TOPLAPapp vs Fractal Bits
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TOPLAPapp
This app offers a unique sonic puzzle experience using a virtual machine for sound synthesis. Users control the machine by placing command letters and adjusting parameter sliders to generate experimental, often noisy, electronic music.
- Virtual machine for sound synthesis
- Instruction-based sound generation
- Parameter sliders for sound control
- Grid-based command placement
- Experimental sonic art focus
- Live coding principles
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TOPLAPapp is a sonic puzzle based around a virtual machine for sound synthesis. This machine accepts a few valid instructions represented by the letters T, O, P, L, A, and p, and you control it by placing each command letter within a grid, along with setting some associated parameter sliders. The machine rushes through the instruction set to create output sounds, which are usually of a somewhat noisy character, hopefully interestingly so. The historical antecedents include instruction synthesis as pioneered at the Institute of Sonology in the 1970s, and the live coding movement, of modifying a running program as it acts. This app is intended for those interested in more experimental sonic art: don't download unless you are open to stranger computer music sounds ((http://www.toplap.org).
Fractal Bits
Generate an infinite variety of drum sounds using fractal algorithms. Save and share your unique sound sets via text codes. Perform live with multiple keyboard options and record your creations in real-time.
- Infinite unique drum sounds
- Save/share sound sets via text codes
- Multiple live drumming keyboards
- MIDI control and mapping
- Real-time WAV audio recording
- Wi-Fi export/import
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Fractal Bits is a drum synth with over four billion unique sounds created by fractal algorithms. Each set of 12 drums corresponds to a code of 8 characters (you can save/copy/paste it as plain text). Features: * Audio Unit Extension (AUv3), Audiobus; * search for new sounds with three buttons: next random set, edit code, previous set; * three types of keyboards for live drumming: 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 drums - they will not change during the search for new sets; * Wi-Fi export/import. 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: TOPLAPapp at Free against Fractal Bits's $1.99. TOPLAPapp also leads on iOS requirement (7.0 vs 12.0). Fractal Bits's advantage is update cadence (every 5 months vs every 49 months) and ratings volume (80 vs 4). On rating, review sentiment, 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
TOPLAPapp is free to download; Fractal Bits costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for TOPLAPapp against 4.8 for Fractal Bits. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fractal Bits has 80 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of TOPLAPapp's written reviews are positive against 91% of Fractal Bits's.
TOPLAPapp ships an update every 49 months, Fractal Bits every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TOPLAPapp | Fractal Bits |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (4 ratings) | 4.8 (80 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 95.5% of reviews — better | 90.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 80 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 49 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 0 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joshua Parmenter | Alexander Zolotov |
Customer experience
TOPLAPapp
Fractal Bits
In-app purchases
TOPLAPapp
No in-app purchases
Fractal Bits
No in-app purchases









