TouchBells vs Penyacah
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TouchBells
This app is a virtual carillon instrument for iPad, offering xylophone, vibraphone, and tubular bell sounds. Users can play freely, record and share songs, and learn to play through a teach mode. It's designed for musical exploration and early childhood education.
- Virtual carillon instrument
- Xylophone, Vibraphone, Tubular Bells sounds
- Song recording and playback
- Song sharing with other users
- Teach mode for learning songs
- Adjustable stereo effect
- Tunable instrument pitch
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TouchBells is an easy and fun to use carillon music instrument (Glockenspiel) for the Apple iPad. The instrument covers a range of 1 1/2 octaves (from C3 to F#4). Classic Xylophone sounds, Vibraphone sounds and Tubular Bells sounds are available. With TouchBells, you can just freely play along or record and play back your songs. You can also share the songs you recorded with other TouchBells users. By using the TouchBells teach mode, you can learn how to play the songs other TouchBells users share with you. TouchBells is also great for kids early musical education. TouchBells has several unique features: - Xylophone or Vibraphone sounds. - Adjustable Stereo effect. - Its tunable, you can alter the instrument pitch. - Song recording and song management. - Share you songs with other TouchBells users by eMail. - Export your songs for iTunes. - Learn how to play using the Teach Mode. - Play dynamically using TouchBells touch-sensitivity feature. - Choose from four different bar captions (None, German-, American- and Solmisation-Style). Furthermore, TouchBells includes 25 demo songs: - Cradlesong (Wiegenlied) - Frere Jacques - Muss i denn, muss i denn zum Staedtele naus - Silent Night - My Bonny Is Over The Ocean - Ode to Joy - The moon as risen - Rondo all Turka (Turkish March) - When the Saints Go Marching In - Matilda - What shall we do with the trunken sailor? - Kojo no Tsuki - The Song of the Volga Boatmen - La Cucaracha - O Christmas Tree - Jingle Bells - Happy Birthday To You - Schneewalzer - Auld Lang Syne - Row, Row, Row Your Boat - Für Elise - Michael Row the Boat Ashore - She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain - Hänschen Klein - Old Mac Donald With the demo songs and the TouchBells Teach Mode, you can start directly with the learning how to play!
Penyacah
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World's first iPhone/iPad implementation of the main instruments of a Balinese Gamelan Gong Kebyar! The Penyacah is a seven-key metallophone in the Balinese Gamelan Gong Kebyar that is one octave higher than the jublag, and supports the main melody played by the giying. * Authentic sound bank sampled directly from real instruments * User interaction designed to replicate true playing experience * Playing sound can be stopped --- essential for Gamelan! * High-quality photos showcasing real instruments * Optimized for ultra-low latency audio playback * Zoomable views for detailed instrument exploration * Customizable display of cipher notations to suit your preferences * Completely ad-free for uninterrupted enjoyment
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: TouchBells at every 5 months against Penyacah's every 20 months. TouchBells also leads on price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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
TouchBells costs $1.99 and Penyacah $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
TouchBells ships an update every 5 months, Penyacah every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TouchBells | Penyacah |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $3.99 |
| Rating | 2.5 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months — better | Every 20 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 42 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thomas Braun | emacsian Company Limited |
In-app purchases
TouchBells
No in-app purchases
Penyacah
No in-app purchases









