# Soundboard Studio Pro vs Pocket Bard

The clearest difference is price: Pocket Bard at Free against Soundboard Studio Pro's $159.99. Pocket Bard also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 66%) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). Soundboard Studio Pro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 weeks). On rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Pocket Bard is free to download; Soundboard Studio Pro costs $159.99 up front. Pocket Bard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Soundboard Studio Pro asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Soundboard Studio Pro against 4.8 for Pocket Bard. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Bard has 1.8K ratings behind it against 200, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 66% of Soundboard Studio Pro's written reviews are positive against 86% of Pocket Bard's.

Soundboard Studio Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Soundboard Studio Pro | Pocket Bard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $159.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (200 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundboard-studio-pro/id1479972316/reviews)** | [4.8 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 200 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 65.5% of reviews | **86.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#168** |
| Size | 3 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [App Business Ventures LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1456426990) | [Pocket Bard Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653203376) |

## What reviewers say

### Soundboard Studio Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundboard-studio-pro/id1479972316)

This professional audio playback app is designed for live shows, offering a customizable grid of buttons to trigger music, sound effects, and voiceovers. It provides advanced features like simultaneous track playback, fading, and automation for seamless audio control.

**Highlights:** Play multiple tracks simultaneously, Fade in/out tracks, Individual track volume control, Trim audio tracks, Smart Track Automations, Background audio playback, Create multiple soundboards

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for live gigs
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Excellent for podcasts
- 👍 Professional feel
- 👍 Good for magic shows

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Overpriced for features
- 💰 Forced upgrade to version 2
- 💰 High price tag
- 👎 Buttons too large
- 👎 Not intuitive for some

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot get audio from iPad to Soundboard (OS issue?)
- Tracks unplayable after copying between boards
- System auxiliary keyboard function not working
- Tracks not loading/unplayable when imported from Files
- Popping noise when song stops on newer iPad Pro

**Requested features**

- Add search feature
- Add stock sound FX library
- Robust wireless sync between devices
- Type exact parameter values for fades
- Draw fade in/out automation


### Pocket Bard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555)

**Currently charting:** #168 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Enhance your tabletop RPG sessions with an immersive audio experience. Instantly change soundscapes to match the mood of your game, dynamically adjusting music and sound effects to perfectly complement your gameplay.

**Highlights:** Immersive audio experience, Dynamic soundscape changes, Match session tone, Alter music intensity, Adjust sound effects

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds | $6.99 | per month |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless transitions
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great customization options
- 🎶 High-quality music and sound effects
- 💡 Versatile for various use cases (TTRPG, reading, writing, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Unclear subscription model and pricing
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes for some users
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📦 Limited content in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading content causes crashes
- Repeated terms of service pop-ups
- One-shot sound effects not working
- Inconsistent audio quality and balance

**Requested features**

- More sound effects (creature sounds, weather, etc.)
- Ability to import custom music and sounds
- AirPlay support for streaming to speakers
- Offline mode or caching for downloaded content
- Customizable scenes and soundscapes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Soundboard Studio Pro free?

Soundboard Studio Pro costs $159.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket Bard free?

Pocket Bard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Soundboard Studio Pro or Pocket Bard?

Soundboard Studio Pro is rated higher. Soundboard Studio Pro averages 4.8 out of 5 from 200 ratings, while Pocket Bard averages 4.8 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Soundboard Studio Pro or Pocket Bard have ads?

Neither Soundboard Studio Pro nor Pocket Bard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Soundboard Studio Pro or Pocket Bard?

Soundboard Studio Pro ships an update every 2 weeks, and Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. Most recently, Soundboard Studio Pro was updated on November 3, 2026 and Pocket Bard on November 7, 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.*