Autoharp vs Decent Sampler
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Autoharp
Experience the realistic sound of an autoharp with intuitive chord buttons and strumming. Enhance your music with built-in effects and use it as a MIDI controller. Customize string and chord layouts for advanced control.
- Realistic autoharp sound
- Chord buttons and strumming
- Built-in chorus, delay, and reverb effects
- MIDI controller output
- Customizable string and chord layouts
- Save and switch effect programs
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This app works like a real autoharp: just push one of the chord buttons and strum! Autoharp uses high-quality audio samples and matches its volume to your strumming speed for the most realistic sound available. If you want to expand your sonic palette, Autoharp includes built-in chorus, delay and reverb effects. You can configure each effect and enable them in any combination. With an in-app purchase, you can save multiple effects programs and switch between your saved programs. If you have any MIDI equipment, you can also use Autoharp as a MIDI controller. Strum its strings and send note-on commands to another device to generate virtually any sound. The MIDI commands include velocity values determined by your strumming speed for expressive playing. Advanced players can even customize Autoharp's string and chord layout, to optimize the sound for a given song or test a new setup before modifying a real autoharp. With an in-app purchase, you can set the note assigned to each string (from a total of 53 available notes) and set the strings assigned to each chord bar (either 15 or 21), then switch between any of your saved layouts. Before buying this app, I recommend watching the demo video at autoharpapp.com to see how it works. If you need help after your purchase, please contact me before writing a bad review. I have no way to respond or help you if you publish your complaints in a review, but I respond promptly to all emails.
Decent Sampler
This music app lets you use professional-quality sample libraries on your mobile device. It supports Decent Samples libraries and SFZs, and can be used within other music production apps as an AUv3 plugin.
- Use professional sample libraries
- Supports Decent Samples libraries
- Supports SFZ files
- AUv3 plugin compatibility
- Standalone app functionality
- New libraries added weekly
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Did you ever wish you could use professional quality sample libraries on your mobile device? Now you can! The Decent Samples plugin is a sample player that allows you to use your favorite Decent Samples sample libraries on the go (as well as SFZs). Many of the most popular Decent Samples releases are available through the app with more being added every week. Because it's also an AUv3 plugin, you can use it from within GarageBand or with AUM.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Decent Sampler at Free against Autoharp's $1.99. Decent Sampler also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.8) and update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). Autoharp's advantage is review sentiment (64% vs 52%). 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
Decent Sampler is free to download; Autoharp costs $1.99 up front. Autoharp sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Decent Sampler sells 58 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Decent Sampler holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Decent Sampler has 52 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Autoharp's written reviews are positive against 52% of Decent Sampler's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Autoharp ships an update every 2 months, Decent Sampler monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Autoharp | Decent Sampler |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (9 ratings) | 4.6 (52 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews — better | 51.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 9 | 52 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 37 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Arlo Leach | Decidedly, LLC |
Customer experience
Autoharp
Decent Sampler
Bugs and requests
Autoharp
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Decent Sampler
Reported bugs
23 issues- Instant crash on load
- App stopped working after iOS update
- AUV3 crashes out of nowhere
- Unresponsive upon opening
- Server issues for login
Show 18 moreShow fewer
- Instrument remains stuck on a note
- Projects need to be reloaded to show app
- Crash when loading samples
- Failing to load presets when reloading host project
- Adding unwanted temp presets
- Crashing when selecting different samples
- Login prompt won't let paste text
- Can't paste password to login
- Login screen covered by keyboard
- Error 500 when downloading
- Restore Purchases button not working
- Forgotten Password button not working
- Invalid email address for registration
- No URL found when downloading sound packs
- Clicking sounds while using
- Glitching, clicking, and ghost sounds on held notes
- Instrument crashes after a few minutes
- Earthquake pad 02 glitching
Requested features
14 requests- Add user/pass fill from password keeper
- Implement a download manager for multiple instruments
- Allow running within IAA or Audiobus
- Add ability to clear cache
- Fix multi-track support in AUV3
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Add MIDI sequencing
- Add pitch bend functionality
- Add velocity response curve knob
- Add filter stage and more flexible envelope
- Allow disabling iOS auto-lock
- Configure receiving MIDI channel
- Improve preset selection
- Add dark mode
- Support VoiceOver
In-app purchases
Autoharp
- Save Multiple Effects Programs$0.99
- Set Up Custom Chord Layouts$3.99
Decent Sampler
- Box ViolinFree
- Dave ChoirFree
- Resonator GlockenspielFree
Show 55 moreShow fewer
- Banjo UkuleleFree
- KalimbaFree
- Ukelin$0.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 3$2.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 4$3.99
- Weber 1929 Baby Grand$4.99
- Ramshackle Zither$4.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 5$4.99
- Music Major Sample Library$4.99
- Sawblade Kalimba Library$4.99
- Melodica$4.99
- Distance: Zero$4.99
- Little Church Organ$4.99
- Indie Guitar$5.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 6$5.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 7$6.99
- Paper Drums$6.99
- Relic Keyboard$7.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 8$7.99
- HS-3715 Keyboard$7.99
- Malevolence by Venus Theory$8.99
- Viola Ensemble$9.99
- Indie Bass$9.99
- Metal Cups$9.99
- Phonoharp$9.99
- Violin Ensemble$9.99
- Ethereal Vocals$9.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 10$9.99
- Kalimba by Darel$9.99
- Dangerous Undertones$9.99
- Chroma Vol. 1$9.99
- Luminate$9.99
- Horror Box$9.99
- Tape Violins Sample Library$10.99
- Interlaced Sample Library$14.99
- Decent Sampler Store Item 15$15.00
- Decent Sampler Store Item 16$16.00
- Decent Sampler Store Item 19$19.00
- alt.strings$19.99
- Felt & Fog$19.99
- Organic Orchestra$19.99
- Indie Drums$19.99
- Bitscape 95$19.99
- Thyssia by Venus Theory$19.99
- Decent Samples Store Item 20$20.00
- Decent Samples Store Item 24$24.00
- The Void$24.99
- Processed Guitars$24.99
- Decent Samples Store Item 25$25.00
- String Flows$29.99
- 70s Summer Camp Sample Library$29.99
- Decent Samples Store Item 30$30.00
- LoFi VaporTones Ds$33.99
- Decent Samples Store Item 39$39.00
- Chamberlin M1 by Jamie Lidell$49.99









