# Kalimba! vs Real Kalimba

The clearest difference is update cadence: Kalimba! at every 4 months against Real Kalimba's every 11 months. Kalimba! also leads on ratings volume (135 vs 20). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kalimba! sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Real Kalimba sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Kalimba! against 4.3 for Real Kalimba. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kalimba! has 135 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Kalimba!'s written reviews are positive against 49% of Real Kalimba's.

Kalimba! ships an update every 4 months, Real Kalimba every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kalimba! | Real Kalimba |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba/id300802995/reviews)** | [4.3 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kalimba/id1533030138/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **135** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 48.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Discovolos](https://appshunter.io/developer/299963496) | [Budali Kingsley](https://appshunter.io/developer/1453294453) |

## What reviewers say

### Kalimba!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba/id300802995)

Experience the soothing sounds of an African thumb piano on your device. This app simulates a 7-prong kalimba, allowing for single notes or strumming. Customize your sound with different tunings.

**Highlights:** African thumb piano simulation, 7-prong instrument, Single note and strumming, C Major tuning, G Major tuning, Landscape mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


### Real Kalimba

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/real-kalimba/id1533030138)

Experience the soothing sounds of a thumb piano with this realistic simulator. Slide your fingers to play notes, tune the instrument, and explore various reverb effects. Record your melodies, learn new songs with interactive tutorials, and customize the visual appearance.

**Highlights:** Realistic kalimba sound and visuals, Adjustable tine range and tuning, Multiple reverb environments, Audio recorder with editing and sharing, Over 100 songs and 20+ tabs for learning, Customizable backgrounds, colors, and key markings

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Go Pro-Unlock All with No Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kalimba! free?

Kalimba! is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Real Kalimba free?

Real Kalimba is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Kalimba! or Real Kalimba?

Kalimba! is rated higher. Kalimba! averages 4.4 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Real Kalimba averages 4.3 from 20 ratings.

### Do Kalimba! or Real Kalimba have ads?

Both Kalimba! and Real Kalimba show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Kalimba! or Real Kalimba?

Kalimba! ships an update every 4 months, and Real Kalimba every 11 months. Most recently, Kalimba! was updated on October 23, 2026 and Real Kalimba on October 27, 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.*