Cardinal Music vs NullPerator
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Cardinal Music
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The chart you find is never the chart you play. Cover bands transpose for the singer, cut a verse, rewrite the ending. Cardinal is where your band keeps the version you actually perform. BRING YOUR CHARTS IN Paste chords over lyrics, ChordPro, or bar-line notation — Cardinal reads all three. Import a whole iReal Pro playlist from a single link. Or photograph a page from your gig folder and have the chords read off it. MAKE IT YOURS Transpose a song into the singer's key in one tap. Set a capo and read the shapes under your fingers, without changing what anyone else sees. Edit anything — it's your arrangement, not a reference page. SHARE IT WITH THE BAND Invite your band by email. Everyone reads the same arrangement: your cuts, your key, your ending. BUILT FOR THE STAGE Full screen, screen stays awake, swipe between songs. A red night-vision scheme for dark stages, and text you can size to read at arm's length. Everything works offline — your setlist is there whether or not the venue has signal. FREE Unlimited songs, setlists and bands. The full stage view. Every import except photos. CARDINAL PRO — $4.99/month Photo import beyond your first three, and PDF attachments. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.vansquared.com/privacy
NullPerator
Create music with a focused tracker workflow on your iPhone and iPad. Compose patterns, arrange songs, and record samples using touch controls or a game controller. Projects are stored locally via the Files app.
- Tracker composition and playback
- Touch controls
- Game controller input
- MIDI routing
- Sample recording
- Local project storage
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NullPerator brings the focused tracker workflow to iPhone and iPad. Compose patterns, arrange songs, record samples, and play them back through a compact interface designed around the NullPerator hardware. Use the on-screen controls or connect a compatible game controller. Route MIDI, keep projects in the Files app, and continue working without an account. Features: • Tracker composition and playback • Touch controls optimized for portrait and landscape layouts • Compatible game controller input • MIDI routing, including supported Bluetooth MIDI devices • Sample recording through the current iOS audio input • Local project and sample storage through the Files app • iPhone and iPad support Your projects and settings stay on your device. NullPerator does not include advertising, analytics, or account tracking.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NullPerator at none against Cardinal Music's 1. NullPerator also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 4 weeks). Cardinal Music's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Cardinal Music sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. NullPerator asks for nothing beyond the download.
Cardinal Music ships an update every 4 weeks, NullPerator daily. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Cardinal Music | NullPerator |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 3.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 86 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | van squared | 203 Systems |
In-app purchases
Cardinal Music
- Cardinal Pro$4.991 Month
NullPerator
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Cardinal Music free?
Is NullPerator free?
Do Cardinal Music or NullPerator have ads?
Which is updated more often, Cardinal Music or NullPerator?
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