Comparison

Handpan Sim vs Simple Handpan

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

Head to head
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/

About

Simple Handpan

Experience the calming sounds of a handpan on your mobile device. This app offers multiple sound sets, built-in songs with MIDI playback, rhythmic accompaniment, and a recording library for creative musical exploration and relaxation.

Highlights
  • Multiple handpan sound sets
  • Built-in songs with MIDI playback
  • Falling-note visual guide
  • Adjustable playback speed
  • Rhythm accompaniment
  • Melody recording and management
Features
Read full description

Bring the soothing and atmospheric sound of the handpan to your iPhone and iPad. Simple Handpan is a modern handpan simulator built for relaxation, creativity, and musical exploration — featuring multiple handpan sound sets, songs, rhythms, MIDI playback, and a simple recording library. MULTIPLE HANDPAN SOUNDS Play with quality of handpan sound set which designed to create a unique tonal atmosphere. SONGS + MIDI PRACTICE Practice with built-in songs, follow MIDI playback using a falling-note style visual guide, and adjust playback speed to match your learning pace. RHYTHMS & FLOW Add gentle rhythm accompaniment to enhance timing and create a natural musical flow. MANAGE YOUR RECORDINGS Record your handpan melodies, replay them anytime, and keep all recordings neatly organized. If you’re looking for a portable handpan app for relaxation, meditation, or creative music making, Simple Handpan helps you find calm and inspiration wherever you are.

Screenshots

Handpan Sim4 screens
Simple Handpan4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Simple Handpan at 5.0 against Handpan Sim's 4.5. Simple Handpan also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Handpan Sim's advantage is ratings volume (43 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Sim sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Simple Handpan sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Simple Handpan holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Handpan Sim has 43 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Handpan Sim versus Simple Handpan: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpan SimSimple Handpan
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (43 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings43 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 months—
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size71 MB123 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlper KahrimanMustafa Demir

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Handpan Sim

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

Simple Handpan

One-time1
  • Get Premium$5.99

Questions

Is Handpan Sim free?
Handpan Sim is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Simple Handpan free?
Simple Handpan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Handpan Sim or Simple Handpan?
Simple Handpan is rated higher. Handpan Sim averages 4.5 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while Simple Handpan averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Handpan Sim or Simple Handpan have ads?
Both Handpan Sim and Simple Handpan show ads.

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