# Pianist vs Original Piano

The clearest difference is price: Original Piano at Free against Pianist's $3.99. Original Piano also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 6 months). Pianist's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Original Piano 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, Original Piano every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pianist | Original Piano |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.6 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianist/id284622652/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **8** | — |
| Positive reviews | 68.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 11 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MooCowMusic Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/283853765) | [Taisuke Hosokawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1585548762) |

## What reviewers say

### Pianist

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianist/id284622652)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ⭐ Best piano app
- 🎹 Realistic piano sound
- 🎶 Great for composing and recording
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎛️ Customizable keyboard layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔇 Low volume output
- 📱 Limited by small screen size
- ⏱️ Slow startup time
- 🔀 Confusing recording/playback controls

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard gets stuck or changes configuration
- App freezes or crashes after extended use
- Sustain pedal not functioning properly
- Bluetooth speaker connectivity issues

**Requested features**

- 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


### Original Piano

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/original-piano-personalize/id6743320153)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pianist free?

Pianist costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Original Piano free?

Original Piano is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Pianist or Original Piano have ads?

Original Piano shows ads; Pianist does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pianist or Original Piano?

Pianist ships an update every 6 months, and Original Piano every 5 days. Most recently, Pianist was updated on November 10, 2026 and Original Piano on October 31, 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.*