FunkBox Drum Machine vs SNESynth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
FunkBox Drum Machine
This app offers a collection of vintage drum machine sounds for composing, recording, and performing music. It allows users to create custom drum kits, edit patterns, and export loops. It's compatible with various iOS devices and integrates with other music apps and hardware.
- Vintage drum machine sounds
- Compose, record, and play music
- Create custom drum boxes
- Edit and create rhythm patterns
- Export audio and MIDI loops
- Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio support
- Ableton Link and CoreMIDI sync
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Funkbox contains all your favorite vintage drum machine sounds in one funky quirky little app! FunkBox is a full featured drum machine that you can use to compose, record and play your songs live. It has been used in the studio by electronic artists such as Gorillaz (on their album “The Fall”) Tom Middleton (Global Communications, Jedi Knights) and Steve Cobby (Fila Brazillia), and also by alternative/indie musicians such as tUnE-yArDs, Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, QOTSA), Anton Newcombe (Brian Jonestown Massacre), and Reggie Pace (Bon Iver, No BS Brass). It's also been used on stage by rock/pop musicians such as Joan Osborne and Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) live in concert. Its quirky vintage sounds, ease of use and advanced features have made it popular with many musicians worldwide who use it to make all sorts of different styles of music. FunkBox was featured in Computer Music Magazine's "Amazing Music Apps" special issue and Electronic Musician magazine's "Attack of the Killer Apps" best music tools for the iPad. FunkBox 4.0 features: The look, feel, sound and quirks of a classic vintage drum machine. iOS 10 compatible, iPhone 5 retina graphics compatible, iPad retina graphics compatible. Universal app that works great on iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch. Buy it once and you can use it on all your iOS devices. Fourteen classic boxes to choose from, including favorites like the 808, 909, CR-78, LM-2, MRK-2, DX, TOM, and more. Create your own custom boxes by mix and matching preset samples, or even import and use your own custom samples. Includes 36 preset rhythm patterns, plus several more bonus banks. Easily edit the included patterns to create your own beats. Export your drum loops as audio or midi via email, audio pasteboard, or the iTunes folder. Easily share your custom boxes and patterns via email with your friends, or between your devices. Use Audiobus 3 and Inter-App Audio to exchange live audio with other apps. Use Ableton Link or CoreMIDI to sync up with “real” music equipment or other music apps, multi-tasking in the background or on other nearby iOS devices. Use the bonus MIDI bass sequencer to play a bassline along with your beat using another iOS app or a “real” hardware synth! …and lots more. Need some old school beats? Grab yourself some funk in a box.
SNESynth
Create authentic 16-bit video game music and sound effects with a powerful synth engine. Explore over 400 presets, utilize a step sequencer, and record your creations. Works standalone or as an AUv3 plugin in iOS DAWs.
