Comparison

Bloom vs Relic Flow

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

Head to head
About

Bloom

Create unique melodies and elaborate patterns by simply tapping the screen. This generative music player offers an infinite selection of compositions and accompanying visualizations, even when left idle. It's a musical instrument, composition, and artwork all in one.

Highlights
  • Create melodies by tapping
  • Generative music player
  • Visualizations
  • 12 mood settings
  • Adjustable delay
  • Shake to clear
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Developed by ambient pioneer Brian Eno and musician / software designer Peter Chilvers, Bloom explores uncharted territory in the realm of applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Part instrument, part composition and part artwork, Bloom's innovative controls allow anyone to create elaborate patterns and unique melodies by simply tapping the screen. A generative music player takes over when Bloom is left idle, creating an infinite selection of compositions and their accompanying visualisations. "Bloom is an endless music machine, a music box for the 21st century. You can play it, and you can watch it play itself." - Brian Eno Features - 12 different mood settings - Random mood shuffle - Adjustable delay - Shake to clear - Evolve when idle - Sleep Timer Recommended for headphones or external speakers. “Bloom Raises the Bar for Musical iPhone Apps… if you're a fan of ambient music or music in general, you'll be wanting to get it right now” - Gizmodo “A relaxing alternative to just about anything else you can do with an iPhone” Wired “Hypnotic and ludicrously addictive” - Guardian

About

Relic Flow

Generate unique Lo-Fi rhythms, noise patterns, and drum loops using advanced synthesis algorithms. Explore billions of sound samples with intuitive controls and real-time audio recording. Perfect for musicians and sound designers seeking endless creative possibilities.

Highlights
  • Lo-Fi rhythm and drum loop generation
  • Billions of unique sound samples
  • Real-time audio recording to WAV
  • Multiple input methods (on-screen, PC keyboard, MIDI)
  • Export to WAV, SunVox, and text clipboard
  • iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) support
Features
Read full description

Relic Flow is a generator of Lo-Fi rhythms, noise patterns and drum loops based on unique synthesis algorithms from NightRadio. More than 4 billion samples from the depths of the Mathematical Universe! Features: * search for new sounds with three buttons: next random set, edit code, previous set; each set of 12 sounds corresponds to a code of 8 characters; * three types of keyboards for live performing: on-screen buttons, PC keyboard, MIDI input; * several processing parameters + control via MIDI; * real-time audio recording to WAV (32-bit); * export to: WAV (one file or a set), SunVox (samples + effects in one file), text clipboard; * the LCK button freezes individual samples - they will not change during the search for new sets; * iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3). Double clicking on a parameter opens a window for setting the exact value. If you enable the Hold option, the notes will play endlessly, without reacting to key release (noteOff) events; turning the note on again works like turning it off; there are two ways to enable this option: 1) using the Hold parameter in the "MIDI Mapping" window; 2) by pressing the HOLD button, which appears in place of LCK while playing the musical keyboard: press HOLD, release the desired notes - then the released notes will continue to play.

Screenshots

Bloom4 screens
Relic Flow2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Bloom at #63 against Relic Flow's unranked. Bloom also leads on ratings volume (99 vs 28). Relic Flow's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and review sentiment (93% vs 84%). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Bloom costs $3.99 and Relic Flow $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bloom against 4.9 for Relic Flow. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 99 and 28 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Bloom's written reviews are positive against 93% of Relic Flow's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bloom ships an update every 11 months, Relic Flow every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Bloom versus Relic Flow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBloomRelic Flow
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (99 ratings)4.9 (28 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.5% of reviews93.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings99 — better28
Update frequencyEvery 11 months — betterEvery 17 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#63 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal LimitedAlexander Zolotov

Customer experience

Bloom

All ratings99 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews618 reviews
Positive84.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.5%

Relic Flow

All ratings26 ratings
Positive96.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.8%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive93.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.7%

Bugs and requests

Bloom

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 8/11 updates
  • Stops working in background
  • High notes cause issues for some users

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add more sound options/instruments
  • Implement recording and export capabilities
  • Add sleep timer and background playback
  • Improve low-end sound quality
  • Introduce MIDI support
Show 2 more
  • Expand sound manipulation options (pitch bending, sustain, etc.)
  • Add visual customization (blurred edges, etc.)

Relic Flow

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Bloom

No in-app purchases

None

Relic Flow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bloom free?
Bloom costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Relic Flow free?
Relic Flow costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bloom or Relic Flow?
Relic Flow is rated higher. Bloom averages 4.8 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while Relic Flow averages 4.9 from 28 ratings.
Do Bloom or Relic Flow have ads?
Neither Bloom nor Relic Flow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bloom or Relic Flow?
Bloom ships an update every 11 months, and Relic Flow every 17 months. Most recently, Bloom was updated on October 31, 2026 and Relic Flow on November 4, 2026.

Other comparisons