Mouth Harp vs Handpan Sim
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mouth Harp
This app simulates the sound of a mouth harp, a folk instrument. By touching the screen to your lips and adjusting your mouth cavity, you can alter the instrument's sound, similar to a "wah wah" pedal effect on a guitar. An in-app guide helps new users learn to play.
- Mouth harp sound simulation
- Touchscreen interface
- Adjustable mouth cavity effect
- Interactive "hot spots" guide
- Folk instrument sounds
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The mouth harp is a small folk instrument also known as a jaw harp or jew's harp. When you hold it to your mouth and change the size of your mouth cavity, the sound of the instrument changes, similar to a guitar played through a "wah wah" pedal. To play the mouth harp app: 1) Touch the iPhone screen to your lips. 2) Tap the thin end of the mouth harp to hear a "twang" sound. 3) Move your lips further apart or closer together to change the frequency response of the sound. If you're having trouble, tap the (?) icon to show the "hot spots" on the screen. To see how the app works before you buy it, to send feedback or to request help, please visit http://www.mouthharpapp.com. >>> If you have a problem or a suggestion, 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. <<<
Handpan Sim
Explore the meditative sounds of the handpan with this simulator. It offers authentic tones, microtonal tuning, and adjustable effects for creative musical expression. Record and share your performances easily.
- Authentic handpan sounds
- Microtonal tuning
- Adjustable reverb and chorus effects
- Dynamic key sensitivity
- Multiple play modes
- Built-in performance recorder
- Screen recording capability
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Handpan Sim puts a real-sounding handpan drum on your iPhone and iPad. Every tone is sampled from a real handpan and rings out naturally in a warm room, so a single tap already sounds like music. No account, no lessons to sit through: open the app and play. PLAY IT LIKE THE REAL THING - Tap a tone field for melody and the centre for the deep Ding. Use several fingers for chords. - Tak and Knuckle keys add percussion beside the drum. On iPad, a hit on the bare shell plays a tak. - Touch dynamics: hits at the centre of a field sound fuller, hits near the edge softer, and every hit varies slightly, like a real pan. - Slide to play: run your finger across the fields to play fast rolls without lifting it. - Built on a low-latency audio engine for tight, responsive play. 63 HANDPAN SCALES, ANY DING - Kurd, Celtic Minor and Amara, Hijaz, Pygmy and Low Pygmy, Integral, Mystic, La Sirena, Aegean, Sabye, Equinox, Golden Gate, Magic Voyage, Ysha Savita, Avalon, Akebono, Insen, Raga Desh, Saladin and many more. - Move the Ding up or down to play any scale in the key you want. - Search by name or note, browse by family and preview a scale before it goes on stage. - Centered or Split note layout, with note names, numbers or both. LOOP AND LAYER - The Looper records a phrase and repeats it so you can play over it. - Add layer after layer, mute or balance each one, undo and redo. - Set tempo, beats per bar and count-in, or tap the tempo in. Change the tempo and the loop stretches to fit. - A metronome keeps you in time. RECORD AND SHARE - Record performances of up to 30 minutes. - Save a loop as a recording, with the number of repeats you choose. - Share any take as a WAV file to your DAW, messages or social apps. YOUR STAGE - Fourteen finishes, from Leather and Brass to Nitrided Obsidian and Rose Gold. - An ambient lamp and strike glow you can tune to any colour. - Reverb, master volume and haptic feedback. - iPhone in portrait, iPad in portrait and landscape. GREAT FOR Meditation and yoga sessions, relaxing after work, sound healing practice, songwriting, film and game sketches, or simply trying a handpan before you buy one. FREE TO PLAY The full instrument, the Looper, the metronome and recording are free. Kurd 9, Amara 9 and Hijaz 9 are open from the start, and any other scale opens for the session with a short ad. HANDPAN SIM PREMIUM - All 63 scales, with no ads to unlock them - Two handpans on stage at once - Keep every take and loop in your library - All fourteen finishes - No ads Premium is offered as a yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, a monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://alyakastudio.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://alyakastudio.com/privacy-policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Handpan Sim at 4.5 against Mouth Harp's 3.3. Handpan Sim also leads on update cadence (every 5 months vs every 19 months) and ratings volume (43 vs 4). Mouth Harp's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). On price, review sentiment and device support 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
Both are free to download. Handpan Sim sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Mouth Harp asks for nothing beyond the download.
Handpan Sim holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handpan Sim has 43 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 40% and 40% positive.
Mouth Harp ships an update every 19 months, Handpan Sim every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mouth Harp | Handpan Sim |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (4 ratings) | 4.5 (43 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | 40.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 43 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 71 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Arlo Leach | Alper Kahriman |
Customer experience
Mouth Harp
Handpan Sim
In-app purchases
Mouth Harp
No in-app purchases
Handpan Sim
- Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
- Premium Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
- Lifetime Premium$29.99









