Comparison

EG Pulse vs Pure Acid

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

Head to head
About

EG Pulse

Create intricate rhythms and beats with a powerful drum machine and sampler. Import your own sounds, edit samples, and apply effects. Use it standalone or as an AudioUnit within other music production apps.

Highlights
  • Standalone and AU3 AudioUnit support
  • Import and edit custom drum samples
  • Individual pad effects (reverb, delay, EQ)
  • Pattern automation and probability mode
  • Over 40 included drumkits and 180 grooves
  • Ableton Link and MIDI support
Features
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EG Pulse is the ultimate Drum Machine / Sampler for iOS. It can be used both in standalone or hosted as AudioUnit AU3 inside apps like GarageBand, AUM, BeatMaker3, NanoStudio2, n-Track9 and others. The solid ElliottGarage sequencing engine has been updated and expanded, and you can now create ultra precise trap rhythms, hip hop grooves, electronic beats, rock and acoustic drum tracks and more. EG Pulse comes with more than 40 drumkits and more than 180 grooves already included to cover many different genres from EDM, House, Trap, Hip Hop and Electronic Music to Rock, Metal, Reggae or Jazz; moreover, you can create your custom drumkit importing samples with simple drag & drop or combining the builtin kits, and you can modify them inside the app with the sample editor (sample start, attack time, release time and sample length). Each of the 16 pads can be also pitched and panned in the mixer section of the app and also reverb, delay, bitcrusher and eq can be set individually. Each pattern can be automated to obtain dynamic changes and with the probability mode you can create always new grooves adding randomization and human feel to them. EG Pulse contains drumkits and presets created by some of the best iOS Beat Makers and Producers like SoundOfIzrael, Soundtrack Loops, the Beat Community and more. Full feature list: - Standalone & AU3 Audio Unit - Pads View, Grid View, Mixer, Automation View, FX View & Song View - Chromatic Pads - Play melodic line like on a keyboard - 64 step audio engine - 1/8, 1/12, 1/16, 1/32 & 1/64 quantization - Samples Drag & drop from File App (supports multiple files import) - Import of Wave, AIFF, M4a, MP3 audio files or MOV and MP4 video screen recording (audio will be extracted) - Kit sharing (left swipe on a kit to access additional menu) - Fill & Autofill (every 2, 4, 8, 16 bars) - Custom drumkit & user banks save - Song view - Pad Roll (with 1/8, 1/12, 1/16, 1/32 & 1/64 quantization) - Ableton Link - Step recording into grid view - Polyrhythms - Choke groups - Mixer with Solo, Mute, Volume, Gain, Pan, Pitch - Automation of Pitch, Volume and Pan for each pad and pattern dependant - Probability to create unpredictable and random patterns - Samples editor (Start offset, attack time, release time, length) - AU Fx - put EG Pulse in the FX slot of your daw and record any incoming audio - Time stretching - Loop bpm detection and automatic sync to tempo (works with 4 bar loops) - Transient detection and audio slice - Pitch detection and pitch shifting - Bank import/export - Midi In with MIDI learn to control pads - MIDI out to host (AU3 version) - Midi Program Change to switch patterns - FX (Reverb, Delay, Bitcrusher and EQ) for each pad - Tap tempo & Swing - More than 40 drumkits and 180 grooves created by iOS Producers and Beat Makers - Bank presets covering several genres - Ableton Live Set Export support for patterns - Multi stems export of patterns - AU3 Multi output - Route up to 16 separate stems to any daw supporting multi-output AU EG Pulse will give you a free Ableton Live Lite license - follow the instructions inside the app to get it

About

Pure Acid

This app is a high-quality bassline synthesizer and drum machine inspired by classic 80s hardware. It offers a retro analog sound with modern features for fast and fun music creation. Explore various genres with factory presets and create unique rhythms and basslines.

