iAutoharp vs Washboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iAutoharp
Easily play chords and strum along to popular tunes without musical training. Reconfigure chord buttons for over 150 chords per key and experiment with melodies by picking subsets of strings.
- Tap chord buttons to strum
- Switch keys and chords effortlessly
- Reconfigure over 150 chords per key
- Pick out melodies by pinching strings
- Accompaniment for singing or playing along
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The iAutoharp is easy and fun to play; just tap a chord button and strum to hear that chord played as sweetly as if on the actual 37-string instrument. * Switch keys and chords effortlessly. No musical training is required, and the interface is well designed for the small screen. * Use any of six chord buttons, initially set to common chords so you can easily accompany your singing or play along on most popular tunes. * Reconfigure chord buttons to get any of more than 150 possible chords for each key. You don't need to understand music theory, but if want to learn more about it, the autoharp is a great way to experiment. * Try picking out a melody by "pinching" subsets of strings with two fingers. Please look for other apps by HotPaw Productions in the Music category of the App store: the inTuna Strobe Guitar Tuner, Music Spectrograph, and Sing-inTuna, to visualize if you can sing in tune.
Washboard
Transform your device into a virtual washboard with customizable sounds and decorations. Play along with your music or connect to an amp for live performances. It also functions as a MIDI controller for music production.
- Virtual metal washboard instrument
- Add-on instruments like horns and woodblocks
- Customizable decorations
- Play along with music
- Connect to external amplifiers
- MIDI controller functionality
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Turn your mobile device into a musical washboard! You can play the classic metal washboard as is, or customize it by adding instruments like horns and woodblocks in any combination. You can even add decorations like a flower, a sticker or party lights. Play along with your iPod music, or plug into an amp and join a jug band! Some reviews say the app doesn't sound like a washboard, but it does use audio samples taken from a real washboard. The samples come from a metal board played with 1" zinc washers -- this gives a sound harder than thimbles but softer than spoons -- and include a tap, scrub and wood sound. The add-on instruments also use real audio samples. Instruments include: - Small cowbell - Large cowbell - Small horn - Large horn - Tambourine - Cymbal - Small woodblock - Large woodblock - Service bell - Vibraslap - Toy chicken Decorations (no sound) include: - Toy dinosaur - Flower - Bow tie - Hula girl - Woody Guthrie sticker - Party lights If you have any MIDI equipment, you can also use Washboard as a MIDI controller. Map each instrument in the app to a note number in your sound module, then tap the board or attached instruments to send note-on commands. The MIDI commands are sent on channel 10 for easy access to most percussion modules. Before buying this app, I recommend watching the demo video at washboardapp.com to see how it works. If you need help after your purchase, please contact me before writing a bad review. I have no way to respond or help you if you publish your complaints in a review, but I respond promptly to all emails.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Washboard at 5.0 against iAutoharp's 2.7. Washboard also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 15 months) and review sentiment (43% vs 19%). iAutoharp's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1). On price, 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
iAutoharp costs $1.99 and Washboard $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Washboard holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 19% of iAutoharp's written reviews are positive against 43% of Washboard's.
iAutoharp ships an update every 15 months, Washboard every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iAutoharp | Washboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Rating | 2.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.8% of reviews | 42.9% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 3 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.2 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HotPaw Productions | Arlo Leach |
Customer experience
iAutoharp
Washboard
In-app purchases
iAutoharp
No in-app purchases
Washboard
No in-app purchases









