Comparison

Washboard vs FrequencyCat

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Virtual metal washboard instrument
  • Add-on instruments like horns and woodblocks
  • Customizable decorations
  • Play along with music
  • Connect to external amplifiers
  • MIDI controller functionality
Features
Read full description

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.

About

FrequencyCat

Transform your photos into unique sound art using advanced image-to-sound technology. Explore, enjoy, and share your creative audio-visual pieces. Embrace your inner artist and discover the unexpected.

Highlights
  • Morph images into sound art
  • Create spectrogram oddities
  • Share sound art creations
  • Unique audio-visual experience
Features
Read full description

Hide an image inside sound. FrequencyCat is a playful tool for exploring the connection between images, sound, and spectrograms. Choose an image, and FrequencyCat transforms it into a unique audio signal. Play the sound and view its spectrogram, and you’ll see the original image emerge again from the frequencies. With FrequencyCat, you can: - Turn images into sound - View audio spectrograms in real time - Play sounds and reveal the images hidden inside them - Explore how different images create different sounds - Discover the relationship between sound, frequency, and Fourier transforms in an intuitive way There’s no magic behind it. Just frequencies, phases, an inverse Fourier transform, and a little curiosity about sound. Whether you’re interested in acoustics, music, signal processing, or simply wondering what an image might sound like, FrequencyCat gives you a new way to explore. Pick an image. Hear what it sounds like.

Screenshots

Washboard4 screens
FrequencyCat3 screens

Verdict

The call

Washboard and FrequencyCat both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of FrequencyCat's written reviews are positive against 43% of Washboard's. FrequencyCat also leads on price (Free vs $1.99). Washboard's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 40 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, ratings volume, 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

FrequencyCat is free to download; Washboard costs $1.99 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 — 5.0 for Washboard against 5.0 for FrequencyCat. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 43% of Washboard's written reviews are positive against 100% of FrequencyCat's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Washboard ships an update every 3 months, FrequencyCat every 40 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Washboard versus FrequencyCat: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWashboardFrequencyCat
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 months — betterEvery 40 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperArlo LeachXuesong Zhang

Customer experience

Washboard

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

FrequencyCat

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Washboard

No in-app purchases

None

FrequencyCat

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Washboard free?
Washboard costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FrequencyCat free?
FrequencyCat is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Washboard or FrequencyCat?
Washboard and FrequencyCat are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Washboard or FrequencyCat have ads?
Neither Washboard nor FrequencyCat shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Washboard or FrequencyCat?
Washboard ships an update every 3 months, and FrequencyCat every 40 months. Most recently, Washboard was updated on November 1, 2026 and FrequencyCat on November 3, 2026.

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