# Ribbons vs RingsFX

The clearest difference is price: Ribbons at $7.99 against RingsFX's $14.99. Ribbons also leads on chart position (#199 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). RingsFX's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 11 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Ribbons costs $7.99 and RingsFX $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RingsFX holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 73 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of Ribbons's written reviews are positive against 100% of RingsFX's.

Ribbons ships an update every 11 months, RingsFX fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ribbons | RingsFX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$7.99** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [4.7 (73 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbons-touch-instrument/id898059305/reviews) | **[4.9 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringsfx/id6478013769/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **73** | 27 |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#199** | — |
| Size | 20 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Olympia Noise Co.](https://appshunter.io/developer/500740314) | [4Pockets.com](https://appshunter.io/developer/370131860) |

## What reviewers say

### Ribbons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ribbons-touch-instrument/id898059305)

**Currently charting:** #199 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This app offers an expressive musical instrument inspired by classic electronic devices. It features a fluid playing surface, a unique synthesis engine, and versatile MIDI control capabilities. Explore new sonic textures and control external synths with this innovative instrument.

**Highlights:** Expressive playing surface with fluid note gliding, Unique morphing wavetable synthesis engine, MIDI controller with MPE support, Inter-App Audio and Audiobus integration, Adjustable note snapping and guidelines, Built-in reverb and delay effects

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great sound quality
- 🎨 Intuitive and beautiful UI
- 💡 Expressive instrument
- 🎛️ Versatile MIDI controller
- 🎹 Rich sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎚️ Mono synth engine
- 😞 Poor sound quality (subjective)
- ❓ No MIDI input (older reviews)
- 🤔 Not sure how to use it (niche)

**Reported bugs**

- Notes begin on standard pitches even with 0 snap set

**Requested features**

- AUv3 support
- Inter-App Audio support
- MIDI input support
- MPE support
- Stack of vertical sliders


### RingsFX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ringsfx/id6478013769)

This music app emulates a renowned physical modeling synthesizer, offering diverse synthesis techniques and polyphonic capabilities. It allows for real-time parameter manipulation and can process external audio, creating unique sonic textures and rhythms.

**Highlights:** Physical modeling synthesis emulation, Multiple polyphony modes (Mono, Duo, Quad, True Polyphonic), Supports MIDI MPE and velocity sensitivity, External audio excitation, Mod Matrix for real-time parameter control, 7 unique synthesis modes, 6 mod-able and 6 global effects

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Ribbons free?

Ribbons costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RingsFX free?

RingsFX costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Ribbons or RingsFX?

RingsFX is rated higher. Ribbons averages 4.7 out of 5 from 73 ratings, while RingsFX averages 4.9 from 27 ratings.

### Do Ribbons or RingsFX have ads?

Neither Ribbons nor RingsFX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Ribbons or RingsFX?

Ribbons ships an update every 11 months, and RingsFX fortnightly. Most recently, Ribbons was updated on October 26, 2026 and RingsFX on October 29, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*