Comparison

Pianist vs 4 bars Metronome

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Full 88 key piano keyboard
  • Record and save compositions
  • Overdubbing and note removal
  • Virtual soft and sustain pedals
  • Dual keyboard layout
  • Configurable metronome
Features
Read full description

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.

About

4 bars Metronome

Features
Read full description

"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

Pianist4 screens
4 bars Metronome3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pianist versus 4 bars Metronome: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPianist4 bars Metronome
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMooCowMusic 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

None

Pianist

No in-app purchases

None

4 bars Metronome

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pianist free?
Pianist costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 4 bars Metronome free?
4 bars Metronome is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pianist or 4 bars Metronome have ads?
Neither Pianist nor 4 bars Metronome shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pianist or 4 bars Metronome?
Pianist ships an update every 6 months, and 4 bars Metronome every 5 days. Most recently, Pianist was updated on October 29, 2026 and 4 bars Metronome on October 27, 2026.

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