Comparison

Handpan Rhythms vs Handpan Sim

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

Head to head
About

Handpan Rhythms

Create and hear your own Handpan rhythms with simple notation. Practice with a metronome and explore example rhythms. Play a virtual Handpan directly within the app.

Highlights
  • Compose custom Handpan rhythms
  • Hear rhythms with virtual Handpan
  • Practice with clap metronome
  • Explore example rhythms
  • Play virtual Handpan
  • Custom scale support (premium)
  • Rhythm save/export/import (premium)
Features
Read full description

Using this app you can write your own Handpan rhythm with simple notations and hear how it sounds like with a virtual Handpan! The app also includes a set of popular rhythms as examples. You can also play the rhythm along with the clap sound as a metronome for practicing the tempo. The writing system is based on the names of the Handpan strokes with a precise timing. The user sets the number of beats in the rhythm. Each beat is shown with a box. The time duration of each beat is specified by BPM. This time duration is divided equally between all the notes written in the beat box. Also, you can play a virtual Handpan in the app, if you have no access to a real one. The premium version enables the custom scale, rhythm save, export, and import features. It also removes all ads from the app. The in-app purchase for accessing the premium version is a single-time payment which never expires.

About

Handpan Sim

Explore the meditative sounds of the handpan with this simulator. It offers authentic tones, microtonal tuning, and adjustable effects for creative musical expression. Record and share your performances easily.

Highlights
  • Authentic handpan sounds
  • Microtonal tuning
  • Adjustable reverb and chorus effects
  • Dynamic key sensitivity
  • Multiple play modes
  • Built-in performance recorder
  • Screen recording capability
Features
Read full description

Handpan Sim puts a real-sounding handpan drum on your iPhone and iPad. Every tone is sampled from a real handpan and rings out naturally in a warm room, so a single tap already sounds like music. No account, no lessons to sit through: open the app and play. PLAY IT LIKE THE REAL THING - Tap a tone field for melody and the centre for the deep Ding. Use several fingers for chords. - Tak and Knuckle keys add percussion beside the drum. On iPad, a hit on the bare shell plays a tak. - Touch dynamics: hits at the centre of a field sound fuller, hits near the edge softer, and every hit varies slightly, like a real pan. - Slide to play: run your finger across the fields to play fast rolls without lifting it. - Built on a low-latency audio engine for tight, responsive play. 63 HANDPAN SCALES, ANY DING - Kurd, Celtic Minor and Amara, Hijaz, Pygmy and Low Pygmy, Integral, Mystic, La Sirena, Aegean, Sabye, Equinox, Golden Gate, Magic Voyage, Ysha Savita, Avalon, Akebono, Insen, Raga Desh, Saladin and many more. - Move the Ding up or down to play any scale in the key you want. - Search by name or note, browse by family and preview a scale before it goes on stage. - Centered or Split note layout, with note names, numbers or both. LOOP AND LAYER - The Looper records a phrase and repeats it so you can play over it. - Add layer after layer, mute or balance each one, undo and redo. - Set tempo, beats per bar and count-in, or tap the tempo in. Change the tempo and the loop stretches to fit. - A metronome keeps you in time. RECORD AND SHARE - Record performances of up to 30 minutes. - Save a loop as a recording, with the number of repeats you choose. - Share any take as a WAV file to your DAW, messages or social apps. YOUR STAGE - Fourteen finishes, from Leather and Brass to Nitrided Obsidian and Rose Gold. - An ambient lamp and strike glow you can tune to any colour. - Reverb, master volume and haptic feedback. - iPhone in portrait, iPad in portrait and landscape. GREAT FOR Meditation and yoga sessions, relaxing after work, sound healing practice, songwriting, film and game sketches, or simply trying a handpan before you buy one. FREE TO PLAY The full instrument, the Looper, the metronome and recording are free. Kurd 9, Amara 9 and Hijaz 9 are open from the start, and any other scale opens for the session with a short ad. HANDPAN SIM PREMIUM - All 63 scales, with no ads to unlock them - Two handpans on stage at once - Keep every take and loop in your library - All fourteen finishes - No ads Premium is offered as a yearly subscription with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers, a monthly subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Terms of Use: https://alyakastudio.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://alyakastudio.com/privacy-policy/

Screenshots

Handpan Rhythms4 screens
Handpan Sim4 screens

Verdict

The call

Handpan Rhythms and Handpan Sim both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 75% of Handpan Rhythms's written reviews are positive against 40% of Handpan Sim's. Handpan Sim's advantage is ratings volume (43 vs 6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. Handpan Rhythms sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Handpan Sim sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Handpan Rhythms against 4.5 for Handpan Sim. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handpan Sim has 43 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Handpan Rhythms's written reviews are positive against 40% of Handpan Sim's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handpan Rhythms ships an update every 4 months, Handpan Sim every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Handpan Rhythms versus Handpan Sim: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpan RhythmsHandpan Sim
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (6 ratings)4.5 (43 ratings)
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews — better40.0% of reviews
Number of ratings643 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB71 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBita SobhaniAlper Kahriman

Customer experience

Handpan Rhythms

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

Handpan Sim

All ratings43 ratings
Positive83.7%
Neutral7.0%
Negative9.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Handpan Rhythms

One-time1
  • Premium$14.99
3 purchases

Handpan Sim

Subscriptions2
  • Premium Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premium$29.99

Questions

Is Handpan Rhythms free?
Handpan Rhythms is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Handpan Sim free?
Handpan Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Handpan Rhythms or Handpan Sim?
Handpan Rhythms and Handpan Sim are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 43 ratings respectively.
Do Handpan Rhythms or Handpan Sim have ads?
Both Handpan Rhythms and Handpan Sim show ads.
Which is updated more often, Handpan Rhythms or Handpan Sim?
Handpan Rhythms ships an update every 4 months, and Handpan Sim every 5 months. Most recently, Handpan Rhythms was updated on November 3, 2026 and Handpan Sim on November 4, 2026.

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