Comparison

Sound Temple vs Async Sampler

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

Head to head
About

Sound Temple

Immerse yourself in a unique acoustic space where ambient sounds blend into a harmonious landscape. Interact with your surroundings in real-time, shaping the soundscape through your own noises and voice. Record and share your sonic creations.

Highlights
  • Active listening immersion
  • Real-time sound interaction
  • Ambient soundscape blending
  • Record and share audio experiments
  • Export recordings for creative use
  • Headphone microphone switching
Read full description

The app draws the user into the process of active listening: put on your headphones, and you’ll find yourself inside the Sound Temple acoustic space. Here the sounds of the world around you blend into a landscape with a unified harmony. You can interact with them in real time: make noises, knock and bang on things, sing, and either allow the sounds to drain into the background, or follow the courses of the sounds around you and the ways they change. Sound Temple is an independent sound art project created by artists Katerina Shikhova and Dmitry Larionov in collaboration with programmer Kirill Gorshkov. The project is carried out in creative partnership with Alma Mater Foundation (amfoundation.ru) We have made the main part of the project available for free because we enjoy seeing people’s reactions. We appreciate their new interpretations and ways of using Sound Temple. To support our project, you could buy the “share” function. You can record your acoustic experiments, share them on social media, export the recordings into editing software and use them in your creative projects (under a Creative Commons license). WARNING 1. For maximum sound quality and immersive effect, we recommend using wired headphones. Bluetooth headphones create delay and negatively affect the sound quality. 2. Please be cautious when connecting the app to open sound sources (bluetooth/inline speakers, your car’s sound system, etc.): due to the feedback effect, this can lead to an unpleasant loud humming noise or loud and sharp side-sound effects. 3. The “mic input” button in the top right corner allows you to switch the headset microphone to your iphone or ipad microphone.

About

Async Sampler

Create captivating sound collages, dynamic textures, and rhythmic patterns with this powerful musical instrument. It offers asynchronous and synchronous playback modes, a versatile LFO, and an effects processor to elevate your sound design.

Highlights
  • Standalone and AUv3 versions
  • Three independent samplers
  • Extensive sample library
  • Upload your own samples
  • Asynchronous and synchronous playback
  • Flexible LFO system
  • Effects processor
Read full description

Async Sampler, a powerful musical instrument designed to bring your soundscapes to life. This flexible tool is dedicated to crafting captivating sound collages, dynamic asynchronous textures, rhythmic patterns, and rich sound designs. It opens up a world of creative possibilities, making it the perfect companion for music producers, sound designers, ambient, and noise enthusiasts. Whether you're a seasoned musician or a curious explorer, Async Sampler is here to inspire and elevate your musical journey. App comes with a rich library of unique samples, and you can easily upload and use your own sounds. Async Sampler fundamentally consists of three samplers that can reproduce sound asynchronously, meaning they can operate without being tied to a specific BPM, or synchronously, using an external MIDI clock source or the tempo of your project if you're using Async Sampler as an AUv3 plugin. The instrument features a versatile LFO that allows you to control any parameter. Async includes an effects processor and a master bus section. Also, you have the option to use external MIDI controllers, save and load your custom presets and samples, among other features. Key features: — Standalone and AUv3 versions — Three independent samplers — Extensive sample library out of the box — Ability to upload your own samples — Asynchronous and synchronous playback modes for each sample — Flexible LFO system that can control almost any parameter — Effects processor — Ability to save presets — And much more

Screenshots

Sound Temple1 screens
Async Sampler3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Sound Temple at Free against Async Sampler's $14.99. Sound Temple also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (87% vs 78%). Async Sampler's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 13 months) and ratings volume (18 vs 4). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

Sound Temple is free to download; Async Sampler costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Sound Temple holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Sound Temple's written reviews are positive against 78% of Async Sampler's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Sound Temple ships an update every 13 months, Async Sampler every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Sound Temple versus Async Sampler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSound TempleAsync Sampler
PriceFree — better$14.99
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better4.5 (18 ratings)
Positive reviews86.7% of reviews — better77.8% of reviews
Number of ratings418 — better
Update frequencyEvery 13 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size15 MB235 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperEkaterina ShikhovaSergei Zhulkov

Customer experience

Sound Temple

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%

Async Sampler

All ratings18 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative22.2%

In-app purchases

None

Sound Temple

No in-app purchases

None

Async Sampler

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sound Temple free?
Sound Temple is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Async Sampler free?
Async Sampler costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Sound Temple or Async Sampler?
Sound Temple is rated higher. Sound Temple averages 5.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Async Sampler averages 4.5 from 18 ratings.
Do Sound Temple or Async Sampler have ads?
Neither Sound Temple nor Async Sampler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sound Temple or Async Sampler?
Sound Temple ships an update every 13 months, and Async Sampler every 2 weeks. Most recently, Sound Temple was updated on October 13, 2026 and Async Sampler on September 30, 2026.

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