Comparison

MINI vs Volotic

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

Head to head
About

MINI

Create music with a free, 16-step sequencer featuring basic synthesizer waves and drum loops. Enjoy multi-touch note input and Wi-Fi sync for collaborative jamming. A simple and fun tool for electronic music enthusiasts.

Highlights
  • 16-step sequencer
  • Multi-touch note input
  • 32 polyphonic tones + 1 drum track
  • 4 synthesizer waves
  • 4 drumbeat loops
  • Wi-Fi sync play
Features
Read full description

Karl Bartos (electronic musician, ex-KW, co-composer of songs like The Robots, The Model, Computer World,...) and Masayuki Akamatsu (media artist and author of various iPhone apps such as Banner, Oscillator, Echochops,...) create a 16 step music sequencer which is free, simple and fun. The executive producer is Jean-Marc Lederman. We have created this simple music app for fun: it implements the basic waves of a synthesizer with a 16 step sequencer. This app is completely free, but we would be glad if you would consider a donation to the Red Cross. In 2011, the year we were making this app, the Great East Japan Earthquake struck, and we released it as donationware to support the people affected. The damage from that disaster has still not fully healed, and disasters have continued to occur around the world since then. We continue to ask for your support. This application has the functions listed below. - 16 steps sequencer - Start/stop sequence - Multi-touch note input - 32 polyphonic tones + 1 drum track - 4 waves (saw, triangular, square, sine) - 4 drumbeat loops - Drums on/off - Random notes - Clear notes - Additional information Please enjoy our music and think World.

About

Volotic

Create unique songs with a visual sequencer, no musical experience needed. Arrange "towers" on a grid to generate beats and trigger instruments. Explore diverse tower types and share your creations.

Highlights
  • Nonlinear song composition
  • Tower-based beat creation
  • Instrument triggering
  • Preset scales and arpeggios
  • Manual tuning
  • 3D sound visualization
  • Composition recording and sharing
Features
Read full description

Volotic is an experimental nonlinear sequencer by artist Scott Garner. What does that even mean? It means a fun way to create songs for everyone, with no musical experience required. In Volotic, you compose a song by arranging a selection of "towers" on a grid. Each tower has a different function for creating beats, modifying beats or triggering instruments. Here are some points with bullets next to them: • Over fifty tower types with more on the way. • A selection of demo compositions to get you started. • No musical experience is required, preset scales and arpeggios keep things sounding nice. • Manual tuning for advanced control. • 3D sound—drag your music to focus on different sections. • Easily record and share your composition with Everyplay. • Tons of new towers and handy features in Plus Mode. Volotic was selected for inclusion in the App Store Best of 2015. Neat!

Screenshots

MINI4 screens
Volotic1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MINI at none against Volotic's 1. MINI also leads on review sentiment (74% vs 54%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Volotic's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.9) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Volotic sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MINI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Volotic holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 24 and 13 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 74% of MINI's written reviews are positive against 54% of Volotic's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MINI ships an update monthly, Volotic every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MINI versus Volotic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMINIVolotic
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (24 ratings)4.2 (13 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.8% of reviews — better53.7% of reviews
Number of ratings24 — better13
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.07.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMasayuki AkamatsuSGARNER LLC

Customer experience

MINI

All ratings24 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral4.2%
Negative20.8%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive73.8%
Neutral7.1%
Negative19.0%

Volotic

All ratings11 ratings
Positive72.7%
Neutral9.1%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive53.7%
Neutral9.3%
Negative37.0%

In-app purchases

None

MINI

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Volotic

One-time1
  • Plus Mode$1.99

Questions

Is MINI free?
MINI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Volotic free?
Volotic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MINI or Volotic?
Volotic is rated higher. MINI averages 3.9 out of 5 from 24 ratings, while Volotic averages 4.2 from 13 ratings.
Do MINI or Volotic have ads?
Neither MINI nor Volotic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MINI or Volotic?
MINI ships an update monthly, and Volotic every 2 months. Most recently, MINI was updated on November 6, 2026 and Volotic on November 1, 2026.

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