Comparison

ThumbJam vs TC

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

Head to head
About

ThumbJam

This app provides a powerful musical performance experience with over 40 high-quality instrument sounds and hundreds of scales. It allows users of all skill levels to play in any style, offering expressive controls and loop-building capabilities.

Highlights
  • Over 40 high-quality multi-sampled instruments
  • Hundreds of included scales for any style
  • Expressive controls using tilt and shake
  • Loop building and audio export
  • Extensive MIDI and Audiobus support
  • Powerful arpeggiator feature
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

ThumbJam is a powerful musical performance experience. You get over 40 high-quality real instruments multi-sampled exclusively for this app. Hundreds of included scales allow you to effortlessly play in any style from rock to classical, whether you are a musical novice or a seasoned professional. ---====--- Jordan Rudess, the world-renowned keyboardist for Dream Theater says: "ThumbJam stands at the very top of the overcrowded music app world. The sounds included absolutely rival those found in pro instruments and making music on the app is a total joy. The only problem I have with this app is that I did not make it myself! Luckily, I'm able to work with the developer and offer a few good feature ideas as well as some choice sounds from my personal collection!" ---======---- Even if you've only played air guitar, ThumbJam lets you sound like a pro. Pick an instrument and jam -- with all the scales to choose from you'll never hit a wrong note. The high quality instrument samples will make you sound like you just skipped years of music lessons. For the performing musician, this app is awesome for soloing on an instrument you didn't bring along. Play in any key, any style -- go from a string ensemble to a wailing guitar. ThumbJam was developed and tested by musicians to feel and sound like a real instrument. You'll be surprised at how expressive it can be, make sure to check out the videos and audio at thumbjam.com. ThumbJam makes use of tilt and shake to add vibrato, tremolo, note bends, and volume swells for more realistic and expressive results. It supports up to five (eleven on iPad) simultaneous touches and up to 32 voice polyphony, for each of up to 8 loaded instruments! Delay and stereo reverb add depth to the sound, and a resonant lowpass filter gives you more tone shaping power. Put on your headphones or plug in to your home stereo to experience some of the highest quality instruments in the App Store, even after all these years! Build your own loops from the ground up or import your favorites and jam from there. Layer as many loops as you want, with different instruments for each. Export your loops as audio files via WiFi. Copy and paste audio from other apps using AudioCopy/Paste as well the general pasteboard, via email, AudioShare, iTunes Document Sharing, Files, or open directly in another application. Supports Audiobus and InterApp Audio for streaming sound to/from other apps in real-time, including state save/restore with Audiobus 3. Extensive MIDI input and output support over WiFi or Bluetooth, with any CoreMidi compatible device, or other apps on the same iOS device with virtual MIDI. Now also supports Ableton Link for tight sync between apps on the same network. Supports MPE input and output (and did so before it was even a thing)! New powerful arpeggiator feature lets you play patterns with perfect time sync, from the screen or via MIDI control. The app includes a huge variety of scales, from western to eastern. Save your favorites for quick access, or create your own in-app. You can even import new scales in the Scala format for complete flexibility. You can also record your own multi-sampled instruments using a built-in or attached microphone, or from file import. Included instruments: + Cello, Violin, Viola + Upright Bass (plucked and bowed) + Several drumkits + Darabukka + Djembe + Electric Guitar + Electric Bass + Trumpet + Trombone + Tenor Sax + Flute + Low Whistle + Acoustic Guitar + Hammered Dulcimer + Mandolin + Cittern + Grand Piano + Drawbar Organ (2 types) + Rhodes + Pipe Organ + Synth Strings + Synth Choir + Theremin + Sawtooth Waveform + Sine Waveform + Triangle Waveform And from Jordan Rudess: + JR Zendrix + JR Smooth Steel Many more for immediate FREE download in the app including several drumkits, Mellotron, basses, banjo, tabla, ukelele, guitars and more! Go to the Sound menu under Download Samples....

About

TC

This app is a fully programmable multi-touch synthesizer for iPad. Create unique sounds using touch gestures, device motion, and a variety of on-board modules. Explore a vast sonic landscape with extensive customization options.

Highlights
  • 185 built-in presets
  • Unlimited user patches
  • Multi-touch and device motion control
  • 23 modular synthesis objects
  • Built-in recording and AudioCopy
  • Audiobus support
Read full description

