Comparison

Hexapad vs Resonance Orb

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

Head to head
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 an intuitive beatmaker with hexagonal pads arranged in a honeycomb grid. Tap to play short musical phrases, or slide your fingers across the pads to connect sounds. Build your own music one layer at a time, whether you’re an experienced musician or creating your first track. No extra samples needed. Explore built-in sounds spanning Electronica, Techno, House, Hip-Hop, Ambient, Lo-Fi, Minimal, Alternative, and Contemporary. Phrase pads are organized into BEAT, BASS, CHORDS, MELODY, and ACCENT, making it easy to combine rhythms, basslines, harmonies, and melodies. Each pad displays a waveform so you can see the character of its sound. Capture your performance with REC. Your first pad starts a four-bar recording, which loops as you add more phrases. Undo your latest addition, or use SAVE to name and store the take for use in Song. Shuffle the pads to explore new phrases while keeping the phrases you’ve already recorded. Shape your sound in real time with large FX knobs for reverb, delay, filtering, flanger, and more. Adjust the tempo with BPM, or switch sound kits to hear your recorded phrases with a different palette. Turn your voice and everyday sounds into instruments. Open Sampler from the microphone button, record a sound, and play it from a pad. Trim the waveform, reverse the sample, or adjust its pitch, pan, and volume. In Song, layer saved recordings to build a fuller sound, then carry those layers into the next four-bar section. Use the timeline to see where sounds overlap, and add or remove layers to create changes throughout your track. Preview, rename, and delete your saved recordings from the same screen. Need a starting point? Auto creates a song arrangement from your chosen mood and length. Edit the generated layers and sections to make it your own, add fade-in and fade-out, and export the finished track as a WAV file. Connect a USB or Bluetooth LE MIDI controller to take your performance further. Assign the same phrase pads you see in Play to your controller’s keys or pads, and map knobs or faders to FX controls. The free version includes pad performance, FX, and voice recording. Save up to 10 recording takes and 3 songs, and use Auto Short. Complete a rewarded ad to unlock one WAV export. The monthly Hexapad Pro subscription removes ads and recording/song save limits, unlocks Auto Medium and Long, and lets you export WAV files without watching ads. See the purchase screen for local pricing. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled and can be managed or canceled in your store account settings. Your saved work is kept when Pro ends. Enjoy making music — intuitively, right in the palm of your hand. Privacy Policy https://www.ontrails.jp/app/privacy-policy/hexpad/ Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Resonance Orb

Explore harmonic soundscapes with a visual instrument. Tap to play tones from generative chord progressions, with each semitone mapped to a unique color. Switch between various instrument textures for a calming and immersive listening experience.

Highlights
  • Ambient audiovisual instrument
  • Generative chord movement
  • Expressive touch interaction
  • Real-time visuals
  • Multiple instrument textures (piano, pad, marimba, Rhodes, vibraphone)
  • Harmonic exploration
Features
Read full description

Resonance Orb is an ambient audiovisual instrument for slow listening, touch, and harmonic exploration. Choose a sequence and watch cascading arpeggios ripple across a luminous sphere. Each chord shift blooms into a new color, with every semitone mapped to its own visual palette. Tap the orb to play tones from the current harmony, or switch instruments to reshape the mood with piano, pad, marimba, Rhodes, and vibraphone textures. Designed as a calming music experience, Resonance Orb blends generative chord movement, expressive touch interaction, and real-time visuals into a calm space for listening, focus, and play.

Screenshots

Hexapad4 screens
Resonance Orb3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Resonance Orb at 5.0 against Hexapad's 3.7. Resonance Orb also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Hexapad's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price, ratings volume 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. Hexapad sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Resonance Orb asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Resonance Orb holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Hexapad versus Resonance Orb: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHexapadResonance Orb
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 5 days—
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationAd-supportedFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size97 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperONTRAILSDERRICK LAWWAH CHANSEW

Customer experience

Hexapad

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Resonance Orb

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hexapad

Subscriptions1
  • 1 Month Plan$0.991 Month
None

Resonance Orb

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hexapad free?
Hexapad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Resonance Orb free?
Resonance Orb is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hexapad or Resonance Orb?
Resonance Orb is rated higher. Hexapad averages 3.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Resonance Orb averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Hexapad or Resonance Orb have ads?
Hexapad shows ads; Resonance Orb does not.

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