Comparison

eSPi vs TAPESCAM

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

Head to head
About

eSPi

Recreate the iconic sound of the 90's SP-1200 sampler on your iPad. Import or record audio, then chop, pitch, and sequence it to create sampled beats. Experience the gritty sound and workflow of a legendary music production tool.

Highlights
  • Sampled beat creation
  • SP-1200 emulation
  • Import and record samples
  • Sample chopping and pitching
  • Sequencing
  • Multiple filters and effects
  • Compressor
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Create sampled beats the original 90's way using eSPi. The SP-1200 was the primary tool of many legendary hip-hop beatmakers and house music producers in the 90's. It is well known for its gritty sound and simple but effective workflow. Now with eSPi you get to experience this machine right at your fingertips, on your iPad. Import samples or record them yourself, chop them up, pitch them and sequence them within the app. Features include multiple filters, effects, a compressor, and most importantly the best emulation of the gritty signature sound produced by the SP-1200 when pitching samples up & down. eSPi is also available on Mac, Linux & PC. *SP1200 & SP12 are registered trademarks or Rossum Electromusic LLC.

About

TAPESCAM

Simulate the warm, imperfect sound of analog tape machines. Add drive, color, and tape-like artifacts like dropouts and wow/flutter to your audio projects. Offers granular control over saturation, hiss, and tape wear.

Highlights
  • Dual gain stages with randomized dropouts
  • Wow/flutter motion control
  • Controllable hiss and tape wear
  • Drive + Color blending
  • Tone tilt and shelving EQs
  • Tape Speed presets
Read full description

Bring the sputter, wobble, and magnetic warmth of a well-loved four-track into any project. TapeScam stacks dual gain stages with randomized dropouts, wow/flutter motion, and controllable hiss so you can dial in everything from gentle glue to saturated cassette chaos. - Blend Drive + Color to morph between smooth compression and spitty, asymmetrical crunch - Wow/Flutter knob moves from subtle drift to dreamy vibrato, with Age-based randomness that keeps both channels alive - Tone tilt plus Bass/Treble shelves let you brighten guitars, thicken keys, or scoop space for vocals without leaving the plugin - Tape Speed presets shift headroom, bandwidth, and dropout behavior for “new”, “used”, or “worn” tapes - Noise and Comp switches give instant texture and level matching, while Output trims sit post-saturation for easy gain staging - Randomized dropout envelopes with smooth attack/hold/release phases create musical dips and wear NOTE: This is a plugin! It doesn't make any sound on its own. Available as an AUv3 for iOS/iPadOS. TapeScam slots into your DAW of choice. Interested in using this on desktop? VST3 and AU plugins are available at https://charles.pizza/apps/tapescam

Screenshots

eSPi4 screens
TAPESCAM2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TAPESCAM at 100% against eSPi's 52%. TAPESCAM also leads on price ($3.99 vs $19.99) and rating (5.0 vs 3.7). eSPi's advantage is chart position (#126 vs unranked) and ratings volume (39 vs 12). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

eSPi costs $19.99 and TAPESCAM $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

TAPESCAM holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 12 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of eSPi's written reviews are positive against 100% of TAPESCAM's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

eSPi ships an update fortnightly, TAPESCAM every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
eSPi versus TAPESCAM: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametereSPiTAPESCAM
Price$19.99$3.99 — better
Rating3.7 (39 ratings)5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews51.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings39 — better12
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#126 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLouis TeboulCharles Vestal

Customer experience

eSPi

All ratings39 ratings
Positive59.0%
Neutral15.4%
Negative25.6%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive51.5%
Neutral19.7%
Negative28.8%

TAPESCAM

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

eSPi

No in-app purchases

None

TAPESCAM

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is eSPi free?
eSPi costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TAPESCAM free?
TAPESCAM costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, eSPi or TAPESCAM?
TAPESCAM is rated higher. eSPi averages 3.7 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while TAPESCAM averages 5.0 from 12 ratings.
Do eSPi or TAPESCAM have ads?
Neither eSPi nor TAPESCAM shows ads.
Which is updated more often, eSPi or TAPESCAM?
eSPi ships an update fortnightly, and TAPESCAM every 2 days. Most recently, eSPi was updated on November 3, 2026 and TAPESCAM on October 30, 2026.

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