Comparison

polymachine vs Harmonaut

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

Head to head
About

polymachine

This app offers a unique approach to music creation by combining geometric principles with modular synthesis. Explore generative algorithmic drums, oscillators, and harmonies, with specialized tools for 808s and kick drum integration.

Highlights
  • Geometric music theory integration
  • Modular synthesis engine
  • Generative algorithmic drums
  • Oscillators and harmonies
  • 808 and kick drum linking
  • Log drum pattern generator
Features
Read full description

Geometry of Music + Modular Synthesis Powerhouse, Generative Algorithmic Drums + Oscillators and Harmonies. FL Soft Clip and FL Distortion on 808s. 808s tied to Kicks. Log Drum Pattern generator

About

Harmonaut

Create music by feel without needing music theory. This app generates rich chords and smooth progressions, allowing you to shape the mood with intuitive controls. Save and reorder your musical ideas effortlessly.

Highlights
  • Play by feel, no theory required
  • Shape mood with tension and brightness faders
  • Smooth voice leading for flowing progressions
  • Chords named for musicians
  • Save and reorder progressions
  • Works on iPhone and iPad
Features
Read full description

Harmonaut™ is a chord instrument you play by feel. Press a key and hear a rich chord, voice-led smoothly from the last one, no theory needed. Build a progression, shape its mood, and export it as MIDI for your track. Two faders let you shape the mood as you play: more tension or less, brighter or darker, even major to minor. Chase a moody electronic progression, a warm lo-fi loop, a jazzy turn, a cinematic swell, or a simple pop hook. It all comes from your intent, not from naming chords. HOW IT PLAYS • Tension that actually resolves: chords that lean, pull home, and land, so your progression goes somewhere instead of just floating • Every one of the twelve keys is in play: reach past the obvious chords for richer, more surprising color, and it still sounds right • Build a whole progression, not just four chords: every chord you play lands in your trail, ready to reorder or duplicate to try new versions in seconds • Pick up right where you left off: your ideas are saved for you TAKE IT TO YOUR TRACK • Export any progression as a MIDI file and drop it into BandLab, GarageBand, or any DAW that opens MIDI, then play it through any instrument you like • Export to iReal Pro format to keep a chord chart or practice over the changes • Harmonaut Pro unlocks MIDI export, iReal Pro export, and unlimited saved progressions IT SOUNDS GOOD FOR A REASON Every chord is voice-led from the one before it, live, as you play: the notes move the shortest way, so a progression flows instead of jumping around. That's the finished feeling you hear in the songs you love. Push Intensity and the voicings open up: lush 9ths, bright 13ths, and altered dominants like G7#9b13, the colors session keyboard players reach for. And Harmonaut names every chord the way musicians actually write it, like Ebmaj7, so you can hand your progression to a session player, a bandmate, or a producer and they'll play it back exactly, first time. No box to buy, nothing to charge, no menus to dig through. It's already in your pocket. Whether it's your first progression or a sound you can hear but can't name, Harmonaut meets you where you are. See the end user license agreement at the following link: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

polymachine4 screens
Harmonaut4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Harmonaut at 5.0 against polymachine's 3.4. Harmonaut also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs paid). polymachine's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. polymachine sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Harmonaut 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

Harmonaut holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of polymachine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Harmonaut's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

polymachine ships an update weekly, Harmonaut every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
polymachine versus Harmonaut: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterpolymachineHarmonaut
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.4 (13 ratings)5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better7
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size106 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMike GaoDistrict One Mobile, LLC

Customer experience

polymachine

All ratings5 ratings
Positive40.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Harmonaut

All ratings7 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

polymachine

One-time2
  • Sound Expansion$1.99
  • Pro Features$34.99
1 purchases

Harmonaut

One-time1
  • Harmonaut Pro$9.99

Questions

Is polymachine free?
polymachine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Harmonaut free?
Harmonaut is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, polymachine or Harmonaut?
Harmonaut is rated higher. polymachine averages 3.4 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Harmonaut averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.
Do polymachine or Harmonaut have ads?
Neither polymachine nor Harmonaut shows ads.
Which is updated more often, polymachine or Harmonaut?
polymachine ships an update weekly, and Harmonaut every 9 days. Most recently, polymachine was updated on October 31, 2026 and Harmonaut on October 25, 2026.

Other comparisons