# Koala Sampler vs NearHear

The clearest difference is price: NearHear at Free against Koala Sampler's $4.99. NearHear also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 8) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). Koala Sampler's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 22 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 5). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

NearHear is free to download; Koala Sampler costs $4.99 up front. Koala Sampler sells 8 one-off in-app purchases. NearHear asks for nothing beyond the download.

NearHear holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Koala Sampler has 1.5K ratings behind it against 5, 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 100% of NearHear's.

Koala Sampler ships an update fortnightly, NearHear every 22 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Koala Sampler | NearHear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/koala-sampler-beat-maker/id1449584007/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearhear/id6642644785/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 88.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 22 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#8** | — |
| Size | 60 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mazbox Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/329604853) | [Offline Development, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1763344643) |

## What reviewers say

### Koala Sampler

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

**Currently charting:** #8 Top Paid · Music, #44 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 (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Koala AUv3 Plugin | $1.99 | one-time |
| 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


### NearHear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nearhear/id6642644785)

Discover live music events and explore new artists with this music event calendar. Seamlessly integrate with Spotify to find shows based on your favorite genres and venues. Build playlists, listen to artists before they perform live, and add your own events to share with the community.

**Highlights:** Music event calendar, Spotify integration, Artist and show discovery, Genre and venue filtering, Playlist creation, User-added events

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Koala Sampler free?

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

### Is NearHear free?

NearHear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Koala Sampler or NearHear?

NearHear is rated higher. Koala Sampler averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while NearHear averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do Koala Sampler or NearHear have ads?

Neither Koala Sampler nor NearHear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Koala Sampler or NearHear?

Koala Sampler ships an update fortnightly, and NearHear every 22 months. Most recently, Koala Sampler was updated on October 29, 2026 and NearHear on October 24, 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.*