjustable modulation
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Alina String Ensemble is a musical keyboard application for iPhone/iPad/iPod touch that simulates the Solina String Ensemble. The sound is in reference to Solina String Ensemble (Serial number "SERIES 22, No.0093158”) manufactured by N.V. EMINENT BODEGRAVEN HOLLAND in the 70’s. You are sure to be surprised at the real sound generated from this App. Features: - Pre-loaded with 6 instruments including Viola, Violin, Brass, Horn, Cello, Contra Bass - 49key, 4-octave Keyboards with scrollable - Core MIDI and MIDI compatible - Scrollable Keyboard & dual Keyboards(Only iPad) - BASS tone(Cello, Contra Bass) is assigned on lowest 20 keys - Built-in Reverb that simulates a spring reverb - Modulation that can adjust the rate and depth Special thanks: Jun Kawabata courtesy of AIRPLANE LABEL & Studio Peach Blue Peach
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Alina String Ensemble at 4.2 against Pianist's 3.6. Pianist's advantage is review sentiment (68% vs 52%) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Pianist costs $3.99 and Alina String Ensemble $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Alina String Ensemble holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 20 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 68% of Pianist's written reviews are positive against 52% of Alina String Ensemble's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Pianist ships an update every 6 months, Alina String Ensemble every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pianist | Alina String Ensemble |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Rating | 3.6 (8 ratings) | 4.2 (20 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 68.3% of reviews — better | 52.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 8 | 20 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 14.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 131 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MooCowMusic Ltd. | insideout ltd. |
Customer experience
Pianist
Alina String Ensemble
Bugs and requests
Pianist
Reported bugs
4 issues- Keyboard gets stuck or changes configuration
- App freezes or crashes after extended use
- Sustain pedal not functioning properly
- Bluetooth speaker connectivity issues
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for iPhone 5/newer displays
- Implement MIDI export/import
- Integrate with music streaming apps
- Expand sound library with more instruments
- Improve scrolling and key accessibility
Alina String Ensemble
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pianist
No in-app purchases
Alina String Ensemble
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pianist free?
Is Alina String Ensemble free?
Which has better reviews, Pianist or Alina String Ensemble?
Do Pianist or Alina String Ensemble have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pianist or Alina String Ensemble?
Other comparisons
