Comparison

Trope vs DroneLab

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

Head to head
About

Trope

Create evolving soundscapes by tracing abstract shapes on your screen. This app offers a darker, more introspective and atmospheric musical experience, ideal for generative music exploration. Recommended for use with headphones or external speakers.

Highlights
  • Generative soundscape creation
  • Interactive touch interface
  • Evolving musical textures
  • Introspective and atmospheric tone
  • Abstract shape tracing
Features
Read full description

Trope, designed by ambient pioneer Brian Eno and musician / software designer Peter Chilvers, expands further on the ideas introduced by Bloom, their acclaimed iPhone application.  Darker in tone, Trope immerses users in endlessly evolving soundscapes created by tracing abstract shapes onto the screen, varying the tone with each movement. Recommended for headphones and external speakers. "Trope is a different emotional experience from Bloom - more introspective, more atmospheric. It shows that generative music, as one of the newest forms of sonema, can draw on a broad palette of moods." - Brian Eno

About

DroneLab

Generate evolving ambient music with three parallel audio sources and unique sound effects. Save and export your creations for use in music or video projects, or use it for improvisation and practice.

Highlights
  • Three parallel continuous audio sources
  • Custom sound effects
  • Preset selection and customization
  • Stereo audio export up to 96KHz
  • Real-time recording
  • Improvisation and experimentation tool
Features
Read full description

DroneLab creates slowly shifting musical soundscapes. Control three continuous audio sources running in parallel, each with its own rate of shifting intensity. Expand the soundscape with unusual sound effects crafted specifically for DroneLab. Get going quickly by selecting one of the included presets. Go further by selecting and customizing the sound sources, and save your own presets to the list. Create soundscapes for your music and video projects: - Export a stereo audio file with your current settings, at sample rates up to 96KHz. On newer devices, exports occur faster than real time. - Or, you can record in real time, capturing all the changes you make to the sounds as you go. DroneLab is great for improvisation and experimentation: - Explore the melodic side of your instrument in a fun, relaxing setting. - Warm up before practicing more difficult material. - Explore sounds and articulations that aren't part of your usual repertoire. Please visit us at dronelab.app for videos, more information and support.

Screenshots

Trope4 screens
DroneLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DroneLab at every 4 months against Trope's every 34 months. DroneLab also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 64%) and price ($1.99 vs $3.99). Trope's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4). On ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Trope holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 20 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Trope's written reviews are positive against 74% of DroneLab's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Trope ships an update every 34 months, DroneLab every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Trope versus DroneLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTropeDroneLab
Price$3.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (38 ratings) — better4.4 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews63.7% of reviews73.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings38 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal LimitedJon Lukas

Customer experience

Trope

All ratings38 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive63.7%
Neutral11.6%
Negative24.7%

DroneLab

All ratings20 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative15.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive73.7%
Neutral15.8%
Negative10.5%

Bugs and requests

Trope

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Does not run in background/sleep mode
  • App speeds up sleep timer
  • Errors about iOS 11 incompatibility
  • Cannot listen and create after update
  • Screen looks awful (outdated UI)
Show 7 more
  • App doesn't work/programmed feel
  • Music doesn't stop when app is closed
  • Sleep timer not working correctly in iOS6
  • Glitchy sound/static at note start
  • ノイズが入る (Noise occurs)
  • 音が割れる (Sound distortion/crackling)
  • Bug that changes line type back to default after erasing

Requested features

11 requests
  • Ability to save compositions
  • Option to turn off random background noises
  • More control over sound parameters (attack, duration)
  • User sound input option
  • Recording function
Show 6 more
  • More variety in sounds and moods
  • Mac app store version
  • Streaming to AirPort Express
  • Improve responsiveness to touches
  • Option to remove random tones
  • Background tasking/multitasking improvements

DroneLab

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Trope

No in-app purchases

None

DroneLab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Trope free?
Trope costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DroneLab free?
DroneLab costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Trope or DroneLab?
Trope is rated higher. Trope averages 4.8 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while DroneLab averages 4.4 from 20 ratings.
Do Trope or DroneLab have ads?
Neither Trope nor DroneLab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Trope or DroneLab?
Trope ships an update every 34 months, and DroneLab every 4 months. Most recently, Trope was updated on September 27, 2026 and DroneLab on September 21, 2026.

Other comparisons