# Branches vs CRATE

The clearest difference is price: CRATE at Free against Branches's $5.99. CRATE also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and update cadence (daily vs every 6 days). Branches's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 1) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

CRATE is free to download; Branches costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

CRATE holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Branches has 12 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Branches ships an update every 6 days, CRATE daily. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Branches | CRATE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $5.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.9 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/branches-semi-modular-synth/id1520212093/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-ai-sampler/id6818032563/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **12** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 36.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 3 MB | 112 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Willow & Oak AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/314685948) | [书晗 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506489090) |

## What reviewers say

### Branches

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/branches-semi-modular-synth/id1520212093)

This semi-modular synthesizer offers a "west coast" style of sound design, inspired by classic synthesizers. It functions as a standalone app with MIDI input or as an AUv3 plugin within a DAW, allowing for complex sound creation and experimentation.

**Highlights:** Semi-modular synthesis engine, Standalone app and AUv3 plugin support, West coast style sound processing, Duophonic synthesis with dual MIDI channels, Generative melody capabilities, Waveform fading and wave folding

**In-app purchases:** none


### CRATE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-ai-sampler/id6818032563)

Describe a musical vibe, and this app generates a beat with drums, samples, and bass in seconds. You can then easily modify it using simple text commands or intuitive pad gestures, and even sample from your microphone or imported songs.

**Highlights:** Generate beats from text descriptions, Modify beats with plain language commands, Intuitive pad-based editing, Live recording and step sequencing, Punch-in effects, Sample from microphone or imported audio, Auto-chop and re-sequence samples, Song arrangement and export

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Branches free?

Branches costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CRATE free?

CRATE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Branches or CRATE?

CRATE is rated higher. Branches averages 3.9 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while CRATE averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Branches or CRATE have ads?

Neither Branches nor CRATE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Branches or CRATE?

Branches ships an update every 6 days, and CRATE daily. Most recently, Branches was updated on November 3, 2026 and CRATE on October 31, 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.*