Tone Trace vs Pedal Galaxy
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tone Trace
This app helps guitarists and bassists optimize their pedalboard signal flow. It audits pedal order, buffer placement, and more, providing a real-time chain score and a troubleshoot wizard to fix issues like hum and tone suck. It's designed for musicians with multiple pedals who want their rig to sound its best.
- Drag-and-drop pedal chain builder
- Real-time signal flow scoring
- Symptom-driven troubleshoot wizard
- Signal map for documentation
- FX loop routing awareness
- Clone artist rigs
- Set list creation and sharing
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Tone Trace is the rig analyzer for guitarists and bassists who want their pedalboard to sound right — not just look right. Drag pedals onto a chain canvas, and Tone Trace audits your signal flow as you build. The chain score grades pedal order, buffer placement, FX-loop routing, and gain staging in real time. When something is off, the troubleshoot wizard walks you through the actual fix — tone suck, hum, high-pitched whine, impedance mismatch — by symptom, not by guesswork. Built for the gear-forward player who already owns three or more pedals and is tired of static pedalboard layouts that don't tell you whether the rig actually works. KEY FEATURES • Chain Builder — drag-place pedals on a grid canvas; signal lines auto-route between cells. • Chain Score — quantitative grade of your rig's signal flow with sub-score bars for order, FX loop, gain staging, and impedance. • Troubleshoot Wizard — symptom-driven diagnostic cards walk you from "my rig sounds bad" to a specific fix. • Signal Map — annotated read-only flow diagram for documentation, screen-share, or repatch reference. • FX Loop Aware — the chain layout knows which side of the amp's effects loop each pedal belongs on. • Artist Rigs — clone curated rigs from the artist library, then tune to your gear. • Walkthroughs + Lessons — guided onboarding and concept lessons (gain staging, true bypass vs buffered, 4-cable method) without leaving the app. • Set Lists — build a set list with rigs attached, print or share the call sheet. • Share + Export — export a rig diagram or set list as a PDF/PNG; share via the system share sheet. WHO IT'S FOR Guitarists and bassists with three or more stompbox pedals — bedroom, gigging, and worship-team players. Especially useful for Line 6 Helix / HX Stomp users wrangling 4-cable method routing, and stereo-pedalboard builders chasing tone-suck culprits. WHAT IT'S NOT Tone Trace is not an amp or FX simulator. It does not generate audio. It is a rig planner, auditor, and diagnostic tool — the layer above the simulator and below the soldering iron. Drag a pedal in. Watch the chain score react. Fix what the score flags. Save the rig. TERMS AND PRIVACY Tone Trace Pro is a one-time purchase — there is no subscription and nothing auto-renews. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at purchase confirmation. You can restore your purchase anytime from the app's paywall. Privacy policy: https://www.remnantworkshop.com/privacy.html
Pedal Galaxy
Easily plan and visualize your guitar pedalboard setup. Drag and drop effects to scale, arrange your signal chain, and see your layout before buying gear. Share your designs with others.
- Drag-and-drop pedal placement
- Real-world scale visualization
- Customizable board sizes
- Signal chain arrangement
- Export and share rig designs
- Light and dark themes
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Pedal Galaxy is the fastest way to plan, visualize, and share your guitar pedalboard — right from your phone. Stop guessing whether your pedals will fit. Drag effects onto a to-scale board, arrange your signal chain, and see exactly how everything lays out before you buy a single patch cable. DESIGN YOUR BOARD • Drag-and-drop pedals onto a smooth, zoomable canvas • Everything is drawn to real-world scale — inches or centimeters • Snap to a grid for clean, precise layouts • Rotate, lock, and fine-tune the position and size of any pedal • Add popular pedalboards or size your own to match the gear you already own BUILD WITH REAL GEAR • Browse a growing library of real pedals and pedalboards • Add custom pedals when you can't find the exact model • Reorder your layers to get the stacking and signal flow just right MAKE IT YOURS • Light and dark themes • Choose your measurement units • Clean, distraction-free interface built for quick edits PEDAL GALAXY PRO Upgrade to Pro to unlock: • Save unlimited boards to your account and pick up where you left off on any device • Sync seamlessly with the Pedal Galaxy web app • Add private notes to each board • Extra board backgrounds • Favorite your go-to pedals for one-tap access SHARE YOUR RIG Export a clean image of any board and share it with bandmates, forums, or your socials in a couple of taps. Whether you're a bedroom player mapping out your first board or a touring pro planning a new rig, Pedal Galaxy takes the tape measure and graph paper out of the equation. Download it free and start building! Terms of Use (EULA): https://pedalgalaxy.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://pedalgalaxy.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ratings volume: Pedal Galaxy at 8 against Tone Trace's 2. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Tone Trace sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Pedal Galaxy sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tone Trace against 5.0 for Pedal Galaxy. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 8 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Tone Trace ships an update fortnightly, Pedal Galaxy every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tone Trace | Pedal Galaxy |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (8 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 8 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 64 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Remnant Workshop, Inc. | Pedal Galaxy LLC |
Customer experience
Tone Trace
Pedal Galaxy
In-app purchases
Tone Trace
- ToneTrace PRO Monthly$4.991 Month
- ToneTrace PRO Yearly1 Year trial$49.991 Year
- Unlock PRO forever$1.99
Pedal Galaxy
- Monthly Pro$3.991 Month
- Annual Pro$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Tone Trace free?
Is Pedal Galaxy free?
Which has better reviews, Tone Trace or Pedal Galaxy?
Do Tone Trace or Pedal Galaxy have ads?
Which is updated more often, Tone Trace or Pedal Galaxy?
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