# SessionBand Original vs RealPlay

The clearest difference is price: RealPlay at Free against SessionBand Original's $8.99. RealPlay also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.8) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months). SessionBand Original's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

RealPlay is free to download; SessionBand Original costs $8.99 up front. RealPlay sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.29 per month. SessionBand Original asks for nothing beyond the download.

RealPlay holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 87 and 171 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of SessionBand Original's written reviews are positive against 73% of RealPlay's.

SessionBand Original ships an update every 2 months, RealPlay every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SessionBand Original | RealPlay |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $8.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (87 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sessionband-original/id580135085/reviews) | **[4.8 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realplay/id6760606889/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 87 | **171** |
| Positive reviews | 51.7% of reviews | **73.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Freemium** |
| Size | 1000 MB | 113 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UK Music Apps Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/579320222) | [RealPlay LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885286626) |

## What reviewers say

### SessionBand Original

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sessionband-original/id580135085)

Create professional-quality music in minutes with this chord-based loop app. It converts selected chords into studio-quality audio across 71 genres, even if you have no musical experience. Build, mix, and share royalty-free tracks on the go.

**Highlights:** Chord-based audio loops, 71 music styles, Instant style flipping, Track builder, Auto-transpose, Mix and record tracks, Royalty-free music creation

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 High-quality professional audio recordings
- 🎸 Wide variety of musical styles and genres
- 💡 Excellent tool for songwriting and composition
- ⚡ Quick and easy chord progression creation
- 🎼 Great for jamming and practicing with backing tracks

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📱 Poor user interface design and unintuitive controls
- ⚠️ Limited chord variations available
- 📥 Extremely tedious download process for additional styles
- 🔌 WiFi-only downloads, no cellular support

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when saving chord progressions
- App crashes when editing chords
- App crashes when adding more than one chord
- App crashes after importing files
- App crashes on iPhone X when returning to app

**Requested features**

- Audiobus compatibility
- MIDI file export functionality
- Pause/play button in edit mode
- Real-time MIDI keyboard input support
- Zoomed-out preview for full page view during performance


### RealPlay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/realplay/id6760606889)

Practice music with authentic backing tracks performed by professional musicians. Customize tempo, key, and mix for focused learning. Features over 100 standard chord progressions with an expanding library.

**Highlights:** Authentic backing tracks, 100+ standard chord progressions, Real-time tempo adjustment, Instrument isolation and mixing, Instant transposition to all keys

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| RealPlay Pro Monthly | $3.29 | per month |
| RealPlay Pro Yearly | $21.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SessionBand Original free?

SessionBand Original costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RealPlay free?

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

### Which has better reviews, SessionBand Original or RealPlay?

RealPlay is rated higher. SessionBand Original averages 3.8 out of 5 from 87 ratings, while RealPlay averages 4.8 from 171 ratings.

### Do SessionBand Original or RealPlay have ads?

Neither SessionBand Original nor RealPlay shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SessionBand Original or RealPlay?

SessionBand Original ships an update every 2 months, and RealPlay every 5 days. Most recently, SessionBand Original was updated on October 26, 2026 and RealPlay 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.*