Decent Sampler vs Dawnbeat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Decent Sampler
This music app lets you use professional-quality sample libraries on your mobile device. It supports Decent Samples libraries and SFZs, and can be used within other music production apps as an AUv3 plugin.
- Use professional sample libraries
- Supports Decent Samples libraries
- Supports SFZ files
- AUv3 plugin compatibility
- Standalone app functionality
- New libraries added weekly
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Did you ever wish you could use professional quality sample libraries on your mobile device? Now you can! The Decent Samples plugin is a sample player that allows you to use your favorite Decent Samples sample libraries on the go (as well as SF2s, SFZs, and EXS files). Many of the most popular Decent Samples releases are available through the app with more being added every week. Because it's also an AUv3 plugin, you can use it from within GarageBand or with AUM.
Dawnbeat
This app lets you create music by sampling and sequencing audio. It offers advanced features like multi-touch pads, an always-recording buffer, and flexible routing for creative sound manipulation. Integrate with external MIDI devices and apply a wide range of built-in and AUv3 effects.
- Multi-touch and draggable pads
- Always-recording buffer (Memorizer)
- Advanced loop manipulation (BRIIKS)
- Flexible mixer with assignable busses
- Polyphonic pads for chords
- MIDI IN/OUT for external control
- AUv3 effects and instrument support
- Auto-slicer for audio chopping
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Dawnbeat inherits the best part of the classic hardware samplers and takes it further by adding features only possible on a multi-touch device. Create more natural patterns by tapping and swiping pads. Focus on creativity, you don't need to select a tempo before hit record to finally play a pattern until you get the right take, just play and forget about to record! Dawnbeat is always recording! Multi-touch and draggable pads: - Pads are multi-touch, play a single pad with two fingers at the same time! - Pads are individually configurable, allowing re-triggering when dragging for amazing fills, tone variations . - Mute and Solo buttons for pads available. - Mute groups. Memorizer: - DawnBeat is always recording pad events, you'll never miss a beat, play and experiment and when you hear something you like, it's already recorded! simply go to Memorizer and select the desired events. BRIIKS sampler: - Advanced loop manipulator. Rearrange and combine your loops. Also available as standalone, AUv3 and MacOS. Mixer: - 4 assignable BUSSES and one MAIN BUS. Assign pads to busses, assign internal effects or AUV3 effects to busses. - Mute and Solo buttons. Polyphonic pads: - Pads can be turned polyphonic, import a piano-like sample and play and sequence chords with a single pad. MIDI IN and MIDI OUT: - Trigger samples from a MIDI controller, play melodies from a MIDI piano. - Sequence hardware drum machines and synths from Dawnbeat. - Use Dawnbeat as an intermediary between a midi keyboard and a synth, save the sequences you are playing. Dawnbeat can save poliphonic sequences! Pattern sequencer with piano editor. - Swing, count-in, metronome. Audio Units: - Dawnbeat support AUv3 effects and instruments! Built in Effects: - Reverb, Delay, Compressor, Flutter, Gate, Tremolo, Noise, Filter, Chorus, Equalizer, Stutter and Tape slow motion. - Effects can be rearranged. Built-In sample browser: - 6 drum kit sample libraries, and 1 bass sample library. Selectable internal sample rate: - Internal sample rate can be changed, choose between HI-FI and LO-FI sample rates. AUTO-SLICER: - AutoSlicer detects hit points and slices audio into individual files minimizing the need for manual editing. Chop up any audio file in a few seconds. Recording sample rate can be selected. Export movies with images and animated GIFs .
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Decent Sampler at 4.6 against Dawnbeat's 4.2. Decent Sampler also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). Dawnbeat's advantage is review sentiment (70% vs 52%). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Decent Sampler sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Dawnbeat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Decent Sampler holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 115 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 52% of Decent Sampler's written reviews are positive against 70% of Dawnbeat's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Decent Sampler ships an update weekly, Dawnbeat every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Decent Sampler | Dawnbeat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (53 ratings) — better | 4.2 (115 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.2% of reviews | 70.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 53 | 115 — better |
| Update frequency | Weekly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 41 MB | 504 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Decidedly, LLC | Luis Rivas |
Customer experience
Decent Sampler
Dawnbeat
Bugs and requests
Decent Sampler
Reported bugs
23 issues- Instant crash on load
- App stopped working after iOS update
- AUV3 crashes out of nowhere
- Unresponsive upon opening
- Server issues for login
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- Instrument remains stuck on a note
- Projects need to be reloaded to show app
- Crash when loading samples
- Failing to load presets when reloading host project
- Adding unwanted temp presets
- Crashing when selecting different samples
- Login prompt won't let paste text
- Can't paste password to login
- Login screen covered by keyboard
- Error 500 when downloading
- Restore Purchases button not working
- Forgotten Password button not working
- Invalid email address for registration
- No URL found when downloading sound packs
- Clicking sounds while using
- Glitching, clicking, and ghost sounds on held notes
- Instrument crashes after a few minutes
- Earthquake pad 02 glitching
Requested features
14 requests- Add user/pass fill from password keeper
- Implement a download manager for multiple instruments
- Allow running within IAA or Audiobus
- Add ability to clear cache
- Fix multi-track support in AUV3
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Add MIDI sequencing
- Add pitch bend functionality
- Add velocity response curve knob
- Add filter stage and more flexible envelope
- Allow disabling iOS auto-lock
- Configure receiving MIDI channel
- Improve preset selection
- Add dark mode
- Support VoiceOver
Dawnbeat
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Decent Sampler
- Ukelin$0.99
- Weber 1929 Baby Grand$4.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 5$4.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Indie Guitar$5.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 7$6.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 8$7.99
- Viola Ensemble$9.99
- Indie Bass$9.99
- Violin Ensemble$9.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 10$9.99
Dawnbeat
- Dawn Beat Complete$5.99









