Comparison

ColorfulThunder vs subflow

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

Head to head
About

ColorfulThunder

This experimental instrument uses light and color to create harmonious visual experiences. Connect multiple devices to create shared color canvases and synchronize them for social interaction or to support causes.

Highlights
  • Experimental color instrument
  • Uses light and color for harmony
  • Connect multiple iPhones/iPads
  • Synchronize devices wirelessly
  • Create and share ColorTunes
  • Support causes with custom ColorTunes
Features
Read full description

People already come together for moments that matter: a Friday-night football game, a school pep rally, a birthday, a charity walk, a classroom demonstration, a community celebration, or a performance. ColorfulThunder gives everyone there a way to become part of the moment. CREATE THE COLORS FOR YOUR EVENT Choose a sequence of colors and decide how quickly they change. Play it on your own screen to see how it will look. ColorfulThunder calls this visual color sequence a ColorTune. INVITE EVERYONE TO TAKE PART Give everyone the same ColorTune and speed. Send the ColorTune file by email, share event instructions through a message or website, or put a link to the instructions and sequence in a QR code on a poster. ColorfulThunder does not create QR codes. Organizers can use a QR-code service to point people to their event instructions and shared sequence. MAKE EVERY SCREEN PART OF THE MOMENT Each person opens the shared sequence on their own iPhone or iPad. When it plays, ColorfulThunder keeps the displays moving together. At a football or soccer game, the crowd can share team colors. At a pep rally, students can make school spirit visible. A marching band or performer can invite the audience to add color. During a classroom demonstration, separate screens can show how individual parts form a larger pattern. At a charity walk, ceremony, or community celebration, everyone can share a visual expression of the occasion. Everyone still holds their own screen, but the color belongs to the moment. LIGHT, NOT SOUND ColorfulThunder borrows the ideas of notes, speed, and composition from music, but it displays color. It does not create music or automatically follow a band, song, or live performance. BEFORE YOUR EVENT Every participating device needs the same ColorTune and speed. An internet connection is needed when the displays line up. Test the sequence and sharing method with the devices you plan to use before the event. ColorfulThunder does not find nearby people, create a group session, manage an event, control stadium screens, or operate external lights. Event organizers remain responsible for permissions, safety, accessibility, internet access, and venue rules. Hear the Light. See the Sound.

About

subflow

Create dynamic music visualizations for any setting. Control modes, speed, and beat patterns with intuitive screen gestures. Advanced users can leverage UDP and OS2L for complex control with DJ software.

Highlights
  • Gesture-based control for modes, speed, and beats
  • Beat pattern customization
  • UDP command sequencing
  • OS2L integration with DJ software
  • Color customization via long press
Features
Read full description

Crisp visualizations for your music stage or living room. Tap left or right edge of screen to change modes. Vertical swipes change speed. Tap the upper half of the screen several times to set a beat pattern. Tap the lower half to cancel or to add single beats. Horizontal swipes fine-tune the beat alignment. Long press will change color. You can also send more complex command sequences over UDP, and you can control via OS2L using most DJ software. See http://subflow.org/

Screenshots

ColorfulThunder1 screens
subflow2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: ColorfulThunder at 5.0 against subflow's 4.3. ColorfulThunder also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%). subflow's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (17 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ColorfulThunder holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: subflow has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ColorfulThunder's written reviews are positive against 67% of subflow's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ColorfulThunder ships an update every 11 months, subflow every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 7, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
ColorfulThunder versus subflow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterColorfulThundersubflow
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.3 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings217 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Apple TV
Requires iOS15.6 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size54 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSIME CorpEllo Skelling Productions

Customer experience

ColorfulThunder

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

subflow

All ratings17 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral5.9%
Negative11.8%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

ColorfulThunder

No in-app purchases

None

subflow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ColorfulThunder free?
ColorfulThunder is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is subflow free?
subflow is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ColorfulThunder or subflow?
ColorfulThunder is rated higher. ColorfulThunder averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while subflow averages 4.3 from 17 ratings.
Do ColorfulThunder or subflow have ads?
Neither ColorfulThunder nor subflow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ColorfulThunder or subflow?
ColorfulThunder ships an update every 11 months, and subflow every 6 days. Most recently, ColorfulThunder was updated on September 7, 2026 and subflow on September 9, 2026.

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