Pianist vs 4 bars Metronome
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.
4 bars Metronome
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"4 bars Metronome" is a metronome that plays 4 bars bass notes. You can start jam session immediately with very simple operation. Features - Metronome that plays bass sound - Switchable number of measures (4 bars / 8 bars) - Switchable BPM (min. 40, max. 250) - Switchable reference frequency (440hz, 442hz) - Changeable bass tones - Switchable sequencer settings
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: 4 bars Metronome at Free against Pianist's $3.99. 4 bars Metronome also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months). Pianist's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.4). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
4 bars Metronome is free to download; Pianist costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Pianist ships an update every 6 months, 4 bars Metronome every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Pianist | 4 bars Metronome |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (8 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MooCowMusic Ltd. | Hitoshi Yamaguchi |
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
4 bars Metronome
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pianist
No in-app purchases
4 bars Metronome
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Pianist free?
Is 4 bars Metronome free?
Do Pianist or 4 bars Metronome have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pianist or 4 bars Metronome?
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