Comparison

Tuner Universal vs Rithmatic

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

Head to head
About

Tuner Universal

Features
Read full description

Tuner Universal Your Precise, All‑Instrument Tuning Companion Tuner Universal gives musicians a fast, accurate, and beautifully simple way to tune any instrument. Whether you’re practicing solo, rehearsing with a group, or preparing for performance, it delivers clean, reliable pitch detection designed to help you sound your best. New in This Version The app has been fully re‑structured with a new tab bar for clearer navigation, plus new screens for Profiles, Guided Tuning, and Settings — making the tuning experience smoother and more intuitive than ever. Profiles Choose your instrument and start tuning with presets designed for its tuning order and range. Instrument‑specific tuning sequences One‑string‑at‑a‑time workflow Quick navigation between strings Works for strings, winds, brass, voice, and more Guided Tuning A focused, step‑by‑step tuning mode that shows the correct tuning order and helps you tune each string with clarity and confidence. Settings Fine‑tune the app to match your ensemble and environment. A4 calibration (default 440 Hz) Noise Filter for cleaner tuning Restore Defaults to reset calibration + filter Helpful overlays to guide new users Free Features Tune with confidence using the core tuning tools. Accurate chromatic tuning Clear visual feedback Note detection for the C3–C5 range Limited piano reference (C3–C5) Pitch map for the central octave No ads, no tracking, no data collection Pro Features (Full Access) Unlock the complete tuning experience across all instruments. Full 10‑octave tuning range (A0–C8) Complete pitch map (MIDI 21–120) Full piano reference across all keys Unlimited note detection Ideal for advanced players and ensembles Available via subscription or lifetime purchase Designed for Musicians A clean, intuitive interface makes tuning quick and distraction‑free. Minimal design focused on clarity Smooth, responsive pitch tracking Easy to use on stage, in rehearsal, or at home Built for All Instruments Tuner Universal adapts to your sound, whether you play: Guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo Violin, viola, cello, double bass Flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone Voice, piano, and more Privacy You Can Trust There are no ads, no tracking, and no data collection. Your microphone audio stays on your device and is never stored or shared. Growing With You Tuner Universal continues to evolve with improvements to accuracy, responsiveness, and clarity — supporting your musical growth with every update. Now with a lifetime purchase option. Pay once and unlock the full 10‑octave range, complete piano reference, and all Pro features forever. Download Tuner Universal today and tune with confidence. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.bamuda.com.au/TunerUniversalPrivacy.html

About

Rithmatic

This app is an FM synthesizer with a vast library of classic voices. It allows users to explore, learn, build, and blend sounds, and can be used as a standalone instrument or an AUv3 plugin within DAWs. It offers a visual representation of sound and a patch builder for understanding FM synthesis.

Highlights
  • 36,118 classic DX7 voices included
  • AUv3 plugin for DAWs
  • Patch Builder for learning FM synthesis
  • Sound blending feature
  • On-screen and MIDI keyboard support
  • Arpeggiator and latch functionality
  • WAV recording and export
Features
Read full description

