# Tape vs TreadTunes

The clearest difference is price: TreadTunes at Free against Tape's $1.99. TreadTunes also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). Tape's advantage is ratings volume (259 vs 4) and update cadence (every 7 months vs every 27 months). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

TreadTunes is free to download; Tape costs $1.99 up front. Tape sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. TreadTunes asks for nothing beyond the download.

TreadTunes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tape has 259 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Tape ships an update every 7 months, TreadTunes every 27 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tape | TreadTunes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.5 (259 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tape/id537766208/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/treadtunes/id6446474915/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **259** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 7 months** | Every 27 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 25 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.5** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Rutkowskij](https://appshunter.io/developer/518370415) | [Kyler Knebel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1459478461) |

## What reviewers say

### Tape

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tape/id537766208)

Relive the 80s with a virtual cassette player that emulates the feel of old-school music playback. Enjoy your iPhone music library with animated cassettes and intuitive touch controls. Choose from a variety of cassette designs for a nostalgic experience.

**Highlights:** Cassette player emulator, Plays music from Apple Music App, Animated cassette display, Large selection of cassette designs, Intuitive touch controls (play, pause, swipe), Pinch to zoom for original cassette size

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| New Cassette Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cassette collection 2 | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Authentic nostalgic cassette player design
- 👍 User-friendly and intuitive interface
- 🎵 Realistic animations with moving reels and playheads
- 💰 Free app with extensive cassette designs included
- 🎮 Interactive controls with swipe gestures

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 App doesn't close properly with swipe gesture
- 🐛 Tape head animation reversed (plays down, pauses up)
- ❌ Limited to Apple Music only
- ❌ No local file playback support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when using menus
- Freezes on iPhone iOS 14.4.2 and later
- Swipe-to-close doesn't stop playback
- Playhead and capstan roller animation reversed
- App closes unexpectedly for no reason

**Requested features**

- Save and switch between custom mixed tapes
- Playlist duration limits based on cassette type
- Clicking sounds for play/stop button presses
- Support for local MP3 and M4A files
- Screen sleep toggle while music plays


### TreadTunes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/treadtunes/id6446474915)

Sync your workout intensity with your favorite music. Connect to Spotify and automatically adjust song tempo to match your walking, jogging, or running pace.

**Highlights:** Tempo matching to music, Spotify integration, Automatic pace adjustment, Supports walking, jogging, running

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tape free?

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

### Is TreadTunes free?

TreadTunes is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tape or TreadTunes?

TreadTunes is rated higher. Tape averages 4.5 out of 5 from 259 ratings, while TreadTunes averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Tape or TreadTunes have ads?

Neither Tape nor TreadTunes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tape or TreadTunes?

Tape ships an update every 7 months, and TreadTunes every 27 months. Most recently, Tape was updated on October 29, 2026 and TreadTunes on October 20, 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.*