Comparison

Etherpad vs Hoverophone

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

Head to head
About

Etherpad

Create evolving soundscapes and ambient textures with an intuitive touch-based music synthesizer. Explore generative music without needing music theory, perfect for relaxation or creative expression.

Highlights
  • Multi-touch synthesis
  • Multiple sound presets
  • Visual particle effects
  • Effect overlays
  • Scale selection
  • Landscape & portrait modes
  • Low-latency audio
Features
Read full description

Etherpad is an expressive touch-based music synthesis instrument for iPhone, iPad and your Mac. Sweep your fingers across the screen to create evolving soundscapes, ambient drones, and generative textures. (AUv3 support in Beta) Powered by the legendary Csound audio engine, Etherpad turns your device into a portable synthesizer that responds to every touch with rich, organic sound. No music theory required — just touch, listen, and explore. KEY FEATURES • Multi-touch synthesis — Each finger controls pitch and timbre independently • Distinct Soundscapes — Switch between evolving pad sounds and textures • Reactive Visuals — ripples, trails, rings, and column glow respond to every touch • 14 evolving sounds — from lush pads to Glass Choir, PWM Pad, and Morphwave • Advanced Scales & Tuning — Break out of standard keys and explore the Bohlen-Pierce scale, overtone series, pentatonics, and more • Jam Sessions — Load your own audio tracks directly into the app and play along with your creative flow • MIDI 2.0 — per-note expression and full MIDI support for connected controllers (Beta) • AUv3 plug-in — play Etherpad inside Logic Pro, GarageBand, AUM, and other hosts (Beta) • Ultra Low-latency audio — Built on Csound, the industry-standard audio engine PERFECT FOR • Ambient and drone musicians • Meditation and relaxation • Beginners exploring sound synthesis • Live performers and improvisers • Sound designers and experimental composers • Anyone curious about generative music Website: https://etherpad.app Touch the surface. Hear the universe.

About

Hoverophone

This app reimagines the theremin for your iPhone, allowing you to play music by waving your hands in the air without touching the screen. It offers a polyphonic synthesizer with various sound options and microtonal capabilities for unique musical exploration.

Highlights
  • Air-based theremin playing with front camera hand tracking
  • Polyphonic synthesizer with multiple voice options
  • Microtonal keyboard with 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones
  • Stack up to twelve notes by pinning voices
  • Continuous pitch glide and volume control
  • Fully offline functionality
Features
Read full description

The theremin, reinvented on your iPhone. Play it in the air with your hands, no touch. Hoverophone is a theremin you actually play by waving your hands in the air. Point the front camera at your hand and move; there is no touch, no controller, no tapping glass. Raise and lower your hand to glide the pitch, spread your thumb and finger apart to swell the volume, slide left to right to pan. It is the eerie, sci-fi theremin sound, played with a wave of the hand. Wondering how to play the theremin, or whether the theremin is hard to play? This is the easiest way to start: raise a hand and you are already playing. A REAL SYNTH, AND POLYPHONIC Continuous synth voices, sine, triangle, saw and square, with drive and ring modulation in stereo, from a soft ambient pad to a metallic, otherworldly drone. It tracks up to four hands at once, so a theremin can finally play chords, and you can pin voices in place to hold up to twelve notes ringing together. Tune the sound with one hand while you play with the other. MICROTONAL, PLAYED IN THE AIR Turn on the note grid and your in-air pitch snaps to a scale: 12-TET, or 24-TET quarter tones for real microtonal play. It is an isomorphic, honeycomb hex keyboard you play in the air, not by tapping glass, so every note lands in tune while your hands stay above the camera. Explore microtonal music, quarter tones and xenharmonic scales the moment you raise a hand, or leave the grid off and glide freely for the pure continuous theremin. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Play a real theremin in the air, front-camera hand tracking, no touch - The classic continuous theremin glide, the sci-fi movie sound - An in-air microtonal keyboard: 12-TET or 24-TET quarter tones on an isomorphic hex grid, or fully continuous - Polyphonic: up to four hands live, and pin voices to stack up to twelve - Synth voices with drive and ring modulation, stereo panning as you move - Plays through the speaker or headphones, even on silent - Fully offline: no account, no network, no data collected, the camera is processed on device and never leaves it No presets, no wall of knobs, just your hand and the air. Fill a room with an ambient drone, improvise a generative soundscape, or conjure the spooky whine of a sci-fi movie. Works best in a bright room where the camera can see your hands.

Screenshots

Etherpad4 screens
Hoverophone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Etherpad at 100% against Hoverophone's 50%. Etherpad also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and update cadence (every 2 days vs weekly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Etherpad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Etherpad has 20 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Etherpad's written reviews are positive against 50% of Hoverophone's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Etherpad ships an update every 2 days, Hoverophone weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Etherpad versus Hoverophone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEtherpadHoverophone
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (20 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings20 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDinesh YadavMaxim Oransky

Customer experience

Etherpad

All ratings20 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Hoverophone

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Etherpad

No in-app purchases

None

Hoverophone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Etherpad free?
Etherpad is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hoverophone free?
Hoverophone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Etherpad or Hoverophone?
Etherpad is rated higher. Etherpad averages 4.9 out of 5 from 20 ratings, while Hoverophone averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do Etherpad or Hoverophone have ads?
Neither Etherpad nor Hoverophone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Etherpad or Hoverophone?
Etherpad ships an update every 2 days, and Hoverophone weekly. Most recently, Etherpad was updated on September 22, 2026 and Hoverophone on September 8, 2026.

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