Comparison

Handpan Lessons vs PanStrobe

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

Head to head
About

Handpan Lessons

Features
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Make time for the handpan you already own. Save your instrument's notes and layout, then open lessons that fit. Handpan tells you when a pattern needs a note your pan doesn't have, so you can choose another pattern before you begin. Find your first notes with a D Kurd example. Tap the center and ring fields to hear reference sounds, then try a short pattern on your instrument. Your saved layout stays separate from the example. Play it back in Echo Circle. Handpan plays a short groove on your own pan's notes, then you answer on your handpan. Circles grow from 2 to 4 to 8 hits, and every hit shows its timing in milliseconds. If the app can't hear you clearly, it says so and doesn't score. Eight grooves and three circles a day are included. Use the on-device tuner and Pan Health Check to compare clear notes with a 432 or 440 Hz reference. Quiet or uncertain input stays ungraded. These phone-microphone readings are practice references, not instructions to retune an instrument. Explore the playable handpan and scale library, write a number tab, or settle into a calm session of any length, one a day without Pro. Get an on-device practice plan for your experience, available notes and time, with no daily plan limit. Tabs and recordings stay on your device unless you choose to export or share them. Sign-in is optional. The app interface is in English. Handpan Pro includes all 22 grooves, unlimited Echo Circles with a tempo ladder and your own patterns, drift history, unlimited editable tabs, and every calm soundscape. Handpan Pro Lifetime is a single purchase that does not renew; monthly and yearly subscriptions unlock the same on-device features. Prices and any eligible trial appear in the app before purchase. Existing purchases can be restored with your Apple Account. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled through Apple before renewal. Privacy: https://handpan.keenshift.ai/privacy Terms of Use: https://handpan.keenshift.ai/terms Support: https://playsoloist.com/handpan/support

About

PanStrobe

Features
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PanStrobe is a harmonic strobe tuner built for handpan makers, tuners and players. A handpan note is not one frequency — it is a fundamental with an octave and a compound fifth tuned above it. PanStrobe shows all of them at once as true strobe motion: each ring is one partial, position is phase, and drift speed is exactly how far off you are. When a ring stands still, that partial is in tune. TUNE BY SIGHT • Half-circle strobe disc or horizontal strobe rows — one band per partial • True strobe physics: left = flat, right = sharp, stillness = in tune • Live cents readouts with glitch rejection — and no averaging: the wobble you see is real signal • Strobe divisors (Ć·2, Ć·3, Ć·5) slow the pattern for far-off notes HEAR THE WHOLE NOTE • Real-time spectrum with a piano-key axis and labelled peaks • Waterfall view: watch each strike's harmonics evolve over time • Automatic note detection, or lock to the note you are working on BUILT FOR THE WORKSHOP • Chromatic notes with octave control, adjustable A4 reference, global cents offset • Band editor with multi-partial templates (1:2:3 and more) • Pitch pipe on every band — double-tap a strobe for a reference tone • Dark, glare-free UI designed for metal shops • Works fully offline — audio never leaves your device, no account, no tracking FREE TRIAL, FAIR PRICING Every install starts with a full-featured 8-day trial. After that, the free tier stays a single-band chromatic strobe tuner. PanStrobe Pro adds what the app is really for — every partial of a note at once, the spectrum analyser, the band editor and the pitch pipe — monthly, or yearly at about 20% less. Made by Panlab — we build and tune handpans in Hong Kong. This is the tuner we use ourselves. Privacy Policy: https://panstrobe.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Handpan Lessons4 screens
PanStrobe4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: PanStrobe at 3 against Handpan Lessons's 1. PanStrobe also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Handpan Lessons sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and PanStrobe sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Handpan Lessons versus PanStrobe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpan LessonsPanStrobe
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMitaanshu AgarwalPanlab Limited

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Handpan Lessons

Subscriptions2
  • Handpan Monthl7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Handpan Yearl7 Days trial$49.991 Year
2 purchases

PanStrobe

Subscriptions2
  • PanStrobe Pro7 Days trial$7.991 Month
  • PanStrobe Pro Yearly$76.991 Year

Questions

Is Handpan Lessons free?
Handpan Lessons is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PanStrobe free?
PanStrobe is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Handpan Lessons or PanStrobe have ads?
Neither Handpan Lessons nor PanStrobe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handpan Lessons or PanStrobe?
Handpan Lessons ships an update weekly, and PanStrobe weekly. Most recently, Handpan Lessons was updated on October 17, 2026 and PanStrobe on September 28, 2026.

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