TC-11 is the only fully programmable multi-touch synthesizer for the iPad. Choose from the 160 included presets, or build your own using touch controls, device motion, and on-board modules. Create music with the next evolution of synthesizer control! iDesignSound App of the Week 12.17.2011 - idesignsound.com "This thing is ALIVE! TC-11 is really fascinating and I'm having some fun experimenting with it. It is very, very cool!" - Jordan Rudess, keyboardist, Dream Theater "TC-11 is making my jaw drop every few minutes; realizing new and increasingly complex routing options. Rating: Essential." - Tim Webb, discchord.com "Creating, routing, configuring, and general tweaking is unbelievably robust and complex. This is a big leap forward in design. A madhouse of sonic possibilities at your touch." - David Israel, smitematter.com FEATURES: √ 185 built-in presets √ Unlimited user patches √ Audiobus + State Saving √ Fully controlled by multi-touch / device motion √ Built-in recording + AudioCopy √ 23 modular synthesis objects √ 22 oscillator waveforms √ 4 controller modules: AHDSR, LFO, Table, Sequencer √ Email custom patches to your friends √ Full display customization MULTI-TOUCH CONTROL: There are no on-screen knobs, keys, or sliders to fiddle with; all synthesis is driven by your multi-touch performance. Touch relationships like distances / angles / timings perform all the controller functions. It's just you and the full screen multi-touch performance area. EVERY synthesis parameter can be controlled by ANY multi-touch controller. The patch possibilities are limitless! DEVICE MOTION CONTROL: Use the iPad's accelerometer, gyroscope, and even the compass to attack your synthesis patch! Tilt and move the iPad to change any filter, effect, or module. You can create real vibrato by moving the iPad during performance, or change the speed of a sequencer by tilting forward and backward! SYNTHESIS: TC-11 has 8 voice polyphony for full, real-time synthesis. The audio engine has been highly optimized to deliver crisp, responsive performance. Choose from 22 oscillator waveforms, 3 oscillator types, 3 filter types, 4 unique effects, amplitude modulation, and panning control. Fully programmable AHDSR, LFO, and sequencer modules make TC-11 the most capable iOS synthesizer in the world. Use TC-11 in your band during live performances. Add TC-11 into your laptop orchestra. Experiment and create with the next evolution of synthesizer control! Download the complete user guide to read more: http://www.bitshapesoftware.com/instruments/tc-11/tc-11-user-guide-2.0.pdf

Screenshots

ThumbJam4 screens
TC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ThumbJam at $6.99 against TC's $24.99. ThumbJam also leads on chart position (#84 vs unranked) and ratings volume (218 vs 68). TC's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

ThumbJam costs $6.99 and TC $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for ThumbJam against 4.8 for TC. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 218 and 68 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of ThumbJam's written reviews are positive against 88% of TC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ThumbJam ships an update every 4 months, TC every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
ThumbJam versus TC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThumbJamTC
Price$6.99 — better$24.99
Rating4.7 (218 ratings)4.8 (68 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews87.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings218 — better68
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 5 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#84 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size215 MB53 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSonosaurus LLCBit Shape

Customer experience

ThumbJam

All ratings218 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral3.2%
Negative6.4%
Written reviews298 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral4.4%
Negative11.1%

TC

All ratings68 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive87.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative9.9%

User reviews

ThumbJam

From 218 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Great sound quality
  • 🎹 Versatile and expressive instrument
  • 🎶 Excellent for music creation and improvisation
  • 💻 Powerful MIDI capabilities
  • 🎨 Realistic instrument samples

Room to improve

  • 🔍 Lack of chord mode
  • 🔢 Difficulty with precise note selection
  • 🔀 Issues with loop recording and syncing
  • 🔋 Battery drain concerns
  • 🚫 Compatibility problems with newer devices/OS

TC

From 68 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎨 Innovative touch-screen interface design
  • 🎵 Exceptional sound quality and synthesis engine
  • 🎹 Unique iPad-optimized instrument approach
  • 🎚️ Highly customizable and deep sound design capabilities
  • 🎭 Expressive performance control with multitouch gestures

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes on opening and during use
  • ⚠️ Stability issues with recent updates
  • 🎹 Difficult learning curve for beginners
  • 🔌 No MIDI support or DAW integration
  • 🎼 Limited ability to play precise melodies

Bugs and requests

ThumbJam

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Instrument muting when switching apps or opening help
  • Inconsistent behavior and freezing after recent updates
  • Inability to load/save recorded sets or mixes

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add chord mode for easier chord playing
  • Improve loop recording and syncing capabilities
  • Implement quantization options for tighter timing
  • Expand instrument library with more diverse sounds
  • Add support for Audio Unit (AUv3) to integrate with DAWs
Show 1 more
  • Improve interface for adjusting octave/span across multiple instruments

TC

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes upon opening after recent updates
  • Black screen crashes when launching
  • Crashes when adding patches to folders
  • Crashes within Audiobus after 13.1 update
  • AudioCopy button crashes on iPad 3
Show 4 more
  • Unable to download latest version
  • Glitches and crashes with complex patches
  • Audiobus integration issues causing crashes
  • Performance issues on older iPad models

Requested features

12 requests
  • MIDI support and DAW synchronization
  • Ability to record and playback motion gestures
  • Sample import and granular synthesis capabilities
  • Microtonal tuning support (Scala files)
  • Note hold function per surface
Show 7 more
  • Mixer for oscillator volume balancing
  • Scale constraint for melodic playing
  • Garage Band export support
  • Real-time preview during patch editing
  • Polyphonic aftertouch support
  • Multiple FM oscillators
  • Bluetooth MIDI connectivity

In-app purchases

None

ThumbJam

No in-app purchases

None

TC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ThumbJam free?
ThumbJam costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TC free?
TC costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ThumbJam or TC?
TC is rated higher. ThumbJam averages 4.7 out of 5 from 218 ratings, while TC averages 4.8 from 68 ratings.
Do ThumbJam or TC have ads?
Neither ThumbJam nor TC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ThumbJam or TC?
ThumbJam ships an update every 4 months, and TC every 5 weeks. Most recently, ThumbJam was updated on October 16, 2026 and TC on October 7, 2026.

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