Comparison

PolyTune vs TouchOSC

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

Head to head
About

PolyTune

This application provides a powerful and accurate tuning tool for musicians. It allows for simultaneous tuning of all strings, supports various guitar and bass modes, and offers drop tunings. Its technology is based on a highly-regarded pedal tuner used by professionals.

Highlights
  • Tune all strings at once
  • Guitar/bass mode
  • Drop tunings support
  • Award-winning pedal technology
  • Chromatic tuning modes
  • High accuracy
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

It's the most powerful tool you've ever had in your pants! You know ... for tuning. That said, this is one of those nuggets on the App store you cannot afford to miss if you value being in tune and you take your smartphone with you when you go places. Yes to both? Then it's a no-brainer! - Tune all strings at once! Just strum your guitar, and see the pitch of all strings instantly. - Guitar/bass mode - Drop-tunings - 1:1 port of the award-winning PolyTune pedal (Guitar Player, Guitar World, Premier Guitar, MIPA, NAMM Best in Show 2010, etc.) - Based one the world’s best selling pedal tuner used by countless pros such as Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Steve Morse, Orianthi and many more! PolyTune is the world's first polyphonic tuner that will have future guitarists wondering how we ever got by without it. The magic lies in a never before seen approach to tuning aimed at speed, accuracy and ease of use, which allows you to get in tune fast, and back to doing what you love: playing. The PolyTune iPhone app is a 1:1 port of the award-winning PolyTune pedal tuner, and PolyTune for iPhone delivers exactly the same features and tuning technology as the pedal version. The pedal version is the fastest way to tune on-stage, whereas the iPhone app is the fastest and most convenient way to tune off-stage. Specifications: - Reference pitch from 435Hz to 445Hz - Drop tuning from E-flat to B - 0.5 cent accuracy - 2 chromatic tuning modes: Needle and Stream - MonoPoly recognizes whether one or several strings are played at once

About

TouchOSC

This app provides a powerful and flexible modular control surface for MIDI and OSC messages. It features a GPU-powered editor for creating complex layouts, cross-network synchronized editing, and a scripting engine for deep customization. It's designed for musicians and audio professionals seeking advanced control over their digital audio workstations and other compatible software.

Highlights
  • Modular control surface
  • Powerful integrated editor
  • MIDI and OSC message support
  • Cross-network synchronized editing
  • Scripting engine for customization
  • Wired & wireless MIDI connections
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Brand-new app. Brand-new powerful editor. We've listened for the past 10 years and we've re-written the application from the ground up - with speed, features and usability in mind. A GPU-powered, fast and advanced integrated editor is part of TouchOSC on all platforms - create the most complex of control layouts with ease and precision. MIDI, OSC and more... TouchOSC supports sending and receiving any number of MIDI and OSC messages on many connections simultaneously. On top of OSC over UDP & TCP, we support every type of wired & wireless MIDI connection your device can offer, including MIDI over USB. Cross-Network. Synchronized editing. Multiple instances of TouchOSC can be connected on the network for synchronized editing. Use the precision of your desktop's mouse and keyboard for fine-grained, detailed editing - test-drive and preview in real-time on all connected touch-screen devices at the same time. Scripting and local messages. A lightweight and fast scripting engine allows deep access to all aspects of your controller and enables limitless customization and interactivity. For less complex tasks we've added local messages - simply wire up controls to transmit or display values; no need to break out the big (code) guns. Easy. This is only the beginning... We've supported and updated TouchOSC Mk1 for more than 10 years and we're planning to do the same for this new version. We've already got a whole bunch of features cooking that were just not quite ready yet. There is so much more to come... Welcome to the next generation!

