# Santoor HD vs Pulsar

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulsar at none against Santoor HD's 1. Pulsar also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Santoor HD's advantage is review sentiment (85% vs 67%) and ratings volume (157 vs 7). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Santoor HD costs $2.99 and Pulsar $4.99 up front. Santoor HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulsar asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Santoor HD against 4.3 for Pulsar. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Santoor HD has 157 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 85% of Santoor HD's written reviews are positive against 67% of Pulsar's.

Santoor HD ships an update every 3 months, Pulsar every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Santoor HD | Pulsar |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (157 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santoor-hd/id529433654/reviews)** | [4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **157** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | **84.9% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 29 MB | 69 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Software-Kitchen](https://appshunter.io/developer/494057596) | [Dmytro Kiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621893756) |

## What reviewers say

### Santoor HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santoor-hd/id529433654)

Experience the traditional Santoor instrument with realistic sound and touch controls. Play individual notes, create vibrate effects by sliding, and even play semitones. Record and playback your musical creations with loop and fast-forward options.

**Highlights:** Realistic Santoor instrument simulation, Individual string touch for notes, Vibrate effect with horizontal sliding, Semitone playback option, Record and playback functionality, Loop and fast-forward playback

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Santoor HD - No Ads | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Beautiful and realistic instrument sound quality
- 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 🎸 Authentic santoor/harp playing experience
- 😌 Relaxing and meditative app for stress relief
- 🎹 Recording feature for capturing musical creations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes on startup for many users
- ⚠️ Incompatible with iOS 11 and newer versions
- 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywalls for semitones
- 🔒 Locked features requiring payment
- 📱 Freezes and hangs during use

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately upon opening
- Freezes on startup screen with stuck audio
- Black screen with continuous sound on launch
- Incompatible with iOS 10.2 and later versions
- Popup keyboard fails to appear when saving recordings

**Requested features**

- iOS 11+ compatibility and regular updates
- Note labels on strings for non-harp players
- Ability to layer and edit recorded tracks
- Audio input/output functionality
- Better pitch control options


### Pulsar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756)

This music app provides a virtual drum machine with 8 pads for improvising and playing along to built-in rhythm presets. It features real-time rhythm switching, tempo control, and various effects. It also supports Ableton Link and MIDI for seamless integration with other music software and hardware.

**Highlights:** 8-pad drum machine, Built-in rhythm presets, Real-time rhythm switching, Tempo and accent control, Drive, reverb, and filter effects, Ableton Link synchronization, MIDI In/Out support, AUv3 compatibility

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Santoor HD free?

Santoor HD costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Pulsar free?

Pulsar costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Santoor HD or Pulsar?

Santoor HD is rated higher. Santoor HD averages 4.3 out of 5 from 157 ratings, while Pulsar averages 4.3 from 7 ratings.

### Do Santoor HD or Pulsar have ads?

Neither Santoor HD nor Pulsar shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Santoor HD or Pulsar?

Santoor HD ships an update every 3 months, and Pulsar every 3 weeks. Most recently, Santoor HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Pulsar on November 3, 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.*