Comparison

AirBending vs Hoverophone

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

Head to head
About

AirBending

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a hands-free MIDI and OSC controller using just your hands. Control music software, synthesizers, or play built-in instruments with expressive gestures. Supports wireless connection to computers and hardware.

Highlights
  • Hands-free MIDI and OSC control
  • Use iPhone/iPad camera for tracking
  • Wireless connection to Mac and hardware
  • Built-in AUv3 instrument hosting
  • Customizable hand mapping and scales
  • Works with popular DAWs and DJ software
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad camera into a hands-free MIDI and OSC controller. No extra hardware, no wearables. Just move your hands to control any DAW, software synthesizer, DJ software, or virtual instrument with natural, expressive gestures — or play the instruments already installed on your device through the built-in Audio Unit host. Use the front camera to control your own setup, or flip to the back camera and let your audience join the performance. Try it free for 14 days. ** Control Any Setup, On Stage or Across the Network ** Send MIDI and OSC data wirelessly to your Mac, connect directly to class-compliant hardware synthesizers over USB-C, or play any installed AUv3 instrument right on your device. With built-in RTP-MIDI and OpenSoundControl (OSC) support, your iPhone or iPad becomes a wireless controller for your entire studio network — browse and connect to Macs, modular rigs, or any networked device without a single cable. Each preset stores its own independent OSC destination, so switching between songs means switching your entire routing automatically. ** Front or Back Camera, Your Choice ** Track your own gestures with the front camera while performing, or switch to the back camera to track someone else. Point it at your audience and let them control effects, visuals, or sounds with their hands. ** Perform Confidently in Any Lighting ** Automatic low-light detection and GPU-accelerated frame enhancement keep hand tracking reliable on dark stages, dim studios, and moody live sets — where other camera-based tools struggle. ** Smart Presets with Custom Hand Mapping ** Assign up to 4 parameters per preset across two axes and both hands. Map horizontal movement to pitch across any musical scale, vertical movement to dynamics, filter cutoff, resonance, volume, or pitch bend. Save unlimited presets for different songs, instruments, or performance setups. ** Custom Scale Builder ** Go beyond standard major and minor scales — chromatic, major and minor pentatonic are built in, or select any combination of notes to create custom scales, experimental modes, or unique melodic sequences tailored to your music. ** Works with Your Favorite Music and Performance Software ** AirBending integrates directly with Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, GarageBand, FL Studio, Traktor, Serato DJ, rekordbox, Resolume, VDMX, and any MIDI or OSC compatible app. Choose any MIDI channel from 1 to 16 per preset and assign independent CC numbers to each hand and axis for precise control. Hand tracking uses Apple's Vision framework for ultra-low latency and jitter-free control signals. ** Simple, Fair Pricing ** Start with a full-featured 14-day free trial — no account required. When it ends, unlock everything forever with a single one-time purchase, or keep playing in a free limited mode (one hand, one preset, one camera). No subscriptions. Key Features: - Hand tracking MIDI and OSC controller for iPhone and iPad - Built-in AUv3 instrument hosting — play installed synth apps directly from your gestures - Front and back camera support for self-tracking or audience interaction - Real-time gesture recognition with smoothing for stable control - RTP-MIDI wireless network MIDI with Bonjour peer discovery - USB MIDI for class-compliant synthesizers and hardware - OpenSoundControl (OSC) support with per-preset routing - Enhanced low light hand tracking for stage and studio - Custom scale and note selection, plus chromatic and pentatonic scales - Notes, control changes, and pitch bend output - Unlimited preset saving and recall - Works with any MIDI or OSC compatible DAW, DJ, or VJ app - No additional hardware required - Free 14-day trial, then a one-time unlock or a free limited mode Note: AirBending controls other software via MIDI and OSC, and can also play Audio Unit instruments installed on your device.

About

Hoverophone

This app reimagines the theremin for your iPhone, allowing you to play music by waving your hands in the air without touching the screen. It offers a polyphonic synthesizer with various sound options and microtonal capabilities for unique musical exploration.

Highlights
  • Air-based theremin playing with front camera hand tracking
  • Polyphonic synthesizer with multiple voice options
  • Microtonal keyboard with 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones
  • Stack up to twelve notes by pinning voices
  • Continuous pitch glide and volume control
  • Fully offline functionality
Features
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The theremin, reinvented on your iPhone. Play it in the air with your hands, no touch. Hoverophone is a theremin you actually play by waving your hands in the air. Point the front camera at your hand and move; there is no touch, no controller, no tapping glass. Raise and lower your hand to glide the pitch, spread your thumb and finger apart to swell the volume, slide left to right to pan. It is the eerie, sci-fi theremin sound, played with a wave of the hand. Wondering how to play the theremin, or whether the theremin is hard to play? This is the easiest way to start: raise a hand and you are already playing. A REAL SYNTH, AND POLYPHONIC Continuous synth voices, sine, triangle, saw and square, with drive and ring modulation in stereo, from a soft ambient pad to a metallic, otherworldly drone. It tracks up to four hands at once, so a theremin can finally play chords, and you can pin voices in place to hold up to twelve notes ringing together. Tune the sound with one hand while you play with the other. MICROTONAL, PLAYED IN THE AIR Turn on the note grid and your in-air pitch snaps to a scale: 12-TET, or 24-TET quarter tones for real microtonal play. It is an isomorphic, honeycomb hex keyboard you play in the air, not by tapping glass, so every note lands in tune while your hands stay above the camera. Explore microtonal music, quarter tones and xenharmonic scales the moment you raise a hand, or leave the grid off and glide freely for the pure continuous theremin. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Play a real theremin in the air, front-camera hand tracking, no touch - The classic continuous theremin glide, the sci-fi movie sound - An in-air microtonal keyboard: 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones on an isomorphic hex grid, or fully continuous - Polyphonic: up to four hands live, and pin voices to stack up to twelve - Synth voices with drive and ring modulation, stereo panning as you move - Plays through the speaker or headphones, even on silent - Fully offline: no account, no network, no data collected, the camera is processed on device and never leaves it No presets, no wall of knobs, just your hand and the air. Fill a room with an ambient drone, improvise a generative soundscape, or conjure the spooky whine of a sci-fi movie. Works best in a bright room where the camera can see your hands.

Screenshots

AirBending4 screens
Hoverophone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: AirBending at 5.0 against Hoverophone's 4.3. Hoverophone's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. AirBending sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Hoverophone asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

AirBending holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AirBending ships an update every 3 weeks, Hoverophone weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AirBending versus Hoverophone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirBendingHoverophone
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews—50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings13 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNanas Sound OUMaxim Oransky

Customer experience

AirBending

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Hoverophone

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

AirBending

One-time1
  • AirBending Full Access$12.99
None

Hoverophone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AirBending free?
AirBending is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hoverophone free?
Hoverophone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, AirBending or Hoverophone?
AirBending is rated higher. AirBending averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Hoverophone averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do AirBending or Hoverophone have ads?
Neither AirBending nor Hoverophone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AirBending or Hoverophone?
AirBending ships an update every 3 weeks, and Hoverophone weekly. Most recently, AirBending was updated on September 20, 2026 and Hoverophone on September 24, 2026.

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