Comparison

Bloom vs Samplr

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

Head to head
About

Bloom

Create unique melodies and elaborate patterns by simply tapping the screen. This generative music player offers an infinite selection of compositions and accompanying visualizations, even when left idle. It's a musical instrument, composition, and artwork all in one.

Highlights
  • Create melodies by tapping
  • Generative music player
  • Visualizations
  • 12 mood settings
  • Adjustable delay
  • Shake to clear
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Developed by ambient pioneer Brian Eno and musician / software designer Peter Chilvers, Bloom explores uncharted territory in the realm of applications for the iPhone and iPod touch. Part instrument, part composition and part artwork, Bloom's innovative controls allow anyone to create elaborate patterns and unique melodies by simply tapping the screen. A generative music player takes over when Bloom is left idle, creating an infinite selection of compositions and their accompanying visualisations. "Bloom is an endless music machine, a music box for the 21st century. You can play it, and you can watch it play itself." - Brian Eno Features - 12 different mood settings - Random mood shuffle - Adjustable delay - Shake to clear - Evolve when idle - Sleep Timer Recommended for headphones or external speakers. “Bloom Raises the Bar for Musical iPhone Apps… if you're a fan of ambient music or music in general, you'll be wanting to get it right now” - Gizmodo “A relaxing alternative to just about anything else you can do with an iPhone” Wired “Hypnotic and ludicrously addictive” - Guardian

About

Samplr

This app offers a unique multitouch interface for exploring and manipulating audio samples. Create music through various play modes, record gestures for sequencing, and experiment with audio effects. It's designed for audio experimentation, composition, and live performance.

Highlights
  • 8 distinct play modes (Slicer, Looper, Granular, etc.)
  • Gesture recorder for sequencing
  • Audio input recording and resampling
  • 6 sample slots with 16 voices each
  • 5 per-sample effects (Distortion, Reverb, etc.)
  • Import audio from cloud storage and other apps
Read full description

The app used by renowned musicians like Fred again.., Richard Devine, Apparat, Weval or Matmos live and in the studio. Samplr introduced a brand new way to make music, only possible on multitouch devices. Explore the samples melody and texture using the different play modes and create compositions with the gesture recorder. Samplr is the ideal tool for audio experimentation, music composition and live performance. USER REVIEWS “The most profound audio manipulation tool on iOS” 5 stars “There is NOTHING on the market hardware or software like this” 5 stars “Stunningly beautiful interface and exceptionally easy to use” 5 stars “This is the most musical app I've ever used. It's polished, it's musical, it's fun, it's inspiring” 5 stars “It’s the best realization of what touch screen sampling should be” 5 stars FEATURES • 8 play modes: Slicer, Looper, Granular, Tape, Scratch, Arpeggiator, Keyboard and Loop Player • Gesture recorder for sequencing • Audio input recording and resampling • 6 sample slots (x16 voices) • 5 effects per sample: Distortion, Filter, Amplitude Modulator, Feedback Delay and Reverb COMPATIBILITY • Ableton Link • MIDI Keyboard, Controller and Sync input • IAA (Inter-App Audio) • Audiobus Input and Output • WAV and AIFF file support • Import files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, AudioShare, etc Learn more and see how it works on samplr.net. For feedback or support please reach out to support@samplr.net

Screenshots

Bloom4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Bloom at $3.99 against Samplr's $19.99. Bloom also leads on chart position (#100 vs unranked) and device support (3 vs 1). Samplr's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 11 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Bloom against 4.7 for Samplr. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 99 and 149 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 84% of Bloom's written reviews are positive against 79% of Samplr's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bloom ships an update every 11 months, Samplr every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and July 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Bloom versus Samplr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBloomSamplr
Price$3.99 — better$19.99
Rating4.8 (99 ratings) — better4.7 (149 ratings)
Positive reviews84.5% of reviews — better79.5% of reviews
Number of ratings99149 — better
Update frequencyEvery 11 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#100 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB49 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal LimitedMarcos Alonso

Customer experience

Bloom

All ratings99 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews618 reviews
Positive84.5%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.5%

Samplr

All ratings149 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.3%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews404 reviews
Positive79.5%
Neutral7.2%
Negative13.4%

User reviews

Bloom

From 99 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🌟 Fantastic
  • 🎨 Beautiful
  • 🧘‍♀️ Relaxing
  • 👨‍🎨 Creative
  • 🎶 Mesmerizing

Room to improve

  • 🔇 High frequencies prevent relaxation
  • 🔇 Harsh/imbalanced sounds
  • 🔇 Limited sound variety
  • 🔇 Lack of recording/export function
  • 🔇 Crashes on iOS 8/11

Samplr

From 149 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and responsive interface
  • 🎨 Powerful sample manipulation capabilities
  • 🎶 Excellent for live performance and sound design
  • 💰 Great value for the price
  • 🎉 Inspiring and creative app

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
  • 🔌 Lack of audio import/export options
  • 🔀 Difficulty with sample organization and management
  • 🔇 Missing features like panning, MIDI support, and AUv3

Bugs and requests

Bloom

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on iOS 8/11 updates
  • Stops working in background
  • High notes cause issues for some users

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add more sound options/instruments
  • Implement recording and export capabilities
  • Add sleep timer and background playback
  • Improve low-end sound quality
  • Introduce MIDI support
Show 2 more
  • Expand sound manipulation options (pitch bending, sustain, etc.)
  • Add visual customization (blurred edges, etc.)

Samplr

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Recording functionality not working as expected
  • Dropbox integration causing crashes
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

Requested features

5 requests
  • Implement Ableton Link for better sync
  • Add support for more audio file formats
  • Improve sample import/export workflow
  • Introduce a more robust sequencing and automation system
  • Provide multi-channel audio output

In-app purchases

None

Bloom

No in-app purchases

None

Samplr

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bloom free?
Bloom costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Samplr free?
Samplr costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Bloom or Samplr?
Bloom is rated higher. Bloom averages 4.8 out of 5 from 99 ratings, while Samplr averages 4.7 from 149 ratings.
Do Bloom or Samplr have ads?
Neither Bloom nor Samplr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Bloom or Samplr?
Bloom ships an update every 11 months, and Samplr every 3 months. Most recently, Bloom was updated on September 24, 2026 and Samplr on July 25, 2026.

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