# Mellowsound vs Decent Sampler

The clearest difference is update cadence: Decent Sampler at weekly against Mellowsound's every 4 weeks. Decent Sampler also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Mellowsound's advantage is review sentiment (60% vs 52%) and ratings volume (237 vs 53). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Mellowsound sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Decent Sampler sells 60 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Decent Sampler holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 237 and 53 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 60% of Mellowsound's written reviews are positive against 52% of Decent Sampler's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Mellowsound ships an update every 4 weeks, Decent Sampler weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mellowsound | Decent Sampler |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.3 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mellowsound-vintage-sampler/id1313209081/reviews) | **[4.6 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decent-sampler/id1530441977/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **237** | 53 |
| Positive reviews | **60.5% of reviews** | 52.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 899 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Fingerlab](https://appshunter.io/developer/412786610) | [Decidedly, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/783782943) |

## What reviewers say

### Mellowsound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mellowsound-vintage-sampler/id1313209081)

Experience the iconic sounds of a 1960s keyboard sampler with this app. It offers professional audio quality, allowing you to play vintage orchestra sounds on your device. Customize your sound with various effects and recording options.

**Highlights:** Authentic Mellotron emulation, Professional 16-bit/44.1Khz audio, Photo-realistic user interface, Blend mode for two instruments, MIDI and Audio Unit support, In-app purchases for more instruments and FX

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chamberlin Instruments Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎹 Authentic Mellotron sounds
- 🔊 Great sound quality
- 🎨 Nice visual design
- 💸 Good value for money
- 🔌 Integrates well with other apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Limited free version
- 🔒 Paywall for full functionality
- 🎹 Keyboard range limited to 3 octaves
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatibility with some iOS versions and devices
- Issues with Inter-App Audio and AUv3 functionality
- Keyboard not responsive or disappearing

**Requested features**

- Ability to blend/layer multiple instruments
- Expanded sound library with more Mellotron presets
- Sustain pedal support
- MIDI channel selection
- Improved performance in DAWs


### Decent Sampler

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/decent-sampler/id1530441977)

This music app lets you use professional-quality sample libraries on your mobile device. It supports Decent Samples libraries and SFZs, and can be used within other music production apps as an AUv3 plugin.

**Highlights:** Use professional sample libraries, Supports Decent Samples libraries, Supports SFZ files, AUv3 plugin compatibility, Standalone app functionality, New libraries added weekly

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (60)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Box Violin | Free | one-time |
| Dave Choir | Free | one-time |
| Resonator Glockenspiel | Free | one-time |
| Banjo Ukulele | Free | one-time |
| Kalimba | Free | one-time |
| Ukelin | $0.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 4 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Weber 1929 Baby Grand | $4.99 | one-time |
| Ramshackle Zither | $4.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 5 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Music Major Sample Library | $4.99 | one-time |
| Sawblade Kalimba Library | $4.99 | one-time |
| Melodica | $4.99 | one-time |
| Distance: Zero | $4.99 | one-time |
| Little Church Organ | $4.99 | one-time |
| Indie Guitar | $5.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 6 | $5.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 7 | $6.99 | one-time |
| Paper Drums | $6.99 | one-time |
| Relic Keyboard | $7.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 8 | $7.99 | one-time |
| HS-3715 Keyboard | $7.99 | one-time |
| Malevolence by Venus Theory | $8.99 | one-time |
| Viola Ensemble | $9.99 | one-time |
| Indie Bass | $9.99 | one-time |
| Metal Cups | $9.99 | one-time |
| Phonoharp | $9.99 | one-time |
| Violin Ensemble | $9.99 | one-time |
| Ethereal Vocals | $9.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 10 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Kalimba by Darel | $9.99 | one-time |
| Dangerous Undertones | $9.99 | one-time |
| Chroma Vol. 1 | $9.99 | one-time |
| Luminate | $9.99 | one-time |
| Horror Box | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tape Violins Sample Library | $10.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 11 | $11.00 | one-time |
| Interlaced Sample Library | $14.99 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 15 | $15.00 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 16 | $16.00 | one-time |
| Decent Sampler Store Item 19 | $19.00 | one-time |
| alt.strings | $19.99 | one-time |
| Felt & Fog | $19.99 | one-time |
| Organic Orchestra | $19.99 | one-time |
| Indie Drums | $19.99 | one-time |
| Bitscape 95 | $19.99 | one-time |
| Thyssia by Venus Theory | $19.99 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 20 | $20.00 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 24 | $24.00 | one-time |
| The Void | $24.99 | one-time |
| Processed Guitars | $24.99 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 25 | $25.00 | one-time |
| String Flows | $29.99 | one-time |
| 70s Summer Camp Sample Library | $29.99 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 30 | $30.00 | one-time |
| LoFi VaporTones Ds | $33.99 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 39 | $39.00 | one-time |
| Decent Samples Store Item 40 | $40.00 | one-time |
| Chamberlin M1 by Jamie Lidell | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great sounds and libraries
- 🎹 Powerful sampler for iOS
- 💡 Free sample packs available
- ✨ High-quality instruments
- 🔄 Actively developed with updates

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- 💾 High RAM and storage usage
- 🔌 Issues with Logic Pro on iOS
- 🐌 Slow download manager
- 🤷‍♂️ Not working with older iPads

**Reported bugs**

- Instant crash on load
- App stopped working after iOS update
- AUV3 crashes out of nowhere
- Unresponsive upon opening
- Server issues for login

**Requested features**

- Add user/pass fill from password keeper
- Implement a download manager for multiple instruments
- Allow running within IAA or Audiobus
- Add ability to clear cache
- Fix multi-track support in AUV3


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mellowsound free?

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

### Is Decent Sampler free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Mellowsound or Decent Sampler?

Decent Sampler is rated higher. Mellowsound averages 4.3 out of 5 from 237 ratings, while Decent Sampler averages 4.6 from 53 ratings.

### Do Mellowsound or Decent Sampler have ads?

Neither Mellowsound nor Decent Sampler shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mellowsound or Decent Sampler?

Mellowsound ships an update every 4 weeks, and Decent Sampler weekly. Most recently, Mellowsound was updated on October 23, 2026 and Decent Sampler on October 27, 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.*