Comparison

Flip Sampler vs Viola by Ear

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

Head to head
About

Flip Sampler

Create music on the go with this intuitive, sample-based studio. Import or record sounds, shape them with effects, and arrange them into full tracks. Features include a piano roll, automation, and live performance tools.

Highlights
  • Sample-based music creation
  • Import/record sounds
  • Built-in effects and editing
  • Piano roll and automation
  • Song arrangement and mixing
  • Live performance features
  • Export tracks and stems
Features
Read full description

Flip is a sample-based mobile music studio that was designed for a fast and intuitive work flow. Import your own sounds via AirDrop or the Files app, or record sounds directly with your device's microphone or a connected iOS interface. As soon as you record a sound it’s available to be played on drum pads as well as being mapped across a keyboard. Sounds can be subtly shaped or entirely transformed using the built-in effects and easy-to-use editing tools. You can record a quantized or unquantized performance on the pads or keyboard. There is also a full piano roll where you can enter and edit notes and velocities. Record knob movements or draw automation by hand to bring even more life to your sounds. Every automation lane can also have its own independent length, for polymetric and generative music possibilities. Create up to 16 different sections for your song and drag and drop them into any order to create your arrangement. Mixing and mastering tools allow you to finish a full track without ever leaving your phone. You can export your full track, or hit the tape icon and record the live output of the app while you tweak anything on the fly. Both options allow you to capture individual track stems as well! A performance page lets you trigger your patterns live while controlling a global filter, assignable pitch bends and reverb sends, and a random fill generator. Artist packs are available in-app at $3.99 or less, which include original sounds and projects from Andrew Huang, Cuckoo, Chuck Sutton, Kilamanzego, Pusher, and more on the way all the time. Features: - 9 track sampler - 4 effects per track: Delay, Filter, Chorus, Bitcrush - Graphic EQ per track - Monophonic or up to 16-note polyphonic playback per sample - Adjustable pitch, volume, playback direction, sample start and stop points - Looping Envelope with forward, backward, both (ping pong) direction - 19 automatable parameters per track - Independent lengths for each automation lane - Automation can be recorded via knob movements or drawn by hand - Drum pad and keyboard input - Full piano roll with 10 octaves, note velocity, editing tools - Randomization over sample selection for quick inspiration - Randomization over note position to create surprising variations - Drag-and-drop song arrangement page - Global reverb with individual track sends - Mixing and mastering tools - Powerful performance features for creating instant fills, pitch shifts, reverb sends, and global low or high pass filtering - Export full track and stems - Live recording of performances - Metronome with tap tempo and swing/shuffle - Ableton Link integration for easy syncing with other devices over WiFi - Share projects and sounds via AirDrop, email, etc. - Undo and redo

About

Viola by Ear

Features
Read full description

Learn to express yourself with this beautiful instrument in DAYS and WEEKS instead if YEARS. With our unique learning method you will accomplish just that! This is a very powerful ear training and learning tool for musicians who want a shortcut to fluency on the viola. With this tool you will be able to play the viola it is meant to be played by ear, any melody or solo, you will gain a very deep understanding of chords and the notes they consist of and are surrounded by, they tell you all about this in lessons, but you never actually get to ingrain it. Yet this is the most important skill there is for mastering the viola and play any music by ear. The app allows you to practice with just the smartphone or with your real viola. This exercise might look a little bit tedious, but trust us, you will see very powerful results in your music within days of using the app. You could call it hacking the viola. Provided you possess the basic note playing skills (youtube will teach you that very easily), you will learn to play the viola by ear in DAYS with Viola by Ear, something other musicians struggle for YEARS for and still not everyone gets there. You will. During the first month. How much money would you pay to obtain such a skill? Consider this your lucky day, because you are on your way for real musicianship whether it is your hobby or you want to pursue career in music, this app sets you up for the best results. Even if you prefer to play looking at the notes, this app will greatly enhance your ability to see music, hear the written music in your mind, understand music more easily and even remember music much more easily.

Screenshots

Flip Sampler4 screens
Viola by Ear3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Viola by Ear at $4.99 against Flip Sampler's $11.99. Viola by Ear also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Flip Sampler's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 25 months). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Flip Sampler costs $11.99 and Viola by Ear $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Flip Sampler ships an update every 4 weeks, Viola by Ear every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on November 13, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Flip Sampler versus Viola by Ear: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFlip SamplerViola by Ear
Price$11.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.2 (326 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews64.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings326 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 25 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size208 MB166 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSuture Sound Inc.Oleg Sokolov

Bugs and requests

Flip Sampler

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Samples randomly re-pitch or lose settings
  • Undo function doesn't work as expected
  • Exported tracks have different key/pitch than original
  • Metronome glitches and stops working
  • Dynamic island on iPhone 14 Pro covers UI elements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Expand to 16 or more sample pads
  • Add longer loop/pattern lengths
  • Implement MIDI controller support
  • Improve sample organization and folder management
  • Add resampling and time-stretching capabilities

Viola by Ear

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Flip Sampler

No in-app purchases

None

Viola by Ear

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Flip Sampler free?
Flip Sampler costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Viola by Ear free?
Viola by Ear costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Flip Sampler or Viola by Ear have ads?
Neither Flip Sampler nor Viola by Ear shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Flip Sampler or Viola by Ear?
Flip Sampler ships an update every 4 weeks, and Viola by Ear every 25 months. Most recently, Flip Sampler was updated on November 13, 2026 and Viola by Ear on November 7, 2026.

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