DAC App vs SAM Studio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
DAC App
This free application simplifies the recording of student audio responses for specific AP exams. It streamlines the process for both students and proctors, and automatically uploads audio files for school staff. Designed for use on school-issued iPads.
- Record audio responses for AP exams
- Simplify recording process
- Intuitive interface for students
- Streamline post-exam tasks
- Direct upload of audio files
- Designed for school-owned iPads
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The Digital Audio Capture (DAC) app is a free app developed by College Board and ETS to use for recording students’ audio responses for the AP Music Theory Exam and AP French, German, Italian, and Spanish Language and Culture Exams. This app has been developed to simplify the recording process for students and proctors, utilizing current technology that is intuitive to most students. It streamlines post-exam tasks for school staff by directly uploading student audio files after recording. School staff will follow the instructions in the 2025-26 AP Exam Instructions book to administer an exam using the DAC app. NOTE: The DAC app is limited for use on school-owned and -controlled iPad tablets (iOS 15.0 and above). Schools must update to the 2026 version of the DAC app; previous versions of the app will not work in 2026.
SAM Studio
This platform offers tools and curriculum-aligned lesson plans for engaging STEAM and coding education. It features intuitive visual coding apps and wireless electronic blocks to bring computational thinking to life in the classroom.
- Curriculum-aligned lesson plans
- Intuitive visual flow-based and block-based coding
- Wireless Bluetooth electronic blocks
- Lesson Builder tool
- Teacher support and training
- Support for various sensors and motors
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SAM Labs provides everything you need to deliver the most engaging STEAM and Coding learning experiences in your classroom. Giving you the tools and support to make the most of your lessons, SAM Labs makes learning interactive and engaging. This includes curriculum-aligned lesson plans, intuitive visual flow-based and block-based apps, wireless electronic blocks that connect seamlessly to provide stimulating challenges. Design lessons with algorithms, programs and systems to bring computational thinking to life! Why use SAM Labs? - A fun and interactive way to bring coding to life - An intuitive visual, flow-based and block-based coding tailored for any classroom or ability level - SAM Blockly enables progression to block-based programming - Easy-to-use, wireless Bluetooth SAM Blocks that are made to last - NEW! Build your own lessons to integrate within your current or upcoming units of study - Unparalleled teacher support, onboarding, and training - Versatile technology that can be used across a variety of subjects Incredibly easy to bring into the classroom – and simple to teach with. You can use the SAM Studio App virtually or bring your projects to life using physical SAM Labs blocks, sensors and devices, including: - Buttons, RGB Light, Buzzer - Multiple sensors: Light, Proximity, Heat, Tilt, Pressure - Controller & Sliders - DC & Servo motors - Wheels, car chassis & roller ball - LEGO®-compatible gear attachments - Chargers and charging station A subscription to SAM Studio also gives you access to our standards-aligned course content, including easy-to-follow lesson plans, editable presentations, step-by-step guides, an engaging interactive Lesson Builder tool, and more! Link: https://store.samlabs.com For more information, book a quick demo: https://go.samlabs.com/book-a-demo Supported languages: English (US), English (UK), Chinese, Italian, Spanish, German, French, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hebrew Supported Bluetooth: Our app runs on devices that support Bluetooth 4.0 and up. LEGO® is a trademark of the LEGO Group of companies which does not sponsor, authorize or endorse this site.
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: SAM Studio at 100% against DAC App's 20%. SAM Studio also leads on rating (5.0 vs 1.8) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 12 months). DAC App's advantage is ratings volume (16 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SAM Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DAC App has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 20% of DAC App's written reviews are positive against 100% of SAM Studio's.
DAC App ships an update every 12 months, SAM Studio every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | DAC App | SAM Studio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.8 (16 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 20.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 2 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Educational Testing Service | SAM Labs |
Customer experience
DAC App
SAM Studio
In-app purchases
DAC App
No in-app purchases
SAM Studio
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is DAC App free?
Is SAM Studio free?
Which has better reviews, DAC App or SAM Studio?
Do DAC App or SAM Studio have ads?
Which is updated more often, DAC App or SAM Studio?
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