Aexels vs variant
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aexels
Explore a newly discovered universe and compare its features to our own. This app aims to continuously expand knowledge and understanding of this new world over time.
- Universe exploration
- Discover similarities and differences
- Expand knowledge
- Continuous updates
Read full descriptionHide full description
A universe is discovered ...Universe X Come along as we explore this new universe and discover the similarities and differences it has with our own. There are things we know for certain about Universe X; there are things we can speculate about and there are many things yet to be discovered. Hopefully, over the life time of this app we will be able to continually increase our knowledge and understanding of this new world.
variant
This app generates ever-changing music and imagery through a combination of user input and randomness. Explore a unique work of generative art where sound influences visuals, offering a new experience with every interaction.
- Generative audiovisual artwork
- Interactive music creation
- Evolving visual compositions
- User-controlled music flow
- Visuals influenced by sound
- Screenshot capture
Read full descriptionHide full description
variant:flare is an audiovisual artwork that creates beautiful, ever-changing music and imagery. The app combines user input and built-in randomness to create images and music that will continually change, grow and evolve, offering a new and different experience every time. For users of all ages, variant:flare is a chance to explore and experience a unique work of generative art. To interact with variant:flare, tap the screen with one finger; each tap will start a new track of the music. After six tracks have been loaded, each tap will reset one track and load a new random selection. By gradually resetting different elements of the composition, you control the flow and evolution of the music. The visuals are in turn controlled by the sound, so by changing the music, you will influence the development of the visuals. You can view the indeterminate audio engine by tapping the dot in the lower right. The display shows the different elements of the musical composition as they are loaded by the engine through a combination of chance and user input. The center button opens a menu of settings for the app, and the button to the right allows you to take screenshots of the visuals, automatically saving them to your photo library. The Variant apps are a new series of generative audiovisual artworks from Interval Studios featuring visuals by Joshue Ott and music by Kenneth Kirschner. Each Variant features a unique visual composition by Ott based on his superDraw visual performance software, as well as a new indeterminate musical composition by Kirschner. Each Variant app also offers a different set of interactive controls for the user, ranging from the ability to subtly influence the development of the piece to total interactive control over both visuals and sound. All of the Variants are generative artworks: through a varying combination of built-in randomness and user input, each Variant will continually grow and evolve over time without ever directly repeating itself either visually or musically, offering the user an ever-changing, ever-evolving audiovisual experience.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: variant at 8.0 against Aexels's 14.2. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Aexels against 4.4 for variant. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 7 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
Aexels ships an update every 10 days, variant fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aexels | variant |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (14 ratings) — better | 4.4 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Fortnightly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.2 | 8.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 95 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aepryus Software | Interval Studios |
Customer experience
Aexels
variant
In-app purchases
Aexels
No in-app purchases
variant
No in-app purchases








