Comparison

iRetroMuse vs Hexapad

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

Head to head
About

iRetroMuse

Features
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iRetroMuseは、80〜90年代のオーディオ機器をモチーフにした、レトロデザインのミュージックプレイヤーアプリです。 レコード、カセット、CD、ポータブルプレイヤーなど、懐かしい再生スタイルを切り替えながら、お気に入りの音楽を楽しめます。 温かみのあるアナログ風UIに加え、本格イコライザーやVUメーター演出を搭載。見た目だけでなく、音楽を“触って楽しむ”感覚まで再現しました。 【主な機能】 ・4種類のプレイヤーモード  RECORD / CASSETTE / CD / PORTABLE ・レトロ感あふれるアナログVUメーター ・プリセット対応7バンドイコライザー  Flat / Pop / Rock / Jazz / Classical / Bass Boost ・ボーカル調整やディープベース機能 ・シンプルで使いやすい音楽ライブラリ操作 ・ダークで高級感のあるオーディオUIデザイン 懐かしいオーディオ機器が好きな人も、レトロデザインが好きな人も、毎日の音楽時間をもっと特別に。 イヤホンをつけた瞬間、あの頃の気分がよみがえります。

About

Hexapad

Create music with a unique hexagonal pad interface. Explore built-in synths for various genres, record your own sounds, and easily switch between beat, melody, and bass modes. Save, layer, and export your creations.

Highlights
  • Hexagonal honeycomb pad interface
  • Built-in synths for multiple genres
  • Mic recording kit for custom sounds
  • Dedicated modes for beat, melody, and bass
  • Kit-specific effects (reverb, echo, flanger)
  • Auto-generate beats, melodies, and basslines
  • Export to WAV format
Features
Read full description

Hexapad is a beatmaker and step sequencer with a fresh, intuitive feel — hexagonal pads laid out in a honeycomb grid that let your fingers move naturally. No extra samples needed. The built-in synths alone cover a wide range of genres — Techno, House, Hip-Hop, Ambient, Lo-Fi, Minimal, IDM, Alternative, and Contemporary. With the dedicated mic-recording kit, you can capture your own sounds and drop them straight onto the pads. Recorded audio is auto-leveled, so it sits naturally alongside everything else. Each pad displays the waveform of its sound, giving you the shape of the tone at a glance. Every kit plays as more than just beats — it works for melodies and basslines too. A single mode switch in the header takes you from rhythm to melody to bass, all at your fingertips. The melody and bass tones and keys are crafted per kit — in Contemporary, for example, a felt piano resonates with a sound and key suited to the genre. Modes are color-coded for intuitive switching (beat = green, melody = blue, bass = orange). Each kit comes with its own effects setup — reverb, echo, flanger, and more — so you can shape the texture of every kit. Sound plays even in silent mode, so you can create anywhere, with or without headphones. Tap to lay down a beat, save it, and layer your loops. Hit the Demo or Band button to auto-generate a full set of beat, melody, and bass in a single tap, then layer them on the spot. Save the loops you like, combine your saved sounds, add fade-in/out, and export to WAV. Enjoy the experience of making music — intuitively, right in the palm of your hand.

Screenshots

iRetroMuse1 screens
Hexapad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Hexapad at every 5 days against iRetroMuse's monthly. Hexapad also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.5). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iRetroMuse ships an update monthly, Hexapad every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on August 20, 2026 and September 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
iRetroMuse versus Hexapad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriRetroMuseHexapad
PriceFreeFree
Rating—3.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Ad-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.515.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKouki YoshimotoONTRAILS

In-app purchases

None

iRetroMuse

No in-app purchases

None

Hexapad

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iRetroMuse free?
iRetroMuse is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hexapad free?
Hexapad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do iRetroMuse or Hexapad have ads?
Both iRetroMuse and Hexapad show ads.
Which is updated more often, iRetroMuse or Hexapad?
iRetroMuse ships an update monthly, and Hexapad every 5 days. Most recently, iRetroMuse was updated on August 20, 2026 and Hexapad on September 1, 2026.

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