# Cytus vs Pivotate

The clearest difference is price: Pivotate at Free against Cytus's $1.99. Pivotate also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). Cytus's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#10 vs unranked). On in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Pivotate is free to download; Cytus costs $1.99 up front. Cytus sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Pivotate sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, Pivotate every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cytus | Pivotate |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.8K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 92.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | — |
| Size | 1.3 GB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rayark International Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/483529071) | [Rhalph Nino Gratela](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873892938) |

## What reviewers say

### Cytus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cytus/id485246824)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Paid · Music, #61 Top Paid · Casual, #108 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Experience a unique rhythm game with a captivating story and diverse musical genres. Tap notes in time with the music, utilizing an intuitive active scan line system. Enjoy a vast library of songs and challenging difficulty levels.

**Highlights:** 200+ songs and 400+ variations, Beautiful hand-drawn art style, Active Scan Line system, Multiple difficulty levels, Diverse music genres, Story-driven experience

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chapter N | $3.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 0 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter R | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter T | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter D | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 8 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter S | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter 10 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter K | $4.99 | one-time |
| Chapter L | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great music and soundtrack
- 🎨 Beautiful artwork and visuals
- 💯 Challenging and addictive gameplay
- 👍 Offline playability
- 🕹️ Unique and responsive controls

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤚 Thumb placement can obscure notes
- 🔢 Inconsistent difficulty ratings
- 💰 Some chapters locked behind paywall
- 🐛 Occasional bugs and crashes
- 🔌 Compatibility issues on newer devices

**Reported bugs**

- Sound not working on certain devices
- Purchased content disappearing after updates
- Inability to restore previous progress

**Requested features**

- More diverse music genres
- Customizable note sizes and placements
- Improved difficulty balancing
- Restore purchase functionality
- Dedicated marathon/endless mode


### Pivotate

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pivotate-build-spin-blocks/id6804537168)

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

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Coins — 100 Coins | $0.99 | one-time |
| Second Preview | $0.99 | one-time |
| Third Preview | $1.99 | one-time |
| Fourth Preview | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fifth Preview | $3.99 | one-time |
| Coin Pack — 600 Coins | $4.99 | one-time |
| Coin Vault — 1,300 Coins | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cytus free?

Cytus costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pivotate free?

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

### Do Cytus or Pivotate have ads?

Pivotate shows ads; Cytus does not.

### Which is updated more often, Cytus or Pivotate?

Cytus ships an update every 4 months, and Pivotate every 3 weeks. Most recently, Cytus was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pivotate on October 31, 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.*