# Kalimba! vs Kalimbar

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kalimbar at 100% against Kalimba!'s 50%. Kalimbar also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Kalimba!'s advantage is rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (135 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Kalimba! sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Kalimbar sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Kalimba! holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Kalimba! has 135 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of Kalimba!'s written reviews are positive against 100% of Kalimbar's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Kalimba! ships an update every 4 months, Kalimbar fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Kalimba! | Kalimbar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (135 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba/id300802995/reviews)** | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimbar/id1663617291/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **135** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 12 MB | 137 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Discovolos](https://appshunter.io/developer/299963496) | [Yuichi Sato](https://appshunter.io/developer/431691796) |

## 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 |


### Kalimbar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimbar/id1663617291)

This app offers a realistic kalimba simulation with customizable tones, effects, and a metronome. Record and overdub performances, share them with a companion app, and enjoy a simple staff notation display. Many features are available for free, with no ads during screen recording.

**Highlights:** Realistic kalimba sounds, Customizable tone and transposition, Metronome and tuner, Recording and overdubbing, Staff notation display, Portrait and landscape modes

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All features + Ad-Free Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| All features & Ad-Free Yearly | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Kalimba! free?

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

### Is Kalimbar free?

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

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

Kalimba! is rated higher. Kalimba! averages 4.4 out of 5 from 135 ratings, while Kalimbar averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Kalimba! or Kalimbar have ads?

Both Kalimba! and Kalimbar show ads.

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

Kalimba! ships an update every 4 months, and Kalimbar fortnightly. Most recently, Kalimba! was updated on October 19, 2026 and Kalimbar on September 30, 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.*