Comparison

Improvy vs Piano Backing Band

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

Head to head
About

Improvy

Features
Read full description

You want to improvise without thinking about it. Not scales. Not the licks you already own. The line you actually hear, played the moment you hear it. Your ear is not what is stopping you. You can hear where the phrase wants to go. What stops you is the half second in between: the one where you work out that the note you want is the flat three, while the chord underneath has already moved on. Fluency is not knowledge. It is speed. And speed only comes from repeating exactly the right thing, thousands of times. That is all Improvy is. A degree appears, you tap the note. Two seconds. Again. Until the number, the sound and the note stop being three thoughts and become one. It works in all 12 major keys, and it spells every one of them the way a musician actually writes it. In Eb the flat two is Fb, not E. Most apps quietly get that wrong, and the habit you build on top of it is wrong too. Train it in both directions, because they are two different skills. Number to note. Note to number. Then the one that turns a melody into changes: this note is the sharp eleven, so what is the chord? There is a Daily Challenge every morning, and Pocket Mode runs with the screen off, so a walk counts as practice. This is not for beginners. It is for players who already know the theory and are tired of being a beat behind it. No ads. No account. Pro is a one-time payment. Stop counting. Start playing!

About

Piano Backing Band

Jam on piano with an adaptive backing band that follows your chord charts. Explore musical ideas, practice improvisation, and analyze your playing patterns over time. Connect a MIDI keyboard or use the on-screen option for a flexible practice experience.

Highlights
  • Adaptive backing band following chord charts
  • On-screen and MIDI keyboard support
  • Playing statistics and pattern analysis
  • Offline functionality
  • Customizable backing styles and tempo
  • Chord chart import and editing
Features
Read full description

Jam on piano with a backing band that follows your chord chart. Explore ideas, practice improvisation, or just enjoy playing — then discover patterns in your playing over time. Start free with 20 demo loops, drums, bass, and keys/guitar accompaniment. Play with the onscreen keyboard or connect a MIDI keyboard, wired or over Bluetooth. ChartKeys is for players who know basic chords and want room to explore. Follow your curiosity, with no study plan, tests, or scores. The free version includes all 20 demo loops, backing playback in all styles, tempo and mixer controls, key change (transposition), and full playing statistics, with no time limit. A one-time Pro purchase unlocks chart import, export, and chord editing. No account or sign-up. Works offline. Your playing stays on your device. * Jam along with an auto backing band, based only on chords and style - 20 bundled demo loops - three-lane backing band: drums, bass, keys/guitar - backing styles including pop, rock, jazz/swing, bossa, funk/soul, waltz, shuffle, etc. - adjust tempo as you like (50-150%, the band replays it, no time-stretched weirdness) - adjust your loudness relative to the band as you like - mute each backing instrument as you please - choose your instrument: Grand Piano, E-Piano x2, Clavinet, Drawbar Organ, Accordion, Synth Lead - chords lane follows the beat - optional chord keys highlighting - onscreen keyboard or MIDI (wired/Bluetooth) * ChartKeys listens to what you play, and roots for you! - daily activity chart, daily streaks, optional reminders - statistics over time on your common chords, intervals - detects your commonly used musical phrases/lines across songs - shows where you land on chord changes in solos (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, etc.) - the keys you play in, laid out on the circle of fifths - describes your journey, never judges: no scores, no verdicts, no red crosses - share your stats conveniently as images if that seems fun or useful * Everything in one songbook - demo loops, imported playlists and your own loops, with search and favorites * No account, no sign-up, no cloud - what you play stays on your device - nothing personally identifying is ever uploaded, not even an install id - works offline * Play the free version as long as you like - 20 demo loops, all backing styles, key change (transpose), full player stats, play controls included with no limit * Unlock lifetime Pro features with a one-time payment - edit chords (tap and hold directly in the chords lane) - create your own chord charts (basic editor, up to 16 bars, fixed grid of chords to edit) - import thousands of chord charts available online via copy-paste (irealb:// compatible) - export your chord charts via copy-paste

Screenshots

Improvy4 screens
Piano Backing Band4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Improvy at 15.0 against Piano Backing Band's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Improvy sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Piano Backing Band sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Improvy ships an update every 5 days, Piano Backing Band every 4 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Improvy versus Piano Backing Band: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterImprovyPiano Backing Band
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLorenzo BallestrazziValentyn Danylchuk

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Improvy

One-time2
  • Improvy Pro Creator$14.99
  • Improvy Pro$17.99
1 purchases

Piano Backing Band

One-time1
  • Unlock Pro$12.99

Questions

Is Improvy free?
Improvy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Piano Backing Band free?
Piano Backing Band is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Improvy or Piano Backing Band have ads?
Neither Improvy nor Piano Backing Band shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Improvy or Piano Backing Band?
Improvy ships an update every 5 days, and Piano Backing Band every 4 days. Most recently, Improvy was updated on October 24, 2026 and Piano Backing Band on October 24, 2026.

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