Comparison

Pianist vs Polyrhythm Explorer

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

Polyrhythm Explorer

Learn and master complex rhythmic patterns with interactive guides and visual tools. Explore polyrhythms through written lessons, video tutorials, and customizable sound options. Ideal for musicians of all levels seeking to deepen their rhythmic understanding.

Highlights
  • Written guides and video tutorials
  • Linear and Grid Layout Modes
  • Voice Count for isolated rhythms
  • Customizable sounds (drums, keyboard)
  • Polymeter visualization
  • Sample-accurate timing
  • Full-Screen Mode
Features
Read full description

Master Polyrhythms with Ease—No Prior Knowledge Needed... Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced musician, Polyrhythm Explorer provides you with everything you need to understand and master polyrhythms. 
Polyrhythm Explorer features: 
- Written guides and video tutorials teach you what polyrhythms are and how to understand a polyrhythm step-by-step. 
- Linear and Grid Layout Modes: Easily visualize how two rhythms interact with each other in a polyrhythm. See how the rhythms relate to help you understand them. - Voice Count: Isolate one rhythm or the other in a polyrhythm and hear it counted out loud. 
- Full-Screen Mode: Hide controls for an immersive, focused learning experience. Perfect for creating videos teaching polyrhythms. - Customizable Sounds: Experience polyrhythms on a drum kit or as melodic keyboard patterns. 

- Polymeters: With subdivisions on, you can hear a polyrhythm as a polymeter. - Sample-accurate timing. Can be used as a metronome. - Seamless Integration with PolyNome --- 
Polyrhythm Explorer is the perfect companion to PolyNome (also available on the App Store). 
Export polyrhythms to PolyNome to view them as notation or circular visuals.
PolyNome also supports 3-way polyrhythms and offers numerous features beyond polyrhythms. 
Start Your Rhythmic Journey Today! Transform your musical skills and explore the complexity of rhythms with Polyrhythm Explorer.

Screenshots

Pianist4 screens
Polyrhythm Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Polyrhythm Explorer at 4.5 against Pianist's 3.6. Polyrhythm Explorer also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (88% vs 68%). Pianist's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Pianist costs $3.99 and Polyrhythm Explorer $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Polyrhythm Explorer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 68% of Pianist's written reviews are positive against 88% of Polyrhythm Explorer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pianist ships an update every 6 months, Polyrhythm Explorer every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Pianist versus Polyrhythm Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPianistPolyrhythm Explorer
Price$3.99 — better$4.99
Rating3.6 (8 ratings)4.5 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews68.3% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings812 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMooCowMusic Ltd.PolyNome Ltd

Customer experience

Pianist

All ratings8 ratings
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews306 reviews
Positive68.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative23.5%

Polyrhythm Explorer

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

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

Polyrhythm Explorer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Pianist

No in-app purchases

None

Polyrhythm Explorer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pianist free?
Pianist costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Polyrhythm Explorer free?
Polyrhythm Explorer costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Pianist or Polyrhythm Explorer?
Polyrhythm Explorer is rated higher. Pianist averages 3.6 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Polyrhythm Explorer averages 4.5 from 12 ratings.
Do Pianist or Polyrhythm Explorer have ads?
Neither Pianist nor Polyrhythm Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pianist or Polyrhythm Explorer?
Pianist ships an update every 6 months, and Polyrhythm Explorer every 8 days. Most recently, Pianist was updated on October 15, 2026 and Polyrhythm Explorer on October 8, 2026.

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