Comparison

16 Drones vs Backrooms Piano

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

Head to head
About

16 Drones

Create evolving soundscapes and harmonic textures with a powerful ambient drone synthesizer. Shape layered drones using custom wavetables and envelopes, then perform expressively in key. Offers deep timbral control and flexible MIDI integration.

Highlights
  • 16 drone voices for layered textures
  • Custom wavetable synthesis
  • Per-voice drone envelopes
  • Subtractive synthesis layer
  • Expressive in-key performance voice
  • Support for musical scales
  • Standalone and AUv3 operation
  • MIDI input and learn
Features
Read full description

16 Drones is an ambient drone synthesizer built for evolving textures, harmonic soundscapes, and expressive in-key performance. Shape layered drones with a custom wavetable engine, per-voice controls, per-voice custom drone envelopes, and an additional subtractive layer. Then perform on top with a dedicated Play voice that stays in the same scale. Designed to be deep but immediate, 16 Drones gives you rich timbral control, musical scale exploration, expressive performance options, flexible MIDI workflow, and both standalone and AUv3 operation. Features: 16 drone voices for layered evolving textures Custom wavetable synthesis with per-voice control Per-voice custom drone envelopes for motion and character An additional subtractive layer for extra depth and weight A dedicated Play voice for expressive in-key performance Rich musical and exotic scales Standalone app and AUv3 instrument support MIDI input support for performance and control MIDI Learn for fast hardware mapping Aftertouch expression support, including polyphonic aftertouch Factory presets for fast inspiration

About

Backrooms Piano

Explore a unique sample-based instrument designed for atmospheric soundscapes. Create unsettling melodies, eerie pads, and room tones with four custom effects and full performance controls. Ideal for analogue horror scores or dreamcore loops.

Highlights
  • Sample-based instrument
  • Liminal space and dreamcore focus
  • Four custom effects (Lapse, Wear, Room, Distance)
  • Velocity-sensitive multi-touch keyboard
  • ADSR shaping
  • Standalone app for iPhone and iPad
  • AUv3 host compatible for recording
Features
Read full description

Step out of reality and into a sample-based instrument built for the space between rooms: faded pianos, uneasy pads, room tones and half-remembered melodies. Made for liminal space, dreamcore and the particular dread of a place that's empty when it shouldn't be. Whether you're scoring analogue horror, building dreamcore loops, or just want a keyboard that sounds wrong in interesting ways, Backrooms Piano gives you a deep, atmosphere-first instrument designed around four custom effects. SOUND DESIGN, NOT JUST SAMPLES Presets are grouped into Keys, Pads, Soundscapes and Ambience, each one built to sit somewhere between familiar and not quite right. FOUR EFFECTS BUILT FOR THE GENRE LAPSE: tape-motor drift and seasick wobble, like old machinery losing its grip WEAR: ages the sound, rolling off the top end and adding instability and dust ROOM: from close and dry to a washed-out, oversized reverb DISTANCE: pulls the source away, softening the highs and revealing a filtered echo behind it FULL PERFORMANCE CONTROL A velocity-sensitive, multi-touch keyboard with octave shifting and note latch for hands-free drones and pads. Full ADSR shaping on pitched presets, so you can go from a natural attack to slow, creeping swells. BUILT FOR IPHONE AND IPAD Backrooms Piano runs as a standalone app on both iPhone and iPad, so you can explore ideas, audition presets and play live wherever you are. IMPORTANT: RECORDING REQUIRES AN AUv3 HOST The standalone app is for playing and exploring sounds. It does not record, sequence or save what you play on its own. To record your performance, sequence it, or automate parameters, you need to open Backrooms Piano as an AUv3 instrument inside a host app such as GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Logic Pro, or any other AUv3-compatible host. If you want to keep what you play, make sure you have a host app installed before you buy. More presets are on the way in future updates. Disclaimer: This app and its associated content are independent creations inspired by the Backrooms internet phenomenon. They are not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or associated with A24, Kane Parsons, The Backrooms feature film, or any of their respective rights holders.

Screenshots

16 Drones4 screens
Backrooms Piano3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 16 Drones at Free against Backrooms Piano's $5.99. Backrooms Piano's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). 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

16 Drones is free to download; Backrooms Piano costs $5.99 up front. 16 Drones sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Backrooms Piano asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Backrooms Piano holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of 16 Drones's written reviews are positive against 83% of Backrooms Piano's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

16 Drones ships an update every 2 weeks, Backrooms Piano every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
16 Drones versus Backrooms Piano: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter16 DronesBackrooms Piano
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating4.7 (13 ratings)4.9 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews83.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB442 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRuben Terron RodriguezLEWIS GARETH K LE VAL

Customer experience

16 Drones

All ratings13 ratings
Positive92.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Backrooms Piano

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

16 Drones

One-time1
  • 16 Drones Pro$11.99
None

Backrooms Piano

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is 16 Drones free?
16 Drones is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Backrooms Piano free?
Backrooms Piano costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, 16 Drones or Backrooms Piano?
Backrooms Piano is rated higher. 16 Drones averages 4.7 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Backrooms Piano averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.
Do 16 Drones or Backrooms Piano have ads?
Neither 16 Drones nor Backrooms Piano shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 16 Drones or Backrooms Piano?
16 Drones ships an update every 2 weeks, and Backrooms Piano every 2 days. Most recently, 16 Drones was updated on October 25, 2026 and Backrooms Piano on October 28, 2026.

Other comparisons