# Fugue Machine Rubato vs Circa Looper

The clearest difference is price: Circa Looper at $7.99 against Fugue Machine Rubato's $39.99. Fugue Machine Rubato's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 33%) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Fugue Machine Rubato costs $39.99 and Circa Looper $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Fugue Machine Rubato holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fugue Machine Rubato has 68 ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of Fugue Machine Rubato's written reviews are positive against 33% of Circa Looper's.

Fugue Machine Rubato ships an update weekly, Circa Looper every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fugue Machine Rubato | Circa Looper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $39.99 | **$7.99** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (68 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fugue-machine-rubato/id6670253122/reviews)** | [4.6 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circa-looper/id6739890878/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **68** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **74.6% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 17 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Alexandernaut](https://appshunter.io/developer/508173422) | [Audio Damage, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1248448317) |

## What reviewers say

### Fugue Machine Rubato

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fugue-machine-rubato/id6670253122)

This app offers a unique musical canvas for creating and manipulating MIDI sequences. It features a nonlinear time engine that allows for expressive acceleration, deceleration, and directional changes of playheads, along with robust parameter automation for notes and other elements.

**Highlights:** Time-bending playheads, Parameter automation, Nonlinear time engine, Sculpt envelopes with curves, Up to eight playheads, Per-playhead note echoes, Multiple MIDI outputs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful and flexible
- 🚀 Stable and reliable
- 👍 Inspiring and creative
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Lots of presets to get started

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Lacks a parameter randomizer feature
- 🐛 Doesn't work with Logic Pro (only standalone)

**Reported bugs**

- Doesn't work with Logic Pro
- Compatibility issues with older macOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add a parameter randomizer feature
- Improve documentation and provide a complete manual


### Circa Looper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circa-looper/id6739890878)

A powerful multi-channel looping instrument for iPad, designed for musicians and producers. It offers six independent stereo loop layers, deep modulation, precision syncing, and built-in effects for creating complex patterns and evolving soundscapes. Its touch-friendly interface allows for hands-on creative control and seamless DAW integration.

**Highlights:** Six independent stereo loop layers, Deep modulation control, Precision syncing, Built-in reverb and delay, Touch-friendly interface, Full MIDI mapping, Drag-and-drop audio export

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fugue Machine Rubato free?

Fugue Machine Rubato costs $39.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Circa Looper free?

Circa Looper costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Fugue Machine Rubato or Circa Looper?

Fugue Machine Rubato is rated higher. Fugue Machine Rubato averages 4.8 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while Circa Looper averages 4.6 from 10 ratings.

### Do Fugue Machine Rubato or Circa Looper have ads?

Neither Fugue Machine Rubato nor Circa Looper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fugue Machine Rubato or Circa Looper?

Fugue Machine Rubato ships an update weekly, and Circa Looper every 3 weeks. Most recently, Fugue Machine Rubato was updated on October 16, 2026 and Circa Looper on October 14, 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.*