# Santoor vs Viola Real

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Viola Real at none against Santoor's 6. Viola Real also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Santoor's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 46 months) and review sentiment (69% vs 44%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Santoor sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Viola Real asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Santoor against 4.3 for Viola Real. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 242 and 114 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Santoor's written reviews are positive against 44% of Viola Real's.

Santoor ships an update every 2 months, Viola Real every 46 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Santoor | Viola Real |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (242 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santoor/id573562256/reviews) | **[4.3 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viola-real/id1478548805/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **242** | 114 |
| Positive reviews | **68.6% of reviews** | 44.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 46 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 24 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Amir Kamali](https://appshunter.io/developer/488626145) | [Son Truong Ngoc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1447240720) |

## What reviewers say

### Santoor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/santoor/id573562256)

Transform your device into a virtual stringed musical instrument. Learn to play, record your own songs, and share them with a global community. Enjoy high-quality studio sounds and a responsive interface for an immersive musical experience.

**Highlights:** Virtual Santoor instrument, High-quality studio sounds, Record and save playings, Export audio files, Share playings online, Multi-touch support, Learn by watching

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Membership - Weekly | $3.99 | per 7 days |
| Pro Membership - Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Pro Membership - Quarterly | $12.99 | per 3 months |
| Pro Membership - Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Upgrade to Full version | $1.99 | one-time |
| Upgarde To Full version | $149.00 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Authentic and realistic santoor sound quality
- 🎨 Beautiful graphics and visual design
- 📱 Portable santoor instrument in pocket
- 🎓 Helpful for learning and practice
- 🎯 Accurate Persian classical tuning

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent app crashes and force closes
- 🔇 No sound output on some devices
- 📢 Intrusive ads disrupting gameplay
- 🔊 Volume control unavailable or fixed
- ⚠️ Incompatible with iOS 13 and newer versions

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes immediately upon opening
- Splash screen opens then closes
- iOS 13+ compatibility issues
- No sound on iPad Air 2 and iPad Pro
- Ads replacing santoor image and disrupting touch controls

**Requested features**

- MIDI keyboard connectivity
- Ability to play multiple strings simultaneously
- String highlighting during playback
- Built-in santoor tuner
- Demo songs with string highlighting for learning


### Viola Real

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viola-real/id1478548805)

This app simulates playing the viola with two distinct techniques: bowing (Arco) and plucking (Pizzicato). It offers practice songs with adjustable speed, multiple difficulty modes, and a recording feature for sharing.

**Highlights:** Arco (bowing) and Pizzicato (plucking) simulation, Practice songs with adjustable speed, Simple and Professional play modes, Autoplay feature, Recording and sharing capability, Regular song updates

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Santoor free?

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

### Is Viola Real free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Santoor or Viola Real?

Viola Real is rated higher. Santoor averages 4.3 out of 5 from 242 ratings, while Viola Real averages 4.3 from 114 ratings.

### Do Santoor or Viola Real have ads?

Both Santoor and Viola Real show ads.

### Which is updated more often, Santoor or Viola Real?

Santoor ships an update every 2 months, and Viola Real every 46 months. Most recently, Santoor was updated on November 1, 2026 and Viola Real 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.*