Sound of Sorting

Watch and hear 32 classic sorting algorithms in action. Every comparison rings a note; every pass paints a pattern. Six sorts free - unlock the rest for $1.99.

Sound of Sorting visualizes 32 classic sorting algorithms with live audio and motion. Every comparison rings a note; every swap redraws a bar. Watch - and listen to - how each algorithm pulls an array from chaos into order.

Originally released in 2013 as a C++ demo for university algorithms classes, Sound of Sorting has been viewed tens of millions of times on YouTube. This is the app version: native, fast, and rebuilt for touch and trackpad.

WHAT YOU GET

• 32 sorting algorithms, from familiar (Bubble, Selection, Insertion) to obscure (Cycle Sort, Smooth Sort, Block Merge Sort) • Real-time audio: every array access plays a tone whose pitch matches the value being read • Colored bars: access highlights, permanent marks, sorted regions — all in live animation • Adjustable array size (8 to 2048 elements) and animation speed • Step mode: advance one comparison at a time • Infinite Play: start a never-ending parade of random sorts • Live stats: comparison count and access count update as the sort runs

FREE ALGORITHMS

Six foundational sorts included at no cost: • Selection Sort • Insertion Sort • Binary Insertion Sort • Merge Sort (classical recursive) • Merge Sort (iterative) • Quick Sort - Hoare (LR ptrs)

FULL COLLECTION — ONE-TIME PURCHASE

Unlock the remaining 26 algorithms with a single $1.99 purchase: • More Quick Sorts - Lomuto (LL ptrs), ternary (LR ptrs, LL ptrs) and Dual-Pivot partition schemes • Bubble Sort, Cocktail Shaker Sort, Gnome Sort • Comb Sort • Shell Sort (Ciura gap sequences) • Heap Sort with heap level coloring • Smooth Sort • Odd-Even Sort, Bitonic Sort, Batcher's Odd-Even Merge Sort • Cycle Sort • Radix Sort - LSD and MSD variants • gcc's std::sort and std::stable_sort - the real implementations • Tim Sort • Block Merge Sort • Bogo Sort, Bozo Sort and Stooge Sort, for entertainment • ... and more

No subscription. No ads. No analytics. No account. Just algorithms.

WHO IT'S FOR

• CS students learning how sorts actually compare in practice • Instructors looking for a lecture demo that's easier to launch than running g++ live • Engineers who want to rewatch a Quick Sort partition and finally see why it's fast • Anyone who finds audio-visual algorithm traces calming to watch

TECHNICAL NOTES

Sound of Sorting runs entirely on-device. It makes no network calls, collects no data, and has no accounts. In-app purchases are processed by Apple.

— Timo Bingmann