# Pulsar vs sub808

Pulsar and sub808 both sit at 4.3 stars, but that hides the real split: 67% of Pulsar's written reviews are positive against 0% of sub808's. Pulsar also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Pulsar costs $4.99 and sub808 $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.3 for Pulsar against 4.2 for sub808. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 10 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of Pulsar's written reviews are positive against 0% of sub808's.

Pulsar ships an update every 3 weeks, sub808 every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pulsar | sub808 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$4.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756/reviews)** | [4.2 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub808/id6475637520/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **10** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 61 MB | 150 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Dmytro Kiro](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621893756) | [OSC Audio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693533681) |

## What reviewers say

### Pulsar

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pulsar-es-drum-machine/id1661825756)

This music app provides a virtual drum machine with 8 pads for improvising and playing along to built-in rhythm presets. It features real-time rhythm switching, tempo control, and various effects. It also supports Ableton Link and MIDI for seamless integration with other music software and hardware.

**Highlights:** 8-pad drum machine, Built-in rhythm presets, Real-time rhythm switching, Tempo and accent control, Drive, reverb, and filter effects, Ableton Link synchronization, MIDI In/Out support, AUv3 compatibility

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### sub808

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sub808/id6475637520)

Create powerful sub-bass sounds with this intuitive instrument app. Explore analog-inspired flavors, fine-tune saturation, and sculpt your basslines with versatile envelope and shaper controls. Compatible across devices for seamless production.

**Highlights:** 50 Factory Presets, 4 Analog Flavors, 8 Saturation Modes, Filter Cutoff & Glide, Handcrafted Envelope & Shaper, Cross-platform Compatibility

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pulsar free?

Pulsar costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is sub808 free?

sub808 costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Pulsar or sub808?

Pulsar is rated higher. Pulsar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while sub808 averages 4.2 from 10 ratings.

### Do Pulsar or sub808 have ads?

Neither Pulsar nor sub808 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pulsar or sub808?

Pulsar ships an update every 3 weeks, and sub808 every 6 months. Most recently, Pulsar was updated on October 17, 2026 and sub808 on September 23, 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.*