A Tomplay and Metronaut alternative
Where Synchestra differs from other play-along apps, and when another may suit you better. Checked on each company's own pages between 4 September and 31 October 2026.
Looking for a Tomplay alternative?
Synchestra suits you if you
- are preparing one of the works in our shop;
- want every soloist and orchestral part, and the conductor score, in one purchase; for example, you can pick the Violino principale, or Violino I, or Violino II divisi b, or any of the four Horns;
- like to set the tempo yourself, section by section;
- practise on a Windows PC or a Mac.
Another app may suit you better if you
- want the orchestra to follow your tempo as you play: Cadenza and Metronaut say theirs does. Ours is in development;
- practise on a tablet or a phone today: our iPad app is expected by December 2026, and the Android app by the first quarter of 2027;
- need a piece we don't have: Tomplay lists over 100,000 scores and Metronaut over 20,000 titles. Among those, by our count on 4 September 2026, Tomplay has about 95 complete classical concertos with full orchestra accompaniment, Metronaut 12, and Music Minus One about 140. Tell us which work you need;
- prefer recordings of musicians: Tomplay and Metronaut use recordings, as do many Music Minus One titles, while we build the orchestra from the score with virtual instruments;
- need only your own solo instrument's part.
The table
| Synchestra | Tomplay | Metronaut | Cadenza | G-Phil | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| How it's made | Built part by part from the score, with virtual instruments | Recordings | Recordings, piano or orchestra | Piano or orchestra; method not stated | Sample libraries, by its own account |
| Accompaniment | The full orchestra | Orchestra or piano | Orchestra or piano | Orchestra or piano | The full orchestra |
| You pay | Once per work: the complete work or a movement | Per movement and instrument (typically €2.99 to €9.99), or €19.99 a month, €149.99 a year on its website | A subscription (prices by region) or a Lifetime plan; its App Store listing also has a "Piece" at €5.99 | Subscription: €5.99 a month or €59.99 a year. Cadenza Performer for Mac is free for over 90% of its library, by its App Store text | Lite: free download; Pro €6.99 a month, €44.99 a year or €89.99 one-off |
| Try first | Free app. All available works can be tried out, with some passages at a lower volume | A preview of about a minute on work pages, without an account; 14-day trial (annual plan) | 7-day trial (annual plan) | Over 90% of the library is free in Cadenza Performer for Mac; almost all works with orchestral accompaniment are Premium | Lite version, with the whole library, by its help pages |
| Mute one instrument | Any individual instrument, down to the divisi | On a few "Multitrack" listings only, for a limited set of instruments | Only the solo instrument | Only the solo instrument | The only solo instrument is the piano, and it is not recorded |
| Left and right hand, pedal | You can practise the left hand, the right hand and the (organ) pedal separately | Separate hands, by its own pages | Left or right hand on supported piano pieces (App Store text) | No | No |
| Conductor score | With every work, in the same purchase | A few works have orchestral scores | No | No | A PDF score viewer (Pro), not in step with the parts. No playhead on the score |
| Play an orchestral part | Every part | In a few ensemble editions | No | No | No |
| Display on several screens at once | Yes, for example the conductor score on one screen and your part on another | No | No | No | No |
| Responsive scores | Conductor scores in 3 or 4 responsive sizes, instrument parts in 6 responsive sizes | No | No | No | No |
| Tempo | You set it per section or per loop, or live, with a touch screen or a MIDI controller | Tempo slider, loops | Tempo control | Says it follows the player | You set it per section, ±50% |
| Follows the player | In development | No | By its own account: "Interpret (AI Tempo)" | Only for monophonic instruments | No |
| Pay once, no subscription | Yes | Yes, if you buy an individual work; no if you only subscribe | Yes with its Lifetime plan; no if you only subscribe | No | One-off Pro version at €89.99; otherwise no |
| Platforms | Windows, Mac; iPhone, iPad and Android on the way | Windows PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablet, iPhone | iOS, Android, macOS, web | iPhone, iPad, Mac | Mac, iPad, web beta |
| Catalogue | Classical works with orchestra, added one at a time | Over 100,000 scores, all genres. About 95 full concertos (checked 4 September 2026) | Over 20,000 titles (App Store text). 12 full concertos (checked 4 September 2026) | Nearly 3,000 pieces and movements. 77 full concertos (checked 4 September 2026) | 27 pieces, nearly all piano concertos (checked 31 October 2026) |
Compare one at a time: Tomplay · Metronaut · Music Minus One
Other ways to practise
| Synchestra | YouTube recording | Music Minus One book | A pianist | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The solo is silent, so you can play it | Yes | Often the soloist plays | Yes | Yes |
| Your tempo | Per section | Speed steps, with the soloist's rubato | A version 20% slower on some titles, or slow-down in its player on others | Yes |
| The orchestra's own parts | Yes | Yes | Yes | A piano reduction |
| At 10 pm | Yes | Yes | Yes | Rarely |
| Cost | €7.90 to €39.90 per complete work ready today, once | Free | USD 19.99 to 24.99 per book for the titles that match our works | A fee per rehearsal |
Our works
Mute one part, the rest plays on
Each work is built one instrument at a time, so muting one leaves the rest as it was. That is also why you can play Violin II, or the Viola, or Horn 3, or Cello divisi b, in place.
Error on this page?
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Questions
Is Synchestra a Tomplay alternative?
For the works in our shop, yes. You buy the complete work once, with every part and the conductor score, and play it in our app for Windows or Mac. Tomplay is ahead on devices and on range: by our count on 4 September 2026 it has about 95 complete concertos with orchestra accompaniment, and it runs on PC, Mac, iPad, Android tablets and iPhone, all with recordings of musicians. On most works Tomplay can only mute the soloists, and it generally gives you the solo part and an orchestral reduction score.
Does Synchestra follow my tempo as I play?
Tempo following is in development. Today you set the tempo yourself, for the whole work or section by section, or change it live with a MIDI controller. Cadenza and Metronaut say their apps follow the player now. Cadenza's works only for monophonic instruments (winds and strings, but no keyboard or percussion instruments).
Can I use Synchestra on an iPad?
Windows and Mac today. An iPad app is on the way and expected by December 2026. Android is expected by the first quarter of 2027. If you need a tablet now, Tomplay, Metronaut, Cadenza and G-Phil list iPad apps.
How is Synchestra different from Music Minus One?
A Music Minus One book comes with a recording of the orchestra without the soloist, and printed music; its player can slow the recording down and loop it. In Synchestra you can also mute any instrument, set the tempo section by section and read the conductor score as it scrolls. Many Music Minus One titles use recorded orchestras, and its audio plays on any device.
Is the orchestra a recording?
We build each orchestra part by part from the score, with virtual instruments, so you can mute any one of them. Tomplay, Metronaut and many Music Minus One titles use recordings of musicians. In Synchestra, a staccatissimo at 50% tempo is still a staccatissimo.
What about free YouTube tracks?
They're free, and many players start there. A video is one fixed recording: you can slow it down, but you can't mute an instrument or change the balance. In Synchestra you set the tempo, loop a passage, and turn any instrument down or off.
