Comparison

Tape It vs Arc & Decay

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

Head to head
About

Tape It

Capture, organize, and share music ideas with this professional audio recording studio app. It offers features like mixtape organization, studio-quality collaboration, and instant recording from your lock screen. Never lose a song idea again and focus on your music.

Highlights
  • Mixtape organization
  • Studio-quality collaboration
  • Instant recording from lock screen
  • Photo integration for notes
  • Secure cloud backup
  • DAW integration
  • Lossless audio quality
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

The professional songwriting & recording studio app that helps musicians capture, organize & share music ideas. We are musicians who created the app we always wanted - straightforward, powerful, and built for how artists actually work. Join thousands of professional musicians who trust Tape It! Never lose song ideas, never waste time with songwriting hassles again. Focus on what really matters: your music. PACKED WITH FEATURES — ALL FREE, NO ADS Professional Mixtape Organization Group your song ideas, EP recordings, and instrument sessions into custom mixtapes. Find any recording instantly with smart organization built for musicians. Studio-Quality Collaboration Share and work on recordings with your bandmates, producer, or manager - all within the app. No more sending files back and forth through messages. Instant Recording from Lock Screen Capture ideas as fast as photographers capture moments - straight from your iPhone's lock screen. Never lose another song idea! Smart Photo Integration Save vocal notes, chord sheets, or synthesizer settings with photo attachments. Everything you need, right where you need it. Secure Cloud Backup Keep your recordings safe with EU-encrypted cloud storage. Save iCloud space while protecting thousands of your ideas. Professional DAW Integration Easily transfer files via AirDrop or drag&drop from Tape It's desktop client directly into your DAW. Turn ideas into production-ready tracks seamlessly! Smart Recording Notes Add chords, BPM, lyrics, or production ideas directly to your recordings. Full-Featured Audio Player Review your ideas anywhere - in your car, during workouts, or on your commute. Just like using your favorite music app! Intelligent Markers Mark specific parts during or after recording - perfect for jam sessions, song transitions, and music lessons. Time Paragraph Technology Navigate long recordings naturally with our innovative waveform view that wraps recordings into multiple lines that you can easily scroll through. Automatic Instrument Detection See what's in your recording before you hit play. Combined with photos and notes, you'll always know what you're listening to. TAPE IT PROFESSIONAL FEATURES Maximize your iPhone's recording capabilities: Professional Stereo Recording Combine multiple iPhone microphones for superior audio quality. Perfect for instrument recording, vocals, field recording, and podcasting. Lossless Audio Quality Get the highest possible mobile recording quality for professional results. External Audio Support Connect professional microphones and audio interfaces for next-level mobile recording. Non-destructive Editing Trim your recordings while keeping the original safe. Restore any edit at any time. MP3 and WAV Export Convert your audio files during export to make them work with any DAW - Ableton, Fruity Loops, ProTools, you name it. Support Independent Developers We're musicians building for musicians. No ads, no investors - just constant improvements for your needs. Tape It is 100% accessible for blind users. We understand music's importance to everyone. Questions? Contact us at support@tape.it Privacy policy: https://tape.it/privacy Terms of use: https://tape.it/eula

About

Arc & Decay

Features
Read full description

Arc & Decay is a plasma arc distortion instrument for iOS, built on the physics of real xenon gas tube breakdown. Feed it any sound through the built-in microphone and it fires an electrical arc when your signal crosses the ionization threshold. The arc saturates and distorts with odd harmonics, crackles through marginal-zone sputter, and holds a long ionization tail that decays into electrical noise long after your sound stops. Six precision encoders control every dimension of the arc character: Voltage drives the current into the gap. Ignition sets the threshold. Instability introduces chaos and arc wander. Fizzle and Spark shape the crackle density and tail length. Mix blends dry signal with pure arc output. Reverb and delay extend the electrical space without losing the character. Record up to one minute of output and share directly from the app. Arc & Decay is not a guitar pedal. It is not a synthesizer. It is a plasma arc instrument that runs on whatever sound you give it. © 2026 Synthetic Pulse Industries.

Screenshots

Tape It4 screens
Arc & Decay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Arc & Decay at none against Tape It's 10. Arc & Decay also leads on update cadence (daily vs fortnightly). Tape It's advantage is chart position (#195 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Both are free to download. Tape It sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $3.00 per month. Arc & Decay asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tape It ships an update fortnightly, Arc & Decay daily. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Tape It versus Arc & Decay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTape ItArc & Decay
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (897 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews71.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings897 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#195 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTape It Music GmbHTash Baycroft

Bugs and requests

Tape It

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Inability to sign in or create accounts
  • Incompatibility with certain iOS versions
  • Jittery scrolling and UI issues
  • Unreliable lock screen widget
  • Recordings stopping unexpectedly

Requested features

6 requests
  • Ability to pause/resume recordings
  • In-app audio editing tools
  • Improved organization and folder structure
  • Support for external audio interfaces
  • Metronome and looping functionality
Show 1 more
  • Video recording capabilities

Arc & Decay

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

9 purchases

Tape It

Subscriptions8
  • Monthly Subscription$3.001 Month
  • Tape It Pro$5.001 Month
  • Monthly subscription$5.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Monthly subscription2 variants$6.001 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$15.001 Year
  • Tape It Pro7 Days trial$22.491 Year
  • Tape It Pro$24.001 Year
  • Full version7 Days trial$30.001 Year
One-time1
  • Full version$100.00
None

Arc & Decay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tape It free?
Tape It is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Arc & Decay free?
Arc & Decay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tape It or Arc & Decay have ads?
Neither Tape It nor Arc & Decay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tape It or Arc & Decay?
Tape It ships an update fortnightly, and Arc & Decay daily. Most recently, Tape It was updated on November 11, 2026 and Arc & Decay on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons