# Flip Sampler vs Viola by Ear

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Flip Sampler | Viola by Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $11.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | **[4.2 (326 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flip-sampler/id1486629619/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **326** | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 25 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 208 MB | 166 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Suture Sound Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1486629618) | [Oleg Sokolov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628122395) |

## What reviewers say

### Flip Sampler

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/flip-sampler/id1486629619)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 👍 Powerful sampling and automation features
- 💡 Great for sketching out musical ideas on the go
- 🚀 Responsive and fast workflow
- 👍 Comprehensive and feature-rich for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 🐛 Bugs with MIDI, automation, and sample management
- 👎 Limited to 9 sample pads
- 👎 Glitchy piano roll and note editing
- 👎 Delay and latency issues with Bluetooth devices

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- 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

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viola-by-ear/id6443979093)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*