AmpliTube CS vs Cubasis LE 3
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AmpliTube CS
This app provides a mobile guitar and bass tone studio with a vast collection of virtual gear. Users can build custom rigs, practice, play, and record with professional-sounding tones anytime, anywhere. It offers expandable libraries of amps and effects for a personalized experience.
- Virtual guitar and bass rig builder
- Extensive library of amps and effects
- Live Mode for stage performance
- 2-track recorder (expandable)
- Loop drummer module
- Speed trainer, metronome, and tuner
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Want the ultimate mobile guitar and bass tone studio? AmpliTube gives you a massive collection of virtual gear that you can use to practice, play and record with world-class tone anytime and anywhere. Build your own guitar or bass rig with up to 6 stompbox FX, an amplifier and cabinet with mics. Plug your instrument into your iPhone with one of IK's interfaces like iRig 2 or iRig HD 2, and get ready to be blown away. AmpliTube CS gives you 7 stompbox effects, 3 amplifiers, 3 speaker cabinets and 2 mics, a free Loop Drummer Rock groove pack and a 2-track recorder. You can expand this via a massive library of over 150 amps and stompboxes from top brands like Fender™, Ampeg®, Orange®, Mesa/Boogie®, and many more, or unlock the rigs of your heroes with gear from Joe Satriani, Dimebag Darrell, and Brian May. Ready to hit the stage? AmpliTube’s Live Mode offers an optimized GUI for live use, with all the settings and controls you need in an easy-to-read format. Control your virtual rig just like real gear: change presets, trigger FX, loops and more all right from your feet. AmpliTube pairs with iRig Stomp I/O for a powerful all-in-one stage rig, works wirelessly with iRig Blueboard, and supports other MIDI controllers as well. AmpliTube also offers innovative ways to play, practice and record with an optional Looper, more drum track loops, a full 8-track recorder and DAW-style studio all available for in-app purchase. Whether it’s at home, in the studio or on stage, AmpliTube is the dream rig you’ve always wanted, in a device that’s always with you! AmpliTube CS features: • Create guitar & bass rigs with up to 6 stomps, 1 amp and 1 cab with 2 mics • Includes 7 stomps, 3 amp, 3 cabinet and 2 mics • Expandable with over 150 gear models available from Fender™, Ampeg®, Orange®, Mesa/Boogie®, Joe Satriani, Dimebag Darrell and Brian May • Live Mode shows your entire rig at a glance, with all the parameters you need on stage easily accessible • Included 2-track recorder (in-app purchase unlocks up to 8-tracks) • Studio mode for intuitive DAW-style editing (unlocked via in-app purchase) • Loop drummer module that plays in sync with the recorder • Includes speed trainer, metronome and tuner • Inter-App Audio and AudioBus support • Project sharing between versions and devices • Import and play songs as backing tracks from your Music Library or computer • Export audio via E-mail, SoundCloud or File Sharing • MIDI controllable and with built-in integration for iRig Stomp I/O, iRig Blueboard and other controllers • Low-latency for real-time playing More info: www.amplitube.com/ios Accessory info: www.ikmultimedia.com/irig
Cubasis LE 3
This mobile music creation system offers a streamlined interface for recording, editing, and mixing audio and MIDI tracks on your iPhone or iPad. It includes virtual instruments, effects, and the ability to connect external gear for professional-quality productions. The app can be extended with in-app purchases.
- Multitouch sequencer
- Virtual keyboard and instruments
- Audio and MIDI editing
- Full-screen mixer
- Pro-grade effects
- External gear integration
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*** Please note that a supported hardware device is required to unlock the feature set of Cubasis LE (unless unlocked Cubasis LE runs in demo mode). Please visit https://new.steinberg.net/cubasis/le/#83335 for more details. *** Cubasis LE is the compact version of Steinberg’s mobile multitouch sequencer, providing the same look and feel of its bigger brother Cubasis. Specially designed for quick and easy operation, Cubasis LE makes recording, editing and mixing a breeze, no matter where you are, right there on your iPhone or iPad. • Cubasis LE 3 for iPhone and iPad Capture your musical ideas when inspiration strikes. Cubasis offers excellent usability, ease of use and lightning fast operation for you to perform, record and mix your music quickly and efficiently – no matter if you're using an iPhone or iPad. • Keyboard and MicroSonic virtual instrument Create perfect tracks, beats and melodies from scratch on the integrated keyboard and load great-sounding MicroSonic instruments, based on the acclaimed HALion Sonic workstation and Allen Morgan drum kits. • Hook up your external gear Use your external devices to record your guitar, vocals and more in professional quality. Connect your keyboard hardware including MIDI over Bluetooth LE support. • Audio and MIDI editor Relish the ease of use and intuitive workflows when creating or mastering your audio and MIDI tracks in the editors. Straightforward usability and handy tools ensure you get tasks done at the speed of light. • Full-screen mixer and pro-grade effects Create perfect sounding mixes thanks to a full-blown mixer, which easily extends to full-screen, and make tracks instantly sound great with pro-grade effects that come with ready-to-use effect presets. • In-app purchases for Cubasis LE Easily extend Cubasis LE with great in-app purchases. Get all the features of Cubasis 3 in Cubasis LE, extend the app with excellent pro-grade plug-ins from Waves, add the world's most iconic drum machines and much more. • Free Cubasis LE 2 in-app purchase transfer Have you already purchased instruments or effects plug-ins via Cubasis LE 2 in-app purchases? Once you've installