Celesta Sim vs SoundShader
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Celesta Sim
This app brings the enchanting, bell-like tones of the celesta to your fingertips. Explore authentic sounds, multiple play modes, and built-in effects to create and share your music.
- Authentic celesta sound samples
- Multiple sound and play modes
- Real-time reverb and chorus effects
- Sensitive touch dynamics
- Microtonal tuning
- Built-in audio recorder
- Customizable keyboard layout
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Discover the enchanting sound of the celesta with Celesta Sim Whether you're a professional musician, composer, student, or simply curious about new instruments, Celesta Sim brings the magical, bell-like tones of the celesta to your fingertips. With authentic samples, intuitive controls, and expressive features, this app delivers a beautiful and inspiring musical experience—anytime, anywhere. Play a Rare and Magical Instrument The celesta is a unique keyboard instrument that sounds like a cross between a glockenspiel and a piano-soft, shimmering, and dreamlike. Play It Your Way – Choose Between Sound Modes Tailor your playing experience with three expressive sound modes: Multi Note Mode – Play freely with rich polyphony for layered melodies and harmonies. Single Note Mode – One note at a time, great for solo lines or precision performance. No Hold Mode – Notes stop immediately when released, giving a staccato or music-box-like effect. Enhance Your Sound with Built-In Effects Add emotion and space to your performance using real-time effects: Reverb – Create depth and atmosphere with adjustable echo. Chorus – Add shimmer and harmonic richness. Sensitive Touch Mode – Press lower on each key for louder, more expressive tones—works independently per key for ultra-realistic dynamics. Customizable Keyboard Experience Make the interface work for you with flexible visual options: Note Labeling Options – Choose between Do Re Mi or C1 D1 E1... notation to suit your preference. Adjustable Key Width – Access the full 88-key range of a celesta comfortably, even on small screens. Advanced Musical Controls for Creative Exploration Microtonal Tuning – Dive into world music by adjusting individual note pitches for maqams, ragas, and alternative scales. Transpose Function – Instantly shift the entire keyboard up or down to match other instruments or vocal ranges. Capture and Share Your Music Keep track of your creativity and share it with the world: Built-In Audio Recorder – Save your performances directly in the app. Easy Sharing – Send recordings through messaging apps or share on social media. Screenshot Tool – Capture visuals of your keyboard and share instantly. Perfect for Practice, Performance, and Composition Whether you're studying music, composing for film or games, or just relaxing with ethereal melodies, Celesta Sim offers a magical and professional music-making experience. Why You’ll Love Celesta Sim Authentic celesta sounds crafted from real instrument samples Three tone styles and three play modes for total control Real-time effects and dynamic key sensitivity Microtonal tuning and transpose for global musical compatibility Built-in recording and sharing tools Fully customizable layout with note label options Clean, intuitive interface for all skill levels Download Celesta Sim today and let your creativity shine through the delicate, sparkling tones of this magical instrument!
SoundShader
Transform sound into dynamic, colorful light displays. Choose from various visual presets or customize your own to match any audio, from live microphone input to your music library. Optimized for stunning visuals on modern displays.
- Live microphone audio input
- Audio file playback with equalizer
- Apple Music integration
- Eight built-in visual presets
- Customizable color and motion
- HDR display support
- 120Hz ProMotion support
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SoundShader turns sound into moving light. Each band of the music, from the deepest bass to the brightest cymbal, drives its own ribbons of color, so a quiet ballad and a dense electronic track, combined with a variety of visual presets, create wildly different looks. Every feature in SoundShader is totally free. LISTEN TO ANYTHING • Microphone: the visuals are totally live, following what your device hears, as it happens. • Audio files: open a song from Files and the visuals follow it exactly, with a 10-band equalizer to shape how it sounds and looks. • Apple Music: play a song from your library. On iPhone and iPad, it plays through the speaker while SoundShader listens through the microphone. MAKE IT YOURS • Eight built-in looks: Rainbow, Aurora, Violet, Flame, Moss, Embers, Party and Shadow. Save your own as presets. • Color: hue, saturation, brightness, and where the warm colors hand over to the cool ones. • Motion: speed, density and size, each of which can follow the music by itself with Auto Speed, Auto Density and Auto Size. • A flowing backdrop and a live waveform. BUILT FOR GREAT DISPLAYS • Extended Dynamic Range lets the brightest light go past white on HDR displays. • Runs up to your display's full refresh rate, including 120 hz ProMotion. • Performance Mode for less power usage and higher frame rates on older devices. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No account, no ads, no tracking. Everything SoundShader hears is analyzed on your device and never leaves it.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SoundShader at none against Celesta Sim's 1. SoundShader also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 4 months). Celesta Sim's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.5). On price, ratings volume and device support 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
Both are free to download. Celesta Sim sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SoundShader asks for nothing beyond the download.
SoundShader holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively.
Celesta Sim ships an update every 4 months, SoundShader every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Celesta Sim | SoundShader |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 26.5 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 119 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alper Kahriman | Andreas Beyer-Bowden |
Customer experience
Celesta Sim
SoundShader
In-app purchases
Celesta Sim
- Get Premium$9.99
SoundShader
No in-app purchases









