# Koala Sampler vs Roland Zenbeats

The clearest difference is price: Roland Zenbeats at Free against Koala Sampler's $4.99. Roland Zenbeats also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). Koala Sampler's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 45%) and rating (4.8 vs 3.7). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Roland Zenbeats is free to download; Koala Sampler costs $4.99 up front. Koala Sampler sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Roland Zenbeats sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Koala Sampler holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Koala Sampler has 1.5K ratings behind it against 269, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of Koala Sampler's written reviews are positive against 45% of Roland Zenbeats's.

Koala Sampler ships an update fortnightly, Roland Zenbeats monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Koala Sampler | Roland Zenbeats |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koala-sampler-beat-maker/id1449584007/reviews)** | [3.7 (269 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roland-zenbeats/id1473380367/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 269 |
| Positive reviews | **88.3% of reviews** | 44.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 415 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mazbox Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/329604853) | [Roland Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/387333694) |

## What reviewers say

### Koala Sampler

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koala-sampler-beat-maker/id1449584007)

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Music, #40 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app allows you to record sounds with your phone's microphone, transform them with effects, and create beats and tracks. Its intuitive interface focuses on a fast and fun music-making process.

**Highlights:** Record up to 64 samples with mic, Apply 16 built-in effects, Load and use own samples, Create beats with high-resolution sequencer, Export loops and tracks as WAV, AI sample separation, AUv3 and MIDI compatibility

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ese-O's Sample Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Solar Studies Samplepack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Soon Come Dub Sample Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Analog Astronaut Samplepack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Cirrus Cuts Sample Pack | $2.99 | one-time |
| Samurai Edition | $3.99 | one-time |
| Mixer | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Smooth workflow and fast performance
- 💡 Powerful sampling and sequencing capabilities
- 🔥 Excellent value for the price
- 🎨 Creative and inspiring sound design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🔇 Limited effects and sound manipulation options
- 📁 Difficulty managing and organizing samples/projects
- 🎚️ Lack of advanced MIDI mapping and control options
- 🔍 Unclear or confusing UI elements in certain areas

**Reported bugs**

- Samples not loading or disappearing after app updates
- Sequencer timing and quantization issues
- Crashes when using certain features or with large projects

**Requested features**

- Ability to record and edit MIDI sequences
- More comprehensive effects and sound processing tools
- Improved sample management and organization features
- Support for external MIDI controllers and hardware integration
- Customizable color schemes and UI themes


### Roland Zenbeats

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roland-zenbeats/id1473380367)

Create music anywhere, anytime on any device. Build beats, compose songs, and sample sounds with a vast library of modern and legendary Roland sounds. Edit, refine, and mix your tracks with powerful tools and share your creations easily.

**Highlights:** Multitrack song composition, ZR1 Drum Sampler, ZC1 Synthesizer, Sample import and editing, Full-screen mixer, LoopBuilder and Timeline view, Cross-platform project sharing

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Roland Cloud Core Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Roland Cloud Pro Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Roland Cloud Ultimate Monthly | $19.99 | per month |
| Roland Cloud Core Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| 2 Store Points | $1.99 | one-time |
| 4 Store Points | $3.99 | one-time |
| 5 Store Points | $4.99 | one-time |
| 8 Store Points | $7.99 | one-time |
| 10 Store Points | $9.99 | one-time |
| 15 Store Points | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth workflow
- 👍 Comprehensive feature set
- 🎨 High-quality sounds
- 💻 Cross-platform compatibility
- 🤖 Powerful synth engine

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Confusing UI navigation
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔌 Poor MIDI integration
- 🔋 Battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing audio files
- Unresponsive MIDI learn
- Incompatibility with iOS 13
- Broken tutorial screens
- Inconsistent plugin behavior

**Requested features**

- Improved MIDI support
- Audio file export options
- Sidechain compression
- Deeper synth editing capabilities
- Audiobus/IAA compatibility


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Koala Sampler free?

Koala Sampler costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Roland Zenbeats free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Koala Sampler or Roland Zenbeats?

Koala Sampler is rated higher. Koala Sampler averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Roland Zenbeats averages 3.7 from 269 ratings.

### Do Koala Sampler or Roland Zenbeats have ads?

Neither Koala Sampler nor Roland Zenbeats shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Koala Sampler or Roland Zenbeats?

Koala Sampler ships an update fortnightly, and Roland Zenbeats monthly. Most recently, Koala Sampler was updated on November 2, 2026 and Roland Zenbeats on November 4, 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.*