Comparison

Tone Scan vs Decent Sampler

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

Head to head
About

Tone Scan

Analyze live or recorded audio to reveal musical details like pitch, timbre, and tonal balance. This app offers three live scans to help you understand sound more deeply, simplifying tasks like instrument tuning and learning songs by ear.

Highlights
  • Chromatic spectrum analysis
  • Polyphonic tuner
  • Note mix for tonal balance
  • Pitch recognition
  • Timbre analysis
  • Instrument tuning
  • Chord and key spelling
Read full description

Discover musical secrets in any live or recorded audio. Elevate your perception of sound with this unique app. You’ll be amazed. See what you hear — and can’t hear — with three live scans: 1. A chromatic spectrum to see sound partials and pitch 2. A polyphonic tuner to see the pitch accuracy of select notes 3. A note mix to see changes in tonal balance Simplify tasks like: • Pitch recognition • Timbre analysis • Instrument tuning • Chord and key spelling • Tonality analysis • Learning a song by ear Ready to explore? Try the app for free.

About

Decent Sampler

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
Read full description

Did you ever wish you could use professional quality sample libraries on your mobile device? Now you can! The Decent Samples plugin is a sample player that allows you to use your favorite Decent Samples sample libraries on the go (as well as SF2s, SFZs, and EXS files). Many of the most popular Decent Samples releases are available through the app with more being added every week. Because it's also an AUv3 plugin, you can use it from within GarageBand or with AUM.

Screenshots

Tone Scan4 screens
Decent Sampler3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Decent Sampler at 4.6 against Tone Scan's 3.2. Decent Sampler also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and ratings volume (53 vs 6). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Both are free to download. Tone Scan 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Decent Sampler holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decent Sampler has 53 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Tone Scan's written reviews are positive against 52% of Decent Sampler's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tone Scan ships an update every 7 months, Decent Sampler every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Tone Scan versus Decent Sampler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTone ScanDecent Sampler
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (6 ratings)4.6 (53 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews52.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings653 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpenchord Inc.Decidedly, LLC

Customer experience

Tone Scan

All ratings6 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral16.7%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Decent Sampler

All ratings53 ratings
Positive92.5%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.7%
Written reviews67 reviews
Positive52.2%
Neutral14.9%
Negative32.8%

Bugs and requests

Tone Scan

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Decent Sampler

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Instant crash on load
  • App stopped working after iOS update
  • AUV3 crashes out of nowhere
  • Unresponsive upon opening
  • Server issues for login
Show 18 more
  • Instrument remains stuck on a note
  • Projects need to be reloaded to show app
  • Crash when loading samples
  • Failing to load presets when reloading host project
  • Adding unwanted temp presets
  • Crashing when selecting different samples
  • Login prompt won't let paste text
  • Can't paste password to login
  • Login screen covered by keyboard
  • Error 500 when downloading
  • Restore Purchases button not working
  • Forgotten Password button not working
  • Invalid email address for registration
  • No URL found when downloading sound packs
  • Clicking sounds while using
  • Glitching, clicking, and ghost sounds on held notes
  • Instrument crashes after a few minutes
  • Earthquake pad 02 glitching

Requested features

14 requests
  • 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
Show 9 more
  • Add MIDI sequencing
  • Add pitch bend functionality
  • Add velocity response curve knob
  • Add filter stage and more flexible envelope
  • Allow disabling iOS auto-lock
  • Configure receiving MIDI channel
  • Improve preset selection
  • Add dark mode
  • Support VoiceOver

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Tone Scan

One-time2
  • Audio Free Trial3 variantsFree
  • Unlock Audio$4.99
60 purchases

Decent Sampler

One-time60
  • Box ViolinFree
  • Dave ChoirFree
  • Resonator GlockenspielFree
Show 57 more
  • Banjo UkuleleFree
  • KalimbaFree
  • Ukelin$0.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 3$2.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 4$3.99
  • Weber 1929 Baby Grand$4.99
  • Ramshackle Zither$4.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 5$4.99
  • Music Major Sample Library$4.99
  • Sawblade Kalimba Library$4.99
  • Melodica$4.99
  • Distance: Zero$4.99
  • Little Church Organ$4.99
  • Indie Guitar$5.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 6$5.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 7$6.99
  • Paper Drums$6.99
  • Relic Keyboard$7.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 8$7.99
  • HS-3715 Keyboard$7.99
  • Malevolence by Venus Theory$8.99
  • Viola Ensemble$9.99
  • Indie Bass$9.99
  • Metal Cups$9.99
  • Phonoharp$9.99
  • Violin Ensemble$9.99
  • Ethereal Vocals$9.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 10$9.99
  • Kalimba by Darel$9.99
  • Dangerous Undertones$9.99
  • Chroma Vol. 1$9.99
  • Luminate$9.99
  • Horror Box$9.99
  • Tape Violins Sample Library$10.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 11$11.00
  • Interlaced Sample Library$14.99
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 15$15.00
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 16$16.00
  • Decent Sampler Store Item 19$19.00
  • alt.strings$19.99
  • Felt & Fog$19.99
  • Organic Orchestra$19.99
  • Indie Drums$19.99
  • Bitscape 95$19.99
  • Thyssia by Venus Theory$19.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 20$20.00
  • Decent Samples Store Item 24$24.00
  • The Void$24.99
  • Processed Guitars$24.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 25$25.00
  • String Flows$29.99
  • 70s Summer Camp Sample Library$29.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 30$30.00
  • LoFi VaporTones Ds$33.99
  • Decent Samples Store Item 39$39.00
  • Decent Samples Store Item 40$40.00
  • Chamberlin M1 by Jamie Lidell$49.99

Questions

Is Tone Scan free?
Tone Scan 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, Tone Scan or Decent Sampler?
Decent Sampler is rated higher. Tone Scan averages 3.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Decent Sampler averages 4.6 from 53 ratings.
Do Tone Scan or Decent Sampler have ads?
Neither Tone Scan nor Decent Sampler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tone Scan or Decent Sampler?
Tone Scan ships an update every 7 months, and Decent Sampler every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tone Scan was updated on October 5, 2026 and Decent Sampler on October 14, 2026.

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