Comparison

Metronome vs PolyCyclo

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

Head to head
About

Metronome

Features
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A precision metronome built for real practice. Setlist mode auto-advances through your rehearsal. Apple Watch delivers silent haptic beats on your wrist. Practice stats track your daily progress and streaks. Other metronome apps charge $5/month for these features. PureBeat gives you everything for $2.99 β€” once. No subscription, ever. CORE FEATURES (FREE FOREVER) β€’ BPM 20–300 with rotary knob, Β±1 buttons, and tap tempo β€’ 13 time signatures + custom (1–16 beats, /4 or /8) β€” all free, no paywall β€’ Subdivisions: halves, triplets, quarters, sextuplets β€’ Accent editor: strong, normal, or mute on each beat β€’ Tempo markings: Largo to Prestissimo, one tap to set β€’ Visual beat indicator with animated pulse β€’ Background audio: lock your screen, switch apps β€” PureBeat keeps playing β€’ Live Activity & Dynamic Island: see your tempo on the lock screen PRO ($2.99, BUY ONCE) β€’ Setlist Mode β€” Build song lists with BPM, time signature, and bar count. Auto-advance through rehearsals with count-in beats. No more stopping between songs. β€’ Apple Watch β€” Silent haptic metronome on your wrist. Practice drums, run to a beat, or play live without headphones. β€’ Practice Stats β€” Daily minutes, weekly bar charts, and streak tracking. See how consistent your practice really is. β€’ 5 Sound Presets β€” Classic Click, Wood Block, Drum Stick, Hi-Hat, Cowbell. β€’ 3 Themes β€” Midnight (default dark), Daylight (light mode), Stage (high-contrast for live performance). DESIGNED FOR MUSICIANS PureBeat uses AVAudioEngine with hardware-level scheduling for drift-free timing. No ads. No banners. No data collection. No tracking. Just the beat. Free download. Try everything for free. Upgrade once if you want Pro features β€” and keep them forever.

About

PolyCyclo

Features
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Use PolyCyclo as a visual metronome. Set any whole-number tempo from 40 to 240 BPM, find a tempo with Tap, and turn on an independent reference pulse. Watch rhythm take shape as moving points, glowing traces, and polygons. Swipe between rhythms and sound sets, edit the pattern, save favorites with the star, and share a loop as MP4. Without an account or purchase, BPM, Tap Tempo, and the reference pulse are unlimited. Playback, the existing editing controls, star saves, and short watermarked MP4 export (15 seconds at 720p) are also included. Choose from the included selection of rhythms and sound sets. PolyCyclo Studio is an optional, one-time, non-consumable purchase. It unlocks all 312 rhythm presets, all 16 sound sets, watermark-free MP4 export up to 60 seconds at 1080p, and background playback. Restore the purchase any time from Settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Metronome4 screens
PolyCyclo4 screens

Verdict

The call

Metronome and PolyCyclo are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Metronome sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PolyCyclo sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Metronome versus PolyCyclo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMetronomePolyCyclo
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, Apple Watch β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size5 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerη„• 徐Taichi Umeki

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Metronome

One-time1
  • PureBeat Pro$2.99
2 purchases

PolyCyclo

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Yearly Access14 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is Metronome free?
Metronome is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PolyCyclo free?
PolyCyclo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Metronome or PolyCyclo have ads?
Neither Metronome nor PolyCyclo shows ads.

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