# Arturia iSpark vs OB

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OB at none against Arturia iSpark's 14. OB also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.9) and price ($14.99 vs $19.99). Arturia iSpark's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Arturia iSpark costs $19.99 and OB $14.99 up front. Arturia iSpark sells 13 one-off in-app purchases. OB asks for nothing beyond the download.

OB holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 60 and 64 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Arturia iSpark's written reviews are positive against 57% of OB's.

Arturia iSpark ships an update every 3 months, OB every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Arturia iSpark | OB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$14.99** |
| Rating | [3.9 (60 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arturia-ispark/id1045383182/reviews) | **[4.3 (64 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ob-xd-auv3-synth/id1465262829/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 60 | **64** |
| Positive reviews | 50.3% of reviews | **57.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 396 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Arturia](https://appshunter.io/developer/549089551) | [DiscoDSP LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465262828) |

## What reviewers say

### Arturia iSpark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arturia-ispark/id1045383182)

Create complete music tracks with a versatile beat-making solution. Explore a vast library of drum kits and instruments, then sculpt your sound with powerful editing tools and a flexible sequencer. Design unique sonic textures and melodic elements for your compositions.

**Highlights:** Real-time pattern playing and tweaking, 64-step flexible sequencer, Modular engine with TAE® technology, Extensive sound customization, Song mode for chaining patterns, XY modulation touchpads, Compatibility with Spark environment

**In-app purchases (13)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iSpark ALMA Fragment | Free | one-time |
| Techno Fragment | $3.99 | one-time |
| Noise Fragment | $3.99 | one-time |
| EDM Fragment | $3.99 | one-time |
| HipHop Fragment | $3.99 | one-time |
| EDM Fragment 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hip Hop Fragment 2 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hip Hop Fragment 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Raw House Fragment 1 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Hip Hop Fragment 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| EDM Fragment 3 | $3.99 | one-time |
| EDM Fragment 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Noise Fragment 3 | $3.99 | one-time |


### OB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ob-xd-auv3-synth/id1465262829)

This app emulates the classic Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, offering its rich sound and behavior with added enhancements. It focuses on sonic quality and includes micro random detuning for authentic analog warmth. External effects are recommended to further shape its versatile soundscapes.

**Highlights:** Oberheim OB-X emulation, Recreates original sound and behavior, Added enhancements to original design, Micro random detuning, Rich and good sound quality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Incredible sound quality
- ✨ Inspiring creative tool
- 🎹 Faithful emulation of classic synth
- 🎛️ Great for programming
- 🎚️ Useful presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unusable UI on older devices
- 💻 Poor GUI scaling on iPad Pro
- 🎛️ Controls unresponsive or misaligned
- 📉 Limited functionality without updates
- 🤷‍♂️ No clear upgrade path

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes in Audiobus
- Cannot use in MIDI section of Audiobus
- Preset browser issues (scrolling, cut off banks)
- Automation bug with cutoff freq
- UI issues on iPad Pro (buttons misaligned, text cut off)

**Requested features**

- Add last/high priority for mono patches
- Increase polyphony to 8 voices
- MIDI Learn functionality
- Preset browser improvements (categories, scrolling)
- Adjustable keyboard size


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Arturia iSpark free?

Arturia iSpark costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is OB free?

OB costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Arturia iSpark or OB?

OB is rated higher. Arturia iSpark averages 3.9 out of 5 from 60 ratings, while OB averages 4.3 from 64 ratings.

### Do Arturia iSpark or OB have ads?

Neither Arturia iSpark nor OB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Arturia iSpark or OB?

Arturia iSpark ships an update every 3 months, and OB every 2 months. Most recently, Arturia iSpark was updated on October 24, 2026 and OB on October 24, 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.*