Comparison

SynthDrum Kick vs Tapko

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

Head to head
About

SynthDrum Kick

Create unique kick drum sounds using synthesis rather than samples. This lightweight, fast plugin offers extensive controls for EDM genres and integrates seamlessly with iOS DAWs. Get the perfect kick sound quickly without relying on presets.

Highlights
  • AUv3 AudioUnit plugin
  • Synthesized kick drum sounds
  • Pitch and Amp envelopes
  • Delayable LFO for AM/FM
  • Dual parametric EQ
  • Soft clipper
  • Velocity sensitive
Features
Read full description

AUv3 Drum Synthesizer for iOS SynthDrum Kick is a fast, focused Audio Unit plugin for designing punchy, modern drum sounds—fully synthesised, no samples required. Create kicks from scratch in seconds. No digging through sample packs. No compromises. Just direct control over your sound. Load multiple instances in your favourite AU host like GarageBand, Cubasis, AUM, or BeatMaker 3 to build full percussion setups with ease. Go Further with the Included Sequencer App Load up to 8 Audio Unit SynthDrum Kick instances into the included app and drive them with a powerful 64-step sequencer. Independent channel lengths for polyrhythms Built-in mixer Integrated FX: reverb, delay, compressor, limiter Create evolving patterns and complete rhythmic ideas—all in one place. Sound Design Without Limits From tight, punchy house kicks to deep, tuned trap bass, SynthDrum Kick gives you everything you need to shape your sound. All sounds are 100% synth-generated, giving you total control and a unique result every time—no recycled samples. A streamlined interface and purpose-built DSP engine keep everything fast, focused, and musical. Designed for Percussion Unlike general-purpose synths, SynthDrum Kick is built specifically for drum synthesis: Fast workflow Focused controls No unnecessary parameters Everything is tuned for creating powerful, mix-ready kicks quickly. Features AUv3 (Audio Unit Extension) Lightweight and efficient Multiple instances supported Sound Engine Oscillator: Sine, 909-style clipped triangle Pitch Envelope (retriggered for percussive shaping) Amp Envelope (optimised for drums) LFO (with delay, AM/FM modulation) Noise generator Processing Dual parametric EQ Soft clipper Velocity sensitivity Preset system

About

Tapko

This app is a powerful drum sampler for musicians, offering a 16-pad grid for loading and manipulating sounds. It provides extensive per-pad editing, advanced sampling features like velocity layers and round robin, and seamless integration with music hosts.

Highlights
  • 16-pad grid with per-pad sample import
  • Per-pad editing (EQ, pan, reverb)
  • Velocity layers and round robin sampling
  • MIDI Learn for instant assignment
  • Built-in stereo reverb
  • Kit creation, import, and export
  • Multi-output routing
Features
Read full description

Tapko is a fast, no-nonsense drum sampler built by a musician for musicians. Load your sounds, build your kit, and play — standalone or as an AUv3 plugin in your favorite host. Use Tapko on its own as a playable drum machine, or load it as an AUv3 instrument in AUM, Loopy Pro, GarageBand, Cubasis, and more. 16 PADS, TOTAL CONTROL • 16-pad grid with per-pad sample import (WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, FLAC, CAF) • Per-pad 3-band EQ, volume, pan, gain, choke groups, and configurable Fade Out • Swipe pads to tweak volume, EQ, pan, and reverb send on the fly • MIDI Learn — tap a pad, play a note, instantly assign note and channel • Swipe left/right on single-sample pads to cycle saved versions • Built-in stereo reverb with per-pad send and global room/decay controls ADVANCED SAMPLING • Velocity layers — up to 5 layers per pad with adjustable velocity ranges • Round robin — cycle through up to 5 samples per pad (sequential or random) • Layer mode — stack up to 5 samples per pad and trigger them simultaneously • Random velocity — override incoming velocity with base +/- variation for natural dynamics • Sample Editor with zoomable waveform: high-detail zoom view above, full-file overview below with a draggable zoom-window and in/out markers, pinch-to-zoom, trim handles, start delay, attack, and per-pad gain • Global media browser — import clips once, assign to any pad in any kit KITS & SHARING • Create, rename, duplicate, and delete kits • Import and export kits as .tapkokit files • Kit Store — browse and download free community kits • Full backup and restore of all kits and media to a single .tapkobackup file • iCloud sync keeps kits and your Media Library in sync across devices • Build kits on your computer at tapko.davidguva.se MULTI-OUTPUT ROUTING • 9 stereo output buses (1 Main + 8 Aux) for hosts that support multi-output • Assign each pad to an individual output bus for separate mixing and effects • Main bus always carries the full mix — works seamlessly in single-output hosts too MIDI & HOST INTEGRATION • MIDI input with customizable note mapping (GM drum layout by default) • Per-pad MIDI channel assignment (omni or channel 1–16) • MIDI output and Program Change for kit switching • All parameters exposed to the host for automation • Factory presets support BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE • Real-time C++ DSP engine with vDSP acceleration • 48-voice polyphonic playback with intelligent voice stealing • Efficient CPU usage for most kits; usage increases with kit complexity (more layers, longer samples/tails, and heavier FX/routing) STANDALONE & PLUGIN Tapko works as a standalone drum machine right out of the box. It also registers as an AUv3 instrument plugin so any compatible host can load it.

Screenshots

SynthDrum Kick4 screens
Tapko4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tapko at every 4 days against SynthDrum Kick's every 9 months. Tapko also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 71%). SynthDrum Kick's advantage is ratings volume (19 vs 2) and price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On rating, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

SynthDrum Kick costs $2.99 and Tapko $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for SynthDrum Kick against 5.0 for Tapko. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SynthDrum Kick has 19 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of SynthDrum Kick's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tapko's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SynthDrum Kick ships an update every 9 months, Tapko every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
SynthDrum Kick versus Tapko: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynthDrum KickTapko
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.9 (19 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings19 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul BetowskiDavid Lars Guva

Customer experience

SynthDrum Kick

All ratings19 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%

Tapko

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SynthDrum Kick

No in-app purchases

None

Tapko

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SynthDrum Kick free?
SynthDrum Kick costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tapko free?
Tapko costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SynthDrum Kick or Tapko?
Tapko is rated higher. SynthDrum Kick averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Tapko averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do SynthDrum Kick or Tapko have ads?
Neither SynthDrum Kick nor Tapko shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SynthDrum Kick or Tapko?
SynthDrum Kick ships an update every 9 months, and Tapko every 4 days. Most recently, SynthDrum Kick was updated on September 29, 2026 and Tapko on September 20, 2026.

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