Rithmatic is an FM synthesizer with 36,118 classic DX7 voices built in, and an AUv3 plugin for GarageBand on iPad and your DAW on the Mac. Browse them by family and by character, learn how FM works by watching it shape each one, build and blend your own, and play them from the on-screen keys or a MIDI keyboard. No account, no ads, nothing locked. Built for iPhone Duo: half open, it stands like a keyboard synth, the waves above the fold and long keys on the flat half. IN YOUR DAW • Put it on a track in GarageBand on iPad, or in an Audio Unit host on the Mac such as Ableton Live. • Its window is the app's own Patches screen and Patch Builder, with your library. • Your bank appears as the plugin's presets, and Brightness, Attack, Decay, Release and Feedback can be automated. The patch is saved with your project. A LIBRARY THAT SHIPS FULL • 36,118 unique DX7 voices come with the app: no download, no account, no network. • Start with Essentials: the famous sounds and the songs they're on. • Browse by family, or by character: percussive, plucked, metallic, bright, sustained, swell, evolving, mellow. Or search by name. • Patch of the day: one classic voice each day, in the app and in a widget for iPhone, iPad and Mac. PLAY IT • A DX7-compatible synthesis engine runs inside the app, so every patch plays with nothing plugged in. • Play from the on-screen keys, your Mac's keyboard, or any MIDI keyboard you connect. • Pitch bend, mod wheel, breath, sustain and aftertouch, with aftertouch set to vibrato, tremolo or swell. • Velocity from a MIDI keyboard, or turn it off and choose how hard every note plays. • An arpeggiator (up, down, up and down, random or as played, over up to three octaves) and a latch that holds each key. • Record what you play and share it as a WAV. • Five tunings: equal, just, and Wendy Carlos's Alpha, Beta and Gamma scales. • Light or dark, as your device is set or as you choose. Drag the keys taller or shorter. SEE THE SOUND The waveform follows what you play: each operator's envelope, how hard you hit, the pitch, the LFO's wobble, and a chord as one layer per note. Resize it, go full screen, or watch the output itself in the Scope look. PATCH BUILDER: LEARN HOW FM WORKS FM is famous for being hard to program. The Patch Builder shows you why a sound sounds the way it does. • All six operators on a graph, each cable carrying its wave: see a modulator reshape its carrier as you drag. • Draw a cable and the builder snaps to the nearest of the 32 algorithms, so you learn routing by doing it. • Plain words beside the jargon. Edit each operator's ratio, level, envelope and tuning, the LFO and pitch envelope, or use FEEL: thickness, touch and brightness. BLEND Pick two patches and Rithmatic blends them into eight new ones. Play each, and keep the ones you like. YOUR BANK AND FILES • Gather patches from anywhere into your bank, then drag pads to swap or reorder them. • Export the bank as standard DX7 .syx files. Open .syx banks, or a .zip of them, from Files, Mail, AirDrop or the Finder. • Share a sound as a short clip of it playing, with a card and a code that brings the patch into anyone's Rithmatic. WITH A SYNTH, IF YOU HAVE ONE Hardware is optional. Choose your synth in Settings: • Korg Volca FM2 (firmware 1.10 or later, over MIDI): read its current patch, write to any of its 64 memory slots, back up and restore all 16 sequencer patterns, and capture the whole instrument to a snapshot. • DX7 family: send patches and 32-voice banks to a DX7, TX7, TX802, the original Volca FM or the M-VAVE FM-1 over standard Yamaha voice dumps. FREE AND PRIVATE Every feature is free; tips are optional and unlock nothing. Rithmatic works offline and collects no personal data: no account, no analytics, no ads. KORG and volca are trademarks of Korg Inc., DX7 and TX of Yamaha Corporation, M-VAVE of its owner. Rithmatic is an independent app, not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them.

Screenshots

Tuner Universal4 screens
Rithmatic4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Rithmatic at 4.6 against Tuner Universal's 1.0. Rithmatic also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Tuner Universal sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Rithmatic sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Rithmatic holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Rithmatic has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tuner Universal ships an update weekly, Rithmatic every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tuner Universal versus Rithmatic: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTuner UniversalRithmatic
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.0 (1 ratings)4.6 (9 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings19 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBamuda Corporation Pty LtdMADE WITH BEST PRACTICE LLC

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Tuner Universal

Subscriptions3
  • Tuner universal one month$1.991 Month
  • Tuner universal six months$8.996 Months
  • Tuner universal twelve months$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tuner universal life time$29.99
4 purchases

Rithmatic

One-time4
  • Small Tip$4.99
  • Medium Tip$9.99
  • Large Tip$19.99
Show 1 more
  • Extra Large Tip$49.99

Questions

Is Tuner Universal free?
Tuner Universal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Rithmatic free?
Rithmatic is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tuner Universal or Rithmatic?
Rithmatic is rated higher. Tuner Universal averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Rithmatic averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.
Do Tuner Universal or Rithmatic have ads?
Neither Tuner Universal nor Rithmatic shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tuner Universal or Rithmatic?
Tuner Universal ships an update weekly, and Rithmatic every 2 days. Most recently, Tuner Universal was updated on October 31, 2026 and Rithmatic on November 1, 2026.

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