Highlights
  • AUv3, Ableton Link, AudioBus, IAA support
  • Classic bassline waveforms (Saw, Pulse)
  • Distortion and filter LFO effects
  • 32-step sequencer with pattern editing
  • 16 independent drum parts with customizable sounds
  • Realtime master effects with XY-pad
Currently charting
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Pure Acid is a top quality bassline synthesizer and drum machine in one app! Inspired by classic hardware bassline synthesizers and rhythm machines, which changed musical world back in 80's, like the legendary TB-303 synthesizer, TR-808 / 707 / 909 rhythm boxes and their numerous replicas, Pure Acid is designed to bring back the feeling of retro analog gear in every detail in terms of sound, as well as to provide new functions previously unavailable in the original devices to make your music creation workflow fast and fun! A large number of factory preset patterns will immerse you into an exciting world of Acid House, Techno, Hardcore and Big Beat music genres, which will inspire you to create your own basslines and rhythms for your compositions! You can use Pure Acid app as a ready-to-go realtime musical instrument (groove box) in your jam sessions together with Ableton Link to synchronize it with the rest of your music gear. Its bassline editing system and randomization options will be handy to create unique groovy basslines easily. Realtime master effects with XY-pad controls can add expression to your live performance. You can also use Pure Acid with AudioBus, AUM or other IAA-supporting apps to create complex and interesting sound setups. Features: • supports AUv3, Ableton Link, AudioBus, Inter-App Audio, Core Midi, Virtual Midi In/Out, Bluetooth Midi • AudioBus state saving support • 64-bit sound engine • Midi Learn • Export to midi file • includes Multiple Output AUv3 plugin with 6 audio output busses Bassline Section: • 2 classic bassline waveforms: Saw and Pulse • classic knobs: Tune, Cutoff, Resonance, Env Mod, Decay and Accent • Distortion effect with amount, HPF and Boost knobs • filter LFO with rate and depth knobs Sequencer Section: • up to 12 bassline patterns can be stored in one preset • up to 32 steps per each bassline pattern • patterns can be chained together to create more complex patterns • pattern Tempo and Swing parameters • Gate parameter, which allows you to adjust bass note lengths • Pattern Editor allows you to copy, transpose patterns, shift notes left/right, insert or delete a note, variate (randomize all note properties expect pitch), shuffle (randomize notes order only), reverse and compose patterns using Bassline Composer function • onscreen keyboard allows you to enter bassline notes in a comfortable way. You can also record basslines in realtime. Drums Section: • 16 independent drum parts • 35 different classic drum sounds with ability to tune your own drum kit • each drum part sound has its own parameters: Tune, Decay, Attack/Snap/Color, FX A send, FX B send, Boost, Pan, Level • up to 12 drum patterns and 4 drum fill patterns per preset • 16 steps per each drum pattern, with ability to add 16 "backbeat" steps between main steps (32 steps per drum pattern in total) • patterns can be chained together to create more complex patterns • Swing and Flam features • Total Accent part with adjustable total accent value can give you ability to "highlight" specific steps in your drum pattern • new: step conditions for drum steps Mixer Section: • 2 mixer channels: Bassline and Drums • Drive effect for each channel • 2 send effect pedals: FX A and FX B • 14 send effect types • send effect can be routed to either master output, MFX or another send effect (FX A -> FX B), which allows to chain several effects one after another • MFX pedal with 22 effect types to choose from • FX A and FX B send amount knobs for each mixer channel • XY-pad on each effect pedal to control their parameters • Master Limiter effect to prevent sound clipping and more: • Unlimited number of user presets • 84 factory presets • Audio export to wav file (16, 24 or 32 bit) • Preset / Bank Share function • Selectable UI color schemes with ability to adjust colors manually • Can work either as a standalone app, or as AUv3 audio unit plugin • Designed for both iPad and iPhone

Screenshots

EG Pulse4 screens
Pure Acid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EG Pulse at none against Pure Acid's 2. EG Pulse also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). Pure Acid's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (94% vs 67%). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

EG Pulse costs $14.99 and Pure Acid $14.99 up front. Pure Acid sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. EG Pulse asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Pure Acid holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 147 and 170 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of EG Pulse's written reviews are positive against 94% of Pure Acid's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EG Pulse ships an update every 4 days, Pure Acid every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
EG Pulse versus Pure Acid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEG PulsePure Acid
Price$14.99$14.99
Rating4.4 (147 ratings)4.9 (170 ratings) — better
Positive reviews67.0% of reviews94.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings147170 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank—#188 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size268 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElliott GarageDmitrij Pavlov

Customer experience

EG Pulse

All ratings147 ratings
Positive87.1%
Neutral4.1%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews88 reviews
Positive67.0%
Neutral11.4%
Negative21.6%

Pure Acid

All ratings167 ratings
Positive97.0%
Neutral1.8%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews152 reviews
Positive94.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative3.3%

Bugs and requests

EG Pulse

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Pure Acid

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • GUI scaling issues on smaller devices
  • Crashes or freezes on certain devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to import MIDI files
  • Standalone drum machine mode
  • Expanded drum sample library
  • Knob/parameter automation recording

In-app purchases

None

EG Pulse

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Pure Acid

One-time2
  • Ukrainian style color scheme$4.99
  • Ukrainian style app icon$4.99

Questions

Is EG Pulse free?
EG Pulse costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pure Acid free?
Pure Acid costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EG Pulse or Pure Acid?
Pure Acid is rated higher. EG Pulse averages 4.4 out of 5 from 147 ratings, while Pure Acid averages 4.9 from 170 ratings.
Do EG Pulse or Pure Acid have ads?
Neither EG Pulse nor Pure Acid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EG Pulse or Pure Acid?
EG Pulse ships an update every 4 days, and Pure Acid every 3 weeks. Most recently, EG Pulse was updated on November 7, 2026 and Pure Acid on November 7, 2026.

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