Comparison

PhonoPaper vs Land Waves

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

Head to head
About

PhonoPaper

This app decodes images containing encoded sound, allowing you to play back audio embedded within visual patterns. You can also record your own sounds and convert them into these unique visual codes. It's designed for creative audio messaging and artistic expression.

Highlights
  • Decode images with encoded sound
  • Create sound codes from recordings
  • Offline decoding capability
  • Analogue code for distortion resilience
  • Real-time, hand-controlled playback
  • Draw codes for unique sounds
Features
Read full description

PhonoPaper is a camera app for playing pictures with encoded sound (PhonoPaper-codes). With this app, you can also create your own codes: 10 seconds of sound can be recorded from a microphone and converted into an image. [ Key features ] * PhonoPaper does not require access to the network for decoding; * PhonoPaper code is analogue, so it is not so sensitive to different types of the image distortion (bad camera, dark picture, wrinkled paper, etc.); at least you will hear the "silhouette" of the original sound; * code can be played in real-time with hand-controlled speed and direction; * code can be drawn by hand to get some unusual sounds. [ Examples of usage ] * voice messages (or pieces of music) on t-shirts, billboards, posters, postcards, goods; * audio labels for phonorecords; * audio examples in books; * secret messages; * art-experiments. [ How to use ] Launch the app, point the camera at the code (tap on the screen to focus if necessary) and smoothly scan the picture from left to right. The code should be parallel to the frame - try to keep the camera level. The black code markers (top and bottom) should fall entirely into the frame. If the application recognizes code markers, you will hear a sound. If you are unable to play the code smoothly, press the record button on the right side of the screen, this will enable automatic scanning.

About

Land Waves

This app generates sound waves from a 1D reaction-diffusion system simulation. It translates pixel brightness into audio frequencies, creating complex soundscapes from simple mathematical models found in nature.

Highlights
  • 1D reaction-diffusion system simulation
  • Sonification of pixel brightness
  • Generates complex soundscapes
  • Mathematical models of natural fluid behaviors
  • Translates pixel values to audio frequencies
Features
Read full description

Raw sonification of a 1D reaction diffusion system. Reaction diffusion systems are mathematical representations of the behaviours of fluids that can be found in nature. A key characteristic of these systems is that the initial parameters are simple but the resulting process can be extremely complex. Here, each pixel brightness affects the brightness in the corresponding pixel line. Frequencies of the sound waves are the sonification of these pixel values.

Screenshots

PhonoPaper1 screens
Land Waves2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PhonoPaper at 83% against Land Waves's 50%. PhonoPaper also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 31 months) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Land Waves's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 12.0). 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

PhonoPaper holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of PhonoPaper's written reviews are positive against 50% of Land Waves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PhonoPaper ships an update every 4 months, Land Waves every 31 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PhonoPaper versus Land Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhonoPaperLand Waves
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (45 ratings) — better4.3 (12 ratings)
Positive reviews82.9% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings45 — better12
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 31 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.08.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander ZolotovAgoston Nagy

Customer experience

PhonoPaper

All ratings45 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral4.4%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews76 reviews
Positive82.9%
Neutral2.6%
Negative14.5%

Land Waves

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

PhonoPaper

No in-app purchases

None

Land Waves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PhonoPaper free?
PhonoPaper is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Land Waves free?
Land Waves is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PhonoPaper or Land Waves?
PhonoPaper is rated higher. PhonoPaper averages 4.6 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Land Waves averages 4.3 from 12 ratings.
Do PhonoPaper or Land Waves have ads?
Neither PhonoPaper nor Land Waves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PhonoPaper or Land Waves?
PhonoPaper ships an update every 4 months, and Land Waves every 31 months. Most recently, PhonoPaper was updated on October 14, 2026 and Land Waves on October 16, 2026.

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