Comparison

Busker Live FX vs Tonkro

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

Head to head
About

Busker Live FX

Features
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Busker Live FX is a live guitar and vocal multi-effects app for Mac, iPhone and iPad. Connect instruments and microphones through an external audio interface, then control effects, your mix, backing tracks, loops and performance recording in one app. A console for each device โ€ข Mac and landscape iPad: channel details, channel strips and MR/Looper/Record in three columns โ€ข Portrait iPad: transport panels arranged side by side below the console โ€ข iPhone: bottom tabs for channel details, channel strips and playback/recording โ€ข Mac: select an external interface independently of the system default Independent channels and effects โ€ข Up to four inputs, depending on your interface, with Guitar or Vocal on each channel โ€ข Guitar: Tuner, Gate, Compressor, EQ, Boost, NAM AMP, IR, Doubler, Chorus, Delay and Reverb โ€ข Vocal: Gate, Preamp, Compressor, EQ, De-esser, Pitch Correction, two-voice Harmony and Reverb โ€ข Input gain, Pan, output faders, Mute/Solo and stereo Main output Perform and record โ€ข One stereo loop up to 60 seconds, with overdubbing, Undo and Clear โ€ข Import backing audio, see position and total time, and shift KEY by โˆ’3โ€ฆ+3 semitones โ€ข Record enabled inputs, loaded MR, active loop and final MIX as stereo 24-bit WAV files โ€ข Pause/resume within a Take; browse, preview and share individual files or a whole Take โ€ข MIDI mapping by input channel and Guitar/Vocal type, All MIDI channels and MIDI Learn โ€ข Save presets, edit names together and delete from the library All app features are free. No login or subscription is required. Presets and recordings are stored per device and do not automatically sync between devices. Requirements Requires iOS/iPadOS 17 or later, or macOS 14 or later, a compatible external audio interface and microphone permission. Built-in audio and AirPods are not treated as external interfaces for live input. Adapters, power and drivers depend on your interface. Latency and available processing capacity depend on your device, interface and buffer settings. User manual: https://buskerlivefx.pickandtune.com/manual Support: support@pickandtune.com

About

Tonkro

Features
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MAKE MUSIC BY TOUCHING THE MACHINE Tonkro is a playful music workstation for iPad: part synthesizer, sampler, drum machine, sequencer, recorder, editor, mixer, and DJ performance space. SHAPE ORIGINAL INSTRUMENTS Explore distinctive synth and drum engines through four expressive controls. Each workshop is built to feel immediate: touch the illustrated machinery, hear the result, and let the characters react to your performance. SAMPLE THE WORLD Record through the microphone or import audio. Play one sound chromatically, divide it into untransposed slices, or map multiple samples across keys and pads. Trim, crop, loop, reverse, fade, change speed, transpose, and preserve the original recording with non-destructive editing. FIND RHYTHMS YOUR WAY Seven sequencer personalities turn taps, held notes, patterns, gestures, and playful systems into musical motion. Tempo, transport, MIDI, and recording stay connected, so a sketch can become an arrangement without breaking the flow. RECORD AND ARRANGE Build with eight stereo tracks. Record audio or notes, edit clips and piano-roll performances, overdub, punch, loop, lift, drop, mix, export stems, and save portable project bundles. PERFORM WITH MONSTER DECKS Load two tracks, set beat grids, sync, use key lock, cue points, hot cues, quantized loops, EQ, filters, pitch bend, and the crossfader. Record the performance or print it directly into the tape arrangement. MADE FOR PLAY Tonkro keeps its creative tools visible, touchable, and full of character. It works without an account, advertising, or third-party analytics. Your projects, recordings, and imported samples remain on your iPad unless you choose to export or share them.

Screenshots

Busker Live FX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tonkro at none against Busker Live FX's 3. Busker Live FX's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Busker Live FX sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Tonkro asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Busker Live FX ships an update every 6 days, Tonkro every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Busker Live FX versus Tonkro: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBusker Live FXTonkro
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 days โ€” betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPad
Requires iOS17.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size5 MB48 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMINJUNG CHOBipasha Nayak

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Busker Live FX

Subscriptions2
  • Busker Live FX Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Busker Live FX Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Busker Live FX Pro (Lifetime)$79.99
None

Tonkro

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Busker Live FX free?
Busker Live FX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tonkro free?
Tonkro is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Busker Live FX or Tonkro have ads?
Neither Busker Live FX nor Tonkro shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Busker Live FX or Tonkro?
Busker Live FX ships an update every 6 days, and Tonkro every 3 weeks. Most recently, Busker Live FX was updated on October 25, 2026 and Tonkro on October 26, 2026.

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