- 16-bit video game synth
- 2,500+ samples from video game chips
- Standalone app & AUv3 plugin
- Over 400 presets
- Step sequencer
- Audio recording and export
- MIDI keyboard support
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SUPER NINJA ENTERTAINMENT SYNTH. SUPER FUN! Chiptune and 16-Bit video game synth. Uses real synthesis and samples from actual video game chips. ** Leads, Sound FX, Inspiration, and FUN – you're gonna find it in this app! NOW, YOU’RE PLAYING WITH SYNTH POWER! This app uses "real" synthesis, combined with samples for the ultimate creative control and authentic sound. “AUDIOKIT HAVE STRUCK GOLD, PROVIDING SOME OF THE THE MOST AUTHENTIC RETRO SYNTH SOUNDS YOU’LL EVER HEAR!” -- The GarageBand Guide, 5 star YouTube review ++ Over 400+ Presets to inspire you, including 240+ "Starter" sounds to make your own sound! ++ Exclusive Free Presets by Analog Matthew, Cokomairena, DMT Cymatics, Electronisounds, GarageBand Guide, Gavinski, Mark Hupkens, Moby Pixel, and more! FEATURES: • 2,500+ Samples packed into 240+ Multi-sampled PCM instruments! • Standalone app & iOS AUv3 Plugin • Over 350+ presets to inspire you • Fun free-running step sequencer • 16-bit Synth, Drum, and Sound FX sounds included • Over 1 GB of sounds compressed to under 120 Mb • Audio recording, record your sounds then export wav files! No other apps needed • Use with MIDI keyboard or iOS MIDI host • Ableton Link MORE FEATURES: • Use as an AUv3 (AudioUnit Plugin) in iOS DAWs such as Logic, GarageBand, Cubasis, AUM, more • Step Sequencer with “Magic Gate”, variable divisions, multiple oscillator & layer destinations • Traditional Synth Engine (including Pulse Width Modulation - PWM the heart of chiptune sounds) • On board RECORDING – easily record your melodies, and sounds and export! • LFO: Multiple waveforms + Re-trigger + 2 Destinations • Full ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release for each layer) ++ Exclusive sounds made for this app... You can't get these sounds anywhere else! It's your secret sauce. + iPhone & iPad versions included for one low price More Info: www.audiokitpro.com/snesynth ** No video games themselves were sampled. The synthesis from vintage hardware sound chips was sampled. Plus, this app uses a "real" on board synth engine. This app does not sample any Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Sega, or Gameboy games. Nor does it have any affiliation with any of the companies or trademarks. We respect their pioneering work in sound design and have attempted to pay homage. We hope you enjoy the sounds and are able to be inspired! :) ### AudioKit is an open-source project intended to bring joy and music to people, and enlighten people on how to build custom instruments and iOS apps. All product names, images, and trademarks are the property of their respective ownes, which are in no way associated or affiliated with the creators of this app, including AudioKit, AudioKit Pro, LLC, and the other contributors. Product names are used solely for the purpose of identifying specific products related to hardware, synthesizers, sampling, sound design, and music-making. Use of these names and images does not imply any cooperation or endorsement. We thank them for their incredible hardware and instruments.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SNESynth at 4.8 against FunkBox Drum Machine's 4.2. SNESynth also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). FunkBox Drum Machine's advantage is iOS requirement (9.3 vs 14.4). On price, 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
FunkBox Drum Machine costs $4.99 and SNESynth $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
SNESynth holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 70 and 75 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of FunkBox Drum Machine's written reviews are positive against 85% of SNESynth's.
FunkBox Drum Machine ships an update every 2 months, SNESynth monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FunkBox Drum Machine | SNESynth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (70 ratings) | 4.8 (75 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.1% of reviews | 84.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 70 | 75 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.3 — better | 14.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 56 MB | 114 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Synthetic Bits, LLC | AudioKit Pro |
Customer experience
FunkBox Drum Machine
SNESynth
Bugs and requests
FunkBox Drum Machine
Reported bugs
2 issues- Crashes on iOS 7 for iPhone 5s
- Presets disappearing after update, unable to load saved banks
Requested features
11 requests- Please refresh and update the app a bit
- Add ability to customize drum sounds beyond just volume and panning
- Implement copy/paste functionality for sequences
- Allow programming in 3/4 time signature
- Add ability to adjust the pitch and tuning of drum sounds
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- Implement song mode to chain patterns together
- Add ability to export each instrument as a separate WAV file
- Implement Ableton Link support
- Add ability to adjust the speed of the roll button
- Implement more effects and sound manipulation options
- Add a drop-down list for recalling presets instead of individual buttons
SNESynth
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
FunkBox Drum Machine
No in-app purchases
SNESynth
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is FunkBox Drum Machine free?
Is SNESynth free?
Which has better reviews, FunkBox Drum Machine or SNESynth?
Do FunkBox Drum Machine or SNESynth have ads?
Which is updated more often, FunkBox Drum Machine or SNESynth?
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