Comparison

Fugue Machine Rubato vs ExoSphere

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

Head to head
About

Fugue Machine Rubato

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
Read full description

Bend time. Automate notes. A single grid as a multi-dimensional musical canvas — for iPad, iPhone, and Mac. Fugue Machine Rubato dives deeper into the multi-playhead piano roll concept of Fugue Machine Classic by adding time-bending playheads, parameter automation, and much more. At the heart of the sequencer is a nonlinear time engine that lets playheads move with a natural — or surreal — feel. Unlike conventional sequencers, where time advances at a constant rate, time in this engine can expressively accelerate, decelerate, freeze, and change direction. Playheads are now free to swing, strum, bounce, move elastically, and more. Built upon the time engine is a robust parameter automation system with time-bending automation playheads and envelopes sculpted with points, curves, and shapes. Nearly everything can be automated — even the notes. Eight years in the making, Fugue Machine Rubato is rock-solid and absolutely packed with features. HIGHLIGHTS • Bend time with curves, rates, and offsets • Automate notes and nearly everything else • Sculpt envelopes with curves and shapes • Position playheads anywhere on the grid • Play up to eight playheads at once • Apply note echoes per-playhead • Arpeggiate notes from multiple playheads • Blend notes from multiple playheads • Offset, stack, spread, and invert pitches • Clamp, compress, and expand velocities • Program drums via per-note Drum Trigs • Route notes to up to eight MIDI outputs • Organize patterns in nestable folders • Launch patterns quantized to the beat • Revert state via auto-saved Snapshots • Learn contextually via popovers • Explore ~150 built-in patterns • Control via touch, keyboard, and cursor • Resize Mac window at native resolution COMPATIBILITY Fugue Machine Rubato supports iPad, iPhone, Mac (Intel & Apple Silicon), Ableton Link, MIDI, and AUv3* MIDI. With the included AUv3 MIDI plugin, you can run multiple instances of Fugue Machine Rubato within AUv3 host apps — like AUM, Logic Pro for iPad, Loopy Pro, and Cubasis. UNIVERSAL APP — ONE-TIME PURCHASE Pay once and use on iPad, iPhone, and Mac. LEARN MORE — TRY A FREE DEMO To learn more or try a free demo via TestFlight, visit fuguemachinerubato.com.

About

ExoSphere

Create immersive ambient and meditative soundscapes with five independent sound layers. Load your own samples or use the built-in library to craft unique, evolving atmospheres for relaxation or music production.

Highlights
  • Five independent sound layers
  • Customizable sample loading
  • Built-in sample library
  • Preset management
  • Advanced randomizer
  • Standalone and AUv3 support
Features
Read full description

ExoSphere is a creative tool for shaping continuous ambient and meditative compositions, based on five independent sound layers that merge into a seamless atmosphere. It provides an effortless way to create a foundation for ambient tracks or even a complete background piece with minimal adjustments. Designed with slow rhythmic structures in mind, it is especially suited for meditative music and calm soundscapes. At the heart of ExoSphere are five complementary sound elements, each contributing a distinct dimension to the evolving sonic environment: Core - Deep, evolving drones that anchor the listener with resonant low frequencies, creating a grounding presence in the body. Flow - A layer reminiscent of an instrument, voice, or choir that forms the harmonic foundation of the composition. Gentle shifts its color and pitch, creating a subtle drifting detune that feels fluid and alive. Grain - Layers of stretched environmental fragments - whispers of wind, water, and space - that envelop the listener in a textured, atmospheric sense of place. Shard – Fleeting melodic fragments that surface and dissolve unpredictably, like echoes of imagined songs, sparking shifting associations and evoking transient images. Glow - High, sparkling tones that flicker like light on water, bringing brightness, clarity, and a gentle radiance to the soundscape. Together, these layers interweave into a living, breathing composition that never feels static. The result is a continuously shifting atmosphere - equally suitable as a meditative backdrop, a creative foundation for ambient production, or a complete standalone piece. Each layer in ExoSphere is sample-based, giving the user complete freedom to define the sonic palette. You can load your own samples into any of the five layers, tailoring the sound to your personal style and creating highly individual, versatile compositions. For a quick start, ExoSphere also includes a built‑in library of curated samples, offering ready‑to‑use material that can instantly generate immersive atmospheres. ExoSphere offers an easy start with a minimal interface: choose a factory preset and quickly refresh it by replacing samples, adjusting presence and tone. You can create new variations with the advanced randomizer, while detailed panels provide full control for those who want deeper customization. ExoSphere is a universal application for iOS and macOS. It can work on iPhone and iPad as well as Mac / MacBook with M1 chip (and later). ExoSphere works on iPhone and iPad standalone, as an Audio Unit or Inter-App Audio module, and supports Audiobus and Ableton Link. On MacOS, ExoSphere can works both as a standalone application and as an Audio unit (AUv3) with DAWs and other hosts that support AUv3 plugins. ExoSphere has a built-in detailed description of all parameters also available as PDF file on the application site. Quick start demo: https://youtu.be/1e2Ds24vXQQ You can find more information on ExoSphere and other creative audio apps at: https://motion-soundscape.blogspot.com

Screenshots

Fugue Machine Rubato4 screens
ExoSphere4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ExoSphere at $14.99 against Fugue Machine Rubato's $39.99. ExoSphere also leads on review sentiment (93% vs 75%). Fugue Machine Rubato's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Fugue Machine Rubato costs $39.99 and ExoSphere $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Fugue Machine Rubato holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 68 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Fugue Machine Rubato's written reviews are positive against 93% of ExoSphere's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fugue Machine Rubato ships an update weekly, ExoSphere every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Fugue Machine Rubato versus ExoSphere: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFugue Machine RubatoExoSphere
Price$39.99$14.99 — better
Rating4.8 (68 ratings) — better4.5 (24 ratings)
Positive reviews74.6% of reviews92.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings68 — better24
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.6
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB257 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexandernautIgor Vasiliev

Customer experience

Fugue Machine Rubato

All ratings68 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral1.5%
Negative2.9%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive74.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative19.0%

ExoSphere

All ratings22 ratings
Positive95.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.5%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%

Bugs and requests

Fugue Machine Rubato

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

2 requests
  • Add a parameter randomizer feature
  • Improve documentation and provide a complete manual

ExoSphere

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Fugue Machine Rubato

No in-app purchases

None

ExoSphere

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fugue Machine Rubato free?
Fugue Machine Rubato costs $39.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ExoSphere free?
ExoSphere costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Fugue Machine Rubato or ExoSphere?
Fugue Machine Rubato is rated higher. Fugue Machine Rubato averages 4.8 out of 5 from 68 ratings, while ExoSphere averages 4.5 from 24 ratings.
Do Fugue Machine Rubato or ExoSphere have ads?
Neither Fugue Machine Rubato nor ExoSphere shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fugue Machine Rubato or ExoSphere?
Fugue Machine Rubato ships an update weekly, and ExoSphere every 2 weeks. Most recently, Fugue Machine Rubato was updated on October 16, 2026 and ExoSphere on October 21, 2026.

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