Kikuyo vs Dawnbeat
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Kikuyo
This app allows for incredibly fast audio recording, initiating automatically upon launch without user interaction. Users can customize recording sensitivity and manage files organized by date and recording time. It offers background customization and emphasizes responsible usage.
- Instant recording on launch
- Automatic background recording
- Adjustable recording sensitivity
- Date and time organized files
- Customizable background image
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Recording can be started in the fastest time (compared to our company). Recording starts just by launching the application. Automatic recording without touch. Recording sensitivity can be set. When the shuriken is spinning, it is recording. Touching the shuriken stops recording and moves to the settings screen. All recorded data is saved in a file. Data is divided by date. Data is created for each recording start time. Background image can be changed. Copyrights are to be observed. Illegal or discriminatory use is prohibited.
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: Dawnbeat at 4.2 against Kikuyo's 1.0. Dawnbeat also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). Kikuyo's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Dawnbeat sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Kikuyo asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dawnbeat holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dawnbeat has 115 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Kikuyo ships an update every 6 months, Dawnbeat every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Kikuyo | Dawnbeat |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 1.0 (1 ratings) | 4.2 (115 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 70.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 115 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 504 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | NORICHIKA NAKATA | Luis Rivas |
Customer experience
Kikuyo
Dawnbeat
In-app purchases
Kikuyo
No in-app purchases
Dawnbeat
- Dawn Beat Complete$5.99








