Comparison

True Metronome vs Cello Tuner

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

Head to head
About

True Metronome

This app provides a reliable metronome for musicians, featuring realistic acoustic sounds and precise timing. It offers practice tools like tempo training and live detection, along with progress tracking and Apple ecosystem integrations.

Highlights
  • Realistic acoustic metronome sounds
  • Precise timing with zero drift
  • Tempo Trainer for gradual speed increase
  • Live Tempo Detection via microphone
  • Apple Watch and Siri integration
  • Progress tracking and global rankings
Features
Read full description

True Metronome — the practice companion musicians have trusted since 2012. No ads. No subscription. Start the metronome in one tap — drag the weight, choose your time signature, and practice. Every beat comes from recordings of real mechanical metronomes, with subtle natural variations that keep long practice sessions pleasant. PRACTICE TOOLS (Pro) - Subdivisions — 11 patterns including triplets, sixteenths and swing - Tempo Trainer — gradually increase the tempo over measures, so you build speed without noticing - Live Tempo Detection — the microphone listens to your playing and shows your actual BPM in real time - Presets — save and load your favorite setups (BPM, time signature, subdivisions) - Flash on Beat — the screen flashes on every beat as a visual cue METRONOME - Zero timing drift — mathematically precise beats - Natural acoustic sound from recordings of real metronomes - Realistic pendulum physics - Time signatures from 1 to 13 beats per measure - Tap tempo to match any song — 5 free detections a day, unlimited with Pro - Beautiful backgrounds and multiple skins APPLE ECOSYSTEM - Apple Watch app — control the metronome from your wrist - Siri — "Hey Siri, start metronome" or "Allegro metronome" - Live Activities & Dynamic Island — tempo always visible - Home Screen & Lock Screen widgets - Background playback TRACK YOUR PROGRESS - Practice stats — daily, weekly, and monthly - Global rankings — compare yourself with musicians in your country and around the world FREE VERSION INCLUDES All tempos (20–400 BPM), all backgrounds, 2 skins, all time signatures, 1 bell accent, and background playback. PRO UPGRADE (one-time purchase) Subdivisions, Tempo Trainer, Live Tempo Detection, Tap Tempo, Presets, Flash on Beat, all skins, all bell accents, Siri, Apple Watch, widgets, and Live Activities. No subscription. Pay once, own it forever. Used by classical musicians, students, and teachers in 190+ countries. Available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch.

About

Cello Tuner

Easily tune your cello with real-time visual feedback. This app uses your device's microphone to detect pitch, guiding you to perfect tuning for all strings and multiple tunings. Explore standard and alternative tunings with automatic or manual mode options.

Highlights
  • Real-time pitch detection
  • Live needle display
  • Automatic and manual modes
  • Multiple tuning options
  • Reference tones
  • Visual cues for perfect pitch
Features
Read full description

Struggling to tune your cello by ear? Cello Tuner uses your device's microphone to detect pitch in real time, giving you instant visual feedback so every string rings true. REAL-TIME PITCH DETECTION ・See exactly how sharp or flat each string is with a live needle display ・Get clear visual cues that guide you to perfect pitch ・Works with all four cello strings across multiple tunings AUTOMATIC AND MANUAL MODES ・Let the app detect which string you're playing automatically ・Or tap a specific string to lock onto it for precise control ・Switch between modes with a single tap MULTIPLE TUNING OPTIONS ・Standard tuning (C-G-D-A) included free ・Access alternative tunings like Drop C, Open G, and more with Pro ・Play reference tones to tune by ear when you need them Whether you're warming up before rehearsal, tuning between movements, or exploring alternative tunings for new compositions, Cello Tuner gives you the accuracy you need. Cello Tuner app is free to use. However, premium features are available for subscribers. If you choose to upgrade, you'll gain access to additional features. Terms of Use: https://olivetapp.github.io/Cello-Tuner/term-of-use Privacy Policy: https://olivetapp.github.io/Cello-Tuner/privacy-policy

Screenshots

True Metronome4 screens
Cello Tuner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: True Metronome at none against Cello Tuner's shown. True Metronome also leads on ratings volume (267 vs 5) and device support (4 vs 2). Cello Tuner's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement 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. True Metronome sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Cello Tuner sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cello Tuner holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: True Metronome has 267 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
True Metronome versus Cello Tuner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTrue MetronomeCello Tuner
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (267 ratings)4.8 (5 ratings) — better
Positive reviews73.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings267 — better5
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMikhail MotyzhenkovKartika Ardiani

Bugs and requests

True Metronome

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Prompts do not disappear, preventing app usage
  • App does not align to iPad's orientation
  • Swinging arm does not match the ticking beat
  • No sound issues reported by multiple users
  • App closes unexpectedly
Show 5 more
  • Volume is too low in newer versions
  • Clicking continues after stopping the arm
  • Clicking continues even when the app is closed (multitask)
  • No sound when phone is muted
  • No sound when connected to dock

Requested features

10 requests
  • Allow background operation when screen is off
  • Minimize interface
  • Subdivision of tempo
  • Lower frequency range (e.g., 36 bpm)
  • Bell on the 8th beat
Show 5 more
  • Stereo sound
  • Silent mode with screen flash
  • Tap to set tempo feature
  • More beat sound options
  • Ability to change the 'ching sound'

Cello Tuner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

True Metronome

One-time2
  • Special Skin$0.99
  • True Metronome Pro$9.99
5 purchases

Cello Tuner

Subscriptions4
  • 1W$1.997 Days
  • 1M$3.991 Month
  • 1Y$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • 1Y23 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro$39.99

Questions

Is True Metronome free?
True Metronome is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Cello Tuner free?
Cello Tuner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, True Metronome or Cello Tuner?
Cello Tuner is rated higher. True Metronome averages 4.6 out of 5 from 267 ratings, while Cello Tuner averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.
Do True Metronome or Cello Tuner have ads?
Cello Tuner shows ads; True Metronome does not.

Other comparisons