# M vs FM Essential

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FM Essential at 40% against M's 0%. FM Essential also leads on rating (3.0 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (70 vs 4). M's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FM Essential holds the better App Store score, 3.0 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: FM Essential has 70 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of M's written reviews are positive against 40% of FM Essential's.

M ships an update every 3 weeks, FM Essential every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | M | FM Essential |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m-calling-melody/id969913330/reviews) | **[3.0 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm-essential-us/id1121442614/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **70** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **40.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 15 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 6 MB | 88 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Lao Telecom](https://appshunter.io/developer/791048086) | [Yamaha Corporation of America](https://appshunter.io/developer/408058585) |

## What reviewers say

### M

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/m-calling-melody/id969913330)

Preview and listen to calling melodies before subscribing to RBT services. Explore new releases, recommendations, top songs, and weekly rankings to find your perfect ringtone.

**Highlights:** Listen to calling melody examples, View new releases, Explore recommended songs, Browse top 10 songs, Check weekly ranking songs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### FM Essential

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fm-essential-us/id1121442614)

This app is an FM tone generator and synthesizer for iPhone and iPad, offering real-time performance capabilities and voice editing. It includes a variety of presets, arpeggiator patterns, chord pads, and scales, along with drum functionalities. The app also supports external hardware integration and advanced sound manipulation through effects, EQ, and a ball controller.

**Highlights:** FM tone generator, Real-time synth performance, Voice editing, Arpeggiator and chord pads, Effects and EQ edit, Ball controller for sound modulation, Step sequencer

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Fantastic sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- ✨ Amazing synth capabilities
- 💡 Great FM synth app
- 🎵 Wonderful, flexible, intuitive synth

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔓 App locked by hardware
- 🔌 Connection issues
- 💸 Expensive hardware required
- ❓ Deceptive free app
- 😩 Limited functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Does not unlock with USB-C adapter
- App crashes when loading combinations
- Preset menus crash the app
- Combined Sounds no longer read from keyboard after iPad update
- Instruments stop working if effect filters are turned off

**Requested features**

- Unlock without hardware purchase
- Allow in-app purchase to unlock
- Bring back Tenori On apps
- Fix LFO delay parameter
- Add separate volume control for drums


## Frequently asked questions

### Is M free?

M is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FM Essential free?

FM Essential is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, M or FM Essential?

FM Essential is rated higher. M averages 2.5 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while FM Essential averages 3.0 from 70 ratings.

### Do M or FM Essential have ads?

Neither M nor FM Essential shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, M or FM Essential?

M ships an update every 3 weeks, and FM Essential every 15 months. Most recently, M was updated on October 24, 2026 and FM Essential on October 22, 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.*