# Fortamento vs SAND

The clearest difference is price: SAND at Free against Fortamento's $4.99. SAND also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 8 months). Fortamento's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On ratings volume, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SAND is free to download; Fortamento costs $4.99 up front. SAND sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Fortamento asks for nothing beyond the download.

Fortamento holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 110 and 86 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Fortamento's written reviews are positive against 79% of SAND's.

Fortamento ships an update every 8 months, SAND every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fortamento | SAND |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (110 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortamento/id1237303202/reviews)** | [4.6 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-audio-midi-sequencer/id1642467684/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **110** | 86 |
| Positive reviews | **88.9% of reviews** | 79.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 143 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuri Laskin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1126868921) | [Matteo Caldari](https://appshunter.io/developer/325826466) |

## What reviewers say

### Fortamento

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fortamento/id1237303202)

Overcome writer's block with instant musical inspiration. This app generates chord progressions and melodies, allowing for manual editing and MIDI export to your favorite music software. Perfect for musicians, songwriters, and producers looking to kickstart new projects or finish existing ones.

**Highlights:** Generate chord progressions and melodies, Manual editing of tunes, MIDI file export, Tempo and key control, Save tunes within the app, Various instrument sounds, Audiobus integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### SAND

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-audio-midi-sequencer/id1642467684)

This app is a grid-based music sequencer that allows users to create compositions using AUv3 plugins and external MIDI devices. It offers extensive tools for arranging clips, editing notes, automating parameters, and routing MIDI.

**Highlights:** Grid-based MIDI sequencing, AUv3 plugin hosting, External MIDI device support, Advanced clip editing, Track and effect management, Song mode for arrangement, MIDI routing and mapping

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-day trial | Free | one-time |
| 14 Days Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |
| Audio Tracks | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great UI and features
- 💡 Potential for music creation
- 🚀 Fast and creative workflow
- 👍 Easy to use, no instructions needed
- 💡 Most usable studio on small screen

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Record function always starts
- 🐛 Sand not opening in overview
- 🐛 Integration with other apps seems off
- 🐛 Record does not pick up data
- 🐛 Cannot save ideas from one app to another

**Reported bugs**

- Record function always starts when entering Midi Instrument or FX
- Sand not opening in overview
- Integration with other apps seems off
- Record does not pick up data
- Cannot save ideas from one app to another

**Requested features**

- Sand always open in overview
- Long press in sequence track window
- Random/chance abilities in clips (Polyend Play style)
- Semi-generative function or scale-based patterns/sequences
- Save AUv3 presets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fortamento free?

Fortamento costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is SAND free?

SAND is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Fortamento or SAND?

Fortamento is rated higher. Fortamento averages 4.8 out of 5 from 110 ratings, while SAND averages 4.6 from 86 ratings.

### Do Fortamento or SAND have ads?

Neither Fortamento nor SAND shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fortamento or SAND?

Fortamento ships an update every 8 months, and SAND every 2 months. Most recently, Fortamento was updated on October 15, 2026 and SAND on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*