Comparison

PatchLens vs Piano Effect

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

Head to head
About

PatchLens

Features
Read full description

Save synth and pedal settings from a photo, then add editable hotspots and recall notes. The demo and 3 patch records stay free; Pro Lifetime is a one-time unlock. PatchLens helps musicians capture hardware synth, pedal, and semi-modular settings as private local patch records. Take or import a photo, mark the knobs and jacks that matter, add values and notes, then search your local patch library later. Optional on-device text recognition can suggest visible panel labels, but you stay in control of every saved value. PatchLens does not require an account, does not upload your photos, and does not promise automatic universal knob or cable detection. Pro Lifetime is a one-time in-app purchase that unlocks the full local patch library, on-device OCR label assist, and recall-sheet sharing. The bundled demo and 3 patch records stay free. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://bonega.ai/patchlens/privacy

About

Piano Effect

Features
Read full description

Put a song near your phone and Piano Effect tells you which keyboards are playing and what effects they use: tremolo, chorus, flanger, phaser, vibrato, Leslie, delay, reverb, drive, compression and detune. HOW IT WORKS Tap "Scan" and let the music play for 10, 20 or 30 seconds. When it finishes, the app freezes a verdict: every keyboard it found, its timbre family (electric piano, organ, synth…), its register, and the effect chain with its measured parameters β€” LFO rate, delay time, reverb tail. NUMBERS WITH ERROR BARS, NOT GUESSES Every measurement comes with its margin of error and its confidence level. When something cannot be measured with certainty, the app says so instead of making it up, and shows you what it doubted and why. PLAY IT YOURSELF Open the on-screen keyboard and it sounds with the chain that was just measured. Adjust every effect with its knobs, add the ones you want, and save your sounds by name. Turn the phone sideways and three octaves fit. Plug in a MIDI keyboard over USB and play it with your own hands, velocity and sustain pedal included. A SOUND LIBRARY BY GENRE 41 ready-to-play sounds: gospel, worship, neo soul, jazz, blues, bossa nova, funk, lo-fi, synthwave, 80s, pop, rock, ballad, salsa, cumbia, bachata, merengue, reggaeton, Regional Mexican and more. Plus your scans, saved with song and artist; search them and filter by genre or effect. ROLAND JUNO-DS: MAKE THE KEYBOARD SING With a JUNO-DS the app makes the keyboard itself sound: it loads its patch by number, writes the reverb, echo or chorus into it, or both. When you leave, the keyboard goes back to how it was. HONEST ABOUT ITS LIMITS The "Limits" tab explains what a phone microphone can and cannot measure over a full mix, so you know when to trust it. PRIVATE All the analysis happens on your device. Your audio is never recorded or sent anywhere, and there are no accounts. The microphone only turns on while the scan you asked for is running. NO ADS WITH PRO The free version includes advertising, which never appears during a scan. Piano Effect Pro removes it for good with a single payment, and everything that comes with it goes too: the app stops requesting ads, ad consent and tracking permission. Everything else is identical.

Screenshots

PatchLens4 screens
Piano Effect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: PatchLens at none against Piano Effect's shown. Piano Effect's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs weekly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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. PatchLens sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Piano Effect sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PatchLens ships an update weekly, Piano Effect every 3 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
PatchLens versus Piano Effect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPatchLensPiano Effect
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 3 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size7 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperClashware SΓ rlBrayhan Alejandro Gabriel Guerrero

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PatchLens

One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$4.99
1 purchases

Piano Effect

One-time1
  • Piano Effect Pro$2.99

Questions

Is PatchLens free?
PatchLens is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Piano Effect free?
Piano Effect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PatchLens or Piano Effect have ads?
Piano Effect shows ads; PatchLens does not.
Which is updated more often, PatchLens or Piano Effect?
PatchLens ships an update weekly, and Piano Effect every 3 days. Most recently, PatchLens was updated on October 31, 2026 and Piano Effect on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons