# iShala vs TaalMala

The clearest difference is price: TaalMala at Free against iShala's $12.99. iShala's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and chart position (#56 vs unranked). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

TaalMala is free to download; iShala costs $12.99 up front. iShala sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and TaalMala sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iShala holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 162 and 177 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 42% of iShala's written reviews are positive against 33% of TaalMala's.

iShala ships an update every 3 months, TaalMala every 2 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iShala | TaalMala |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (162 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ishala/id366107163/reviews)** | [4.3 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taalmala/id900947127/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 162 | **177** |
| Positive reviews | **42.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#56** | — |
| Size | 111 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Swar Systems](https://appshunter.io/developer/366107166) | [Abhijit Patait](https://appshunter.io/developer/900942887) |

## What reviewers say

### iShala

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

**Currently charting:** #56 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

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 |


### TaalMala

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/taalmala/id900947127)

This app provides realistic accompaniment for Indian classical musicians, featuring high-quality sampled instruments like Tabla and Tanpura. It offers extensive pre-composed compositions and allows users to create their own Taals, Lehras, and SwarMandal patterns. Ideal for daily practice or live performances.

**Highlights:** High-quality sampled instruments, 360+ pre-composed Taals, 246+ pre-composed Lehras, 620+ pre-composed SwarMandal patterns, Compose custom Taals and Lehras, Sequencer for arranging patterns, Adjustable tempo and pitch

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Edition - Monthly | $3.99 | per month |
| Premium Edition - Yearly | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iShala free?

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

### Is TaalMala free?

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

### Which has better reviews, iShala or TaalMala?

iShala is rated higher. iShala averages 4.6 out of 5 from 162 ratings, while TaalMala averages 4.3 from 177 ratings.

### Do iShala or TaalMala have ads?

Neither iShala nor TaalMala shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iShala or TaalMala?

iShala ships an update every 3 months, and TaalMala every 2 months. Most recently, iShala was updated on November 1, 2026 and TaalMala on November 1, 2026.

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