# Esspresso vs sub808

The clearest difference is rating: sub808 at 4.2 against Esspresso's 3.5. sub808 also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Esspresso's advantage is review sentiment (40% vs 0%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Esspresso costs $9.99 and sub808 $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

sub808 holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Esspresso's written reviews are positive against 0% of sub808's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Esspresso ships an update every 9 months, sub808 every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Esspresso | sub808 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Rating | [3.5 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esspresso/id1037999669/reviews) | **[4.2 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub808/id6475637520/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 9 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 6 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.6 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Klevgrand Produkter AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/1118902192) | [OSC Audio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693533681) |

## What reviewers say

### Esspresso

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/esspresso/id1037999669)

This advanced audio effect offers professional de-essing with an intuitive interface. It functions as both a standalone app and an AUv3 plugin, allowing independent control over detection and suppression frequencies for precise sibilance management.

**Highlights:** Standalone app and AUv3 plugin, Independent detection and suppression frequencies, Visual frequency response view, Detector sensitivity gain, Visual reduction and detector RMS, Load/save presets

**In-app purchases:** none


### sub808

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub808/id6475637520)

Create powerful sub-bass sounds with this intuitive instrument app. Explore analog-inspired flavors, fine-tune saturation, and sculpt your basslines with versatile envelope and shaper controls. Compatible across devices for seamless production.

**Highlights:** 50 Factory Presets, 4 Analog Flavors, 8 Saturation Modes, Filter Cutoff & Glide, Handcrafted Envelope & Shaper, Cross-platform Compatibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Esspresso free?

Esspresso costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is sub808 free?

sub808 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Esspresso or sub808?

sub808 is rated higher. Esspresso averages 3.5 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while sub808 averages 4.2 from 10 ratings.

### Do Esspresso or sub808 have ads?

Neither Esspresso nor sub808 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Esspresso or sub808?

Esspresso ships an update every 9 months, and sub808 every 6 months. Most recently, Esspresso was updated on September 20, 2026 and sub808 on September 7, 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.*