# Groovebox vs Poly 2

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Groovebox at 4.7K against Poly 2's 686. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Groovebox sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Poly 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Groovebox against 4.8 for Poly 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Groovebox has 4.7K ratings behind it against 686, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of Groovebox's written reviews are positive against 84% of Poly 2's.

Groovebox ships an update every 6 weeks, Poly 2 every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Groovebox | Poly 2 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (4.7K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groovebox-beat-synth-studio/id1242847278/reviews) | **[4.8 (686 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poly-2/id1477029326/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.7K** | 686 |
| Positive reviews | 79.2% of reviews | **84.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 44 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Focusrite Audio Engineering](https://appshunter.io/developer/321949338) | [James Milton](https://appshunter.io/developer/581503621) |

## What reviewers say

### Groovebox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/groovebox-beat-synth-studio/id1242847278)

Create electronic music with this mobile studio app. Features inspiring synths, drum machines, and world-class instruments. Easily build beats, melodies, and arrange tracks for production.

**Highlights:** Beat and synth music studio, Touchable instruments for melodies and beats, Five powerful instruments: Drumbox, Horizon, MiniMon, RetroBass, Poly-8, Arrange tracks with sections, Record synth parameters as automation, Ableton Link and Ableton Export for collaboration, Expandable instruments and sound packs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Trap Bass | Free | one-time |
| Sequential Arps | Free | one-time |
| Ambient Hip Hop | Free | one-time |
| Dirty 909 | Free | one-time |
| Hip Hop Orbit | Free | one-time |
| Hypnotic Bass | Free | one-time |
| Golden Era Bass | $0.99 | one-time |
| Neuro Leads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Composed Melodics | $0.99 | one-time |
| Drum Booster | $1.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Refreshing simplicity
- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Excellent sound quality
- 🚀 Flexible and powerful
- 🚀 Inspiring and creative

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes occasionally
- 🔒 No iCloud sync or cloud backup
- 🔒 Limited export options
- 🔒 Lack of MIDI support
- 🔒 Clunky piano roll and note editing

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when exporting projects
- Playback issues with certain patterns
- Disappearing UI elements when scrolling
- Inconsistent behavior when changing sections

**Requested features**

- Add song mode and ability to chain sections
- Improve piano roll and note editing
- Implement MIDI support and mapping
- Add more export options like MIDI and multi-track
- Implement iCloud sync and cloud backup


### Poly 2

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/poly-2/id1477029326)

This app generates evolving musical patterns and melodies using polyrhythms. It offers extensive sound manipulation with a sampler, multiple effects, and the ability to store numerous configurations. Users can also import their own sounds and integrate with other music production tools.

**Highlights:** Generative polyrhythm sequencing, Up to 8 simultaneous sounds, Sampler with envelopes and filters, Randomize capabilities, Built-in delay, reverb, distortion, and EQ FX, AUv3, Audiobus, and IAA support, Import custom samples

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro mode | $11.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Unique, creative, and powerful tool
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
- 🎨 Excellent for ambient, experimental, and generative music
- 🎹 Great for drum grooves and rhythmic patterns
- 💻 Seamless integration with external hardware and software

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔇 Lack of sustain/voice ring-out when transport is stopped
- 📺 Small interface elements can be difficult to use on iPad
- 🔌 Compatibility issues with some third-party apps

**Reported bugs**

- In-app purchase not working for some users
- MIDI connectivity issues with certain apps
- Crashes upon opening for some users

**Requested features**

- Ability to preview samples before importing
- Autoslice/autochop functionality for samples
- Support for larger sample imports and automatic slot filling
- Granulizer effect
- Note repeat and vinyl effects


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Groovebox free?

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

### Is Poly 2 free?

Poly 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Groovebox or Poly 2?

Poly 2 is rated higher. Groovebox averages 4.7 out of 5 from 4.7K ratings, while Poly 2 averages 4.8 from 686 ratings.

### Do Groovebox or Poly 2 have ads?

Neither Groovebox nor Poly 2 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Groovebox or Poly 2?

Groovebox ships an update every 6 weeks, and Poly 2 every 4 weeks. Most recently, Groovebox was updated on September 25, 2026 and Poly 2 on September 25, 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.*