Screenshots

PolyTune4 screens
TouchOSC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PolyTune at $4.99 against TouchOSC's $19.99. PolyTune also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). TouchOSC's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 2.8) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 40 months). On review sentiment, 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

PolyTune costs $4.99 and TouchOSC $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TouchOSC holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 79 and 232 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of PolyTune's written reviews are positive against 72% of TouchOSC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PolyTune ships an update every 40 months, TouchOSC every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
PolyTune versus TouchOSC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolyTuneTouchOSC
Price$4.99 — better$19.99
Rating2.8 (79 ratings)4.6 (232 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.7% of reviews71.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings79232 — better
Update frequencyEvery 40 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#184#115 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size45 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTC ElectronicHexler LLC

Customer experience

PolyTune

All ratings79 ratings
Positive41.8%
Neutral6.3%
Negative51.9%
Written reviews513 reviews
Positive65.7%
Neutral9.6%
Negative24.8%

TouchOSC

All ratings232 ratings
Positive90.1%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.8%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive71.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative19.2%

User reviews

PolyTune

From 79 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🩵 Works really well
  • 💯 Accurate and precise
  • 🔢 Polyphonic tuning mode
  • 🎨 Customizable display colors
  • 🔌 Works with electric and acoustic guitars

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes or freezes on newer iOS versions
  • 🔇 Struggles to pick up low strings or in noisy environments
  • ⏱️ Screen dims during use
  • 🚫 No support for alternate/custom tunings
  • 💤 Drains battery quickly when running in background

TouchOSC

From 232 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎛️ Highly customizable control surfaces
  • 💡 Powerful Lua scripting capabilities
  • 🔄 Cross-platform compatibility
  • ⚡ Stable and reliable performance
  • 🎨 Built-in editor for real-time design

Room to improve

  • 📖 Poor documentation and manual
  • 🎓 Steep learning curve for beginners
  • 🖱️ Clunky and unintuitive UI/UX
  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and connection issues
  • 📱 Limited Bluetooth MIDI support on iOS

Bugs and requests

PolyTune

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch
  • Unable to detect or tune certain strings
  • Inaccurate tuning readings

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for 432Hz tuning
  • Implement custom tuning options
  • Improve compatibility with external audio interfaces
  • Add a dedicated on/off switch

TouchOSC

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes and won't reopen
  • Connection drops between iPad and computer
  • OSC not transmitting despite showing connected
  • Screen goes blank when typing text
  • Document tree scrolling jumps erratically
Show 7 more
  • Pen input unresponsive on iPad
  • Control surfaces appearing upside down
  • Inconsistent mirror editing from desktop
  • MIDI over USB connection issues on Windows
  • Automatic 'untitled' file creation on connection
  • Studio One integration failures
  • Logic Pro mapping inconsistencies

Requested features

17 requests
  • Bluetooth MIDI support on iOS devices
  • VST/AU plugin version for DAWs
  • Better documentation and video tutorials
  • Cross-control scripting capabilities
  • Image and background customization
Show 12 more
  • Global variables for state management
  • Improved document tree navigation
  • Batch editing for multiple controls
  • Real-time cloud synchronization
  • Radial radio button controls
  • Audio analyzer for frequency/BPM detection
  • Background mode operation
  • Joycon controller support
  • NRPN MIDI support
  • Better grid snapping options
  • Position lock for interface elements
  • Standalone app compilation/export

In-app purchases

None

PolyTune

No in-app purchases

None

TouchOSC

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PolyTune free?
PolyTune costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TouchOSC free?
TouchOSC costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PolyTune or TouchOSC?
TouchOSC is rated higher. PolyTune averages 2.8 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while TouchOSC averages 4.6 from 232 ratings.
Do PolyTune or TouchOSC have ads?
Neither PolyTune nor TouchOSC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PolyTune or TouchOSC?
PolyTune ships an update every 40 months, and TouchOSC every 6 weeks. Most recently, PolyTune was updated on October 17, 2026 and TouchOSC on October 16, 2026.
Which is more popular, PolyTune or TouchOSC?
PolyTune currently peaks at #184 in the App Store charts, and TouchOSC at #115. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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