Comparison

Troublemaker vs Bacteria Music

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Troublemaker

This app emulates the iconic TB-303 bassline synthesizer, offering its distinctive sound with a diode filter, sawtooth, and square wave oscillators. It provides extensive MIDI and sequencer features, allowing for creative sound design and integration with DAWs.

Highlights
  • Diode filter emulation
  • Sawtooth and square wave oscillators
  • Realtime Mutation Probability Engine
  • Standalone sequencer (1-64 steps)
  • Audio Unit (AUv3) compatibility
  • MIDI CC controllers
  • MIDI Clock Sync
Features
Read full description

Featured in the US Appstore! Here's what the reviews say: "Perfect for on the move acid sessions, the Trouble Maker app faithfully recreates the sound of the original TB-303" - DJ Mag "Troublemaker is absolutely no trouble at all to heartily recommend" - SoundOnSound "If you want to make the bassline from Josh Wink’s ‘Higher State of Consciousness’ on the bus, this is the app for the job" - Factmag.com "Top-notch stuff from a developer that just keeps getting better" - Musicappblog.com "This app has been consuming all of my time this week! Love it!" - Discchord.com Introducing Troublemaker: this is not a 303 The legendary TB-303 has magical properties; it is filled to the brim with analog shimmer. Its output jack is a gateway to a parallel universe and when you twiddle the filter knobs an army of highly trained pixies chisel the square waves from freshly harvested unicorn souls. So if you want a TB-303, you should buy a TB-303. But if you're after *that sound* Troublemaker will give you everything you need in spades. Troublemaker sports a carefully crafted diode filter emulation and among the available oscillators are the typical raspy, nasal sawtooth and rubbery square wave with its oddball shape and shifting pulse width. It also has the wow. Troublemaker is fully Audio Unit (AUv3) compatible, so you can go wild running multiple instances in your favorite DAWs. It also has: - MIDI CC controllers for all knobs (predefined), - Core Midi, Virtual Midi, Bluetooth Midi input, - MIDI Clock Sync, MIDI Start / Stop support - Realtime Mutation Probability Engine - Standalone sequencer supports 1-64 steps - Audiobus 3 support (audio + MIDI) - Exports MID and WAV files from the standalone sequencer - User manual and MIDI charts on ruismaker.com - Comes with an extra AUv3 plugin version of a modded Troublemaker unit And unlike the TB-303, it can actually sound like a bass guitar ;-)

About

Bacteria Music

Features
Read full description

Make gross, gooey, squelchy music! Bacteria Music is a simple, playful beat maker. Tap the glowing bacteria to build a loop, twist the knobs to make it wetter and grosser, and mash Change Bass and Change Beats to discover new sounds with different drum kits and endless squelchy basslines. When you make something you love, share a clip with a friend in a tap. - Tap-to-play grid with fun ripples and haptics - Wobbly, farty acid-style bass - 12 drum kits, from boomy to bright to lo-fi - Change the bass and the beat independently - Share your creations - No accounts, no ads, nothing saved or collected...just play! Perfect for kids and the young at heart. Made by Soundtron Studios.

Screenshots

Troublemaker2 screens
Bacteria Music3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bacteria Music at Free against Troublemaker's $8.99. Bacteria Music also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). Troublemaker's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Bacteria Music is free to download; Troublemaker costs $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, Bacteria Music every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Troublemaker versus Bacteria Music: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTroublemakerBacteria Music
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (64 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews77.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings64 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBram BosSoundtron Studios LLC

In-app purchases

None

Troublemaker

No in-app purchases

None

Bacteria Music

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Troublemaker free?
Troublemaker costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bacteria Music free?
Bacteria Music is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Troublemaker or Bacteria Music have ads?
Neither Troublemaker nor Bacteria Music shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Troublemaker or Bacteria Music?
Troublemaker ships an update every 2 weeks, and Bacteria Music every 2 days. Most recently, Troublemaker was updated on October 24, 2026 and Bacteria Music on October 10, 2026.

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