FrankenJazz vs Tonkro
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
FrankenJazz
Read full descriptionHide full description
Write a jazz progression, hear it immediately, and study what makes the changes connect. FrankenJazz is a private lead-sheet and harmony workshop for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Enter chord symbols in a compact chart, choose a key and tempo, then play the form with a responsive chord-tone piano. The app reads Roman-numeral context, traces guide-tone movement, and lets you compare five practical voicing families. Use the bundled progression library as a starting point or build your own. Change the key, tempo, groove, instrument, and voicing while the chart remains editable. Playback includes seeking and looping for close listening and practice. When the chart is ready, export a FrankenJazz document, plain text, or a standard MIDI file. Local recovery protects the current session if the app closes unexpectedly. FrankenJazz works without an account or network connection. It includes no telemetry, advertising, sample downloads, or cloud processing.
Tonkro
Read full descriptionHide full description
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
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: FrankenJazz at 3 against Tonkro's 1. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | FrankenJazz | Tonkro |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | โ | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac โ better | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 โ better | 18.0 |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 48 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Jeffrey Emanuel | Bipasha Nayak |
In-app purchases
FrankenJazz
No in-app purchases
Tonkro
No in-app purchases









