# iShala vs Darbar Player

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Darbar Player at 91% against iShala's 42%. Darbar Player also leads on price (Free vs $12.99) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). iShala's advantage is ratings volume (162 vs 35) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Darbar Player is free to download; iShala costs $12.99 up front. iShala sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Darbar Player sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Darbar Player holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 162 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of iShala's written reviews are positive against 91% of Darbar Player's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iShala | Darbar Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ishala/id366107163/reviews) | **[4.9 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbar-player/id1535806731/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **162** | 35 |
| Positive reviews | 42.4% of reviews | **91.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 111 MB | 82 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Swar Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/366107166) | [Darbar Arts Culture and Heritage Trust](https://appshunter.io/developer/1535806733) |

## What reviewers say

### iShala

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ishala/id366107163)

This app provides accompaniment for Indian classical music practice, offering customizable tanpuras, tablas, and other instruments. It includes a vast library of rhythmic cycles and ragas, with advanced features like pitch correction and recording capabilities in its Pro edition.

**Highlights:** Customizable tanpuras and tablas, Vast library of ragas and rhythmic cycles, Pitch correction for vocal accuracy, Manual instrument playing via MIDI keyboard, Session recording and loop creation, Cloud access to user-created content

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iShala 5 Pro Edition | $9.99 | one-time |


### Darbar Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/darbar-player/id1535806731)

Explore a vast library of Indian classical music with over 800 UHD videos from renowned artists. Enjoy ad-free, uninterrupted access to concerts, documentaries, and interviews, with options to stream or download content offline. Discover new talent and exclusive premieres regularly.

**Highlights:** 800+ UHD Indian classical music videos, Ad-free streaming and downloads, Exclusive premieres and uncut content, Search by raga, genre, or musician, On-demand access to concerts and documentaries

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Darbar Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Darbar Yearly | $99.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iShala free?

iShala costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Darbar Player free?

Darbar Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iShala or Darbar Player?

Darbar Player is rated higher. iShala averages 4.6 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while Darbar Player averages 4.9 from 35 ratings.

### Do iShala or Darbar Player have ads?

Neither iShala nor Darbar Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iShala or Darbar Player?

iShala ships an update every 3 months, and Darbar Player every 3 months. Most recently, iShala was updated on October 27, 2026 and Darbar Player on October 27, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*