Comparison

LOOPBAR vs PO

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

Head to head
About

LOOPBAR

Record and layer multiple audio tracks in real time to build musical ideas. This tool allows for precise loop point setting and adjustment during playback, perfect for capturing inspiration on the go.

Highlights
  • Create multiple independent audio tracks
  • Record via built-in microphone
  • Set individual loop points with drag & drop
  • Real-time playback with visual indicator
  • Adjust loop points during playback
  • Simple track management
Features
Read full description

Create audio loops in real time! Record multiple tracks, set individual loop points and build your musical ideas layer by layer. LOOPBAR is your creative tool for audio loops on iPhone and iPad. Capture ideas on the spot, set precise loop points and layer multiple tracks on top of each other. FEATURES: • Create multiple independent audio tracks • Record directly via the built-in microphone • Set individual loop points with drag & drop • Real-time playback position with visual indicator • Adjust loop points during playback • Play and stop all tracks simultaneously • Simple track management with add and delete Perfect for musicians, songwriters and anyone who wants to quickly capture musical ideas and build loops.

About

PO

Design and edit drum sounds, kits, and patterns for Teenage Engineering's PO-32 Tonic. Transfer your creations to the device via audio. Back up and edit existing sounds, and import/export patches from Microtonic.

Highlights
  • Shape 16 sounds with 21 synth parameters
  • Program 16-step patterns with accents
  • Send kits, sounds, or patterns via audio
  • Back up and decode PO-32 data dumps
  • Import/export Microtonic patches
  • Local library with tags and favorites
Features
Read full description

PO-PatchStudio designs drum sounds, kits and patterns for Teenage Engineering's PO-32 Tonic, then sends them to your Pocket Operator over sound. Free, with no ads and no account. The PO-32 has no USB data connection. It loads new sounds the way an old modem does, by listening through its microphone. So this app does the fiddly part on a proper screen: build a kit, hold your phone next to the PO-32 and press play. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Shape all 16 sounds with the full set of 21 synth parameters, plus both ends of the morph - Program 16-step patterns on the pads, with accents, and hear them before you send - Send a whole kit, a single sound or a pattern to the PO-32 over audio - Back up your PO-32: record its data dump through the microphone and the app decodes it into a kit you can edit - Import Microtonic .mtdrum and .mtpreset patches, including files from older versions of Microtonic, and export your sounds back out - Keep kits, sounds and patterns in a local library with tags and favourites WORKS WITH - PO-32 Tonic - Also sends drum sounds to the PO-35 Speak's built-in Tonic channel HOW TRANSFER WORKS Put the PO-32 in receive mode (press acc + sound), turn your phone's volume up and play the transfer into the PO-32's mic. To back up, start recording in the app, then hold write and press sound on the PO-32. Previews come from an open-source recreation of the PO-32's synth, so they sound close to the hardware but not identical. Once a sound is on the PO-32, it plays through the device's own engine. A NOTE FROM ME I'm a solo developer and a PO-32 owner. PO-PatchStudio stands on the open-source libpo32 library by Eric Lewis and years of reverse-engineering by the Pocket Operator community, which is why it's free. If something is missing or broken, tell me. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Teenage Engineering AB or NuEdge Development AB. Pocket Operator, PO-32 and Tonic are trademarks of Teenage Engineering AB. Microtonic is a trademark of NuEdge Development AB.

Screenshots

LOOPBAR4 screens
PO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PO at Free against LOOPBAR's $0.99. PO also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.5). LOOPBAR's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

PO is free to download; LOOPBAR costs $0.99 up front. PO sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. LOOPBAR asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LOOPBAR against 5.0 for PO. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LOOPBAR ships an update every 3 weeks, PO every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
LOOPBAR versus PO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLOOPBARPO
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHelge OhlPhoton Consulting Limited

Customer experience

LOOPBAR

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

PO

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

LOOPBAR

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

PO

One-time3
  • Tip: Thanks$5.00
  • Tip: Big Thanks$10.00
  • Tip: Huge Thanks$20.00

Questions

Is LOOPBAR free?
LOOPBAR costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PO free?
PO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, LOOPBAR or PO?
LOOPBAR and PO are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do LOOPBAR or PO have ads?
Neither LOOPBAR nor PO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LOOPBAR or PO?
LOOPBAR ships an update every 3 weeks, and PO every 2 days. Most recently, LOOPBAR was updated on October 30, 2026 and PO on October 31, 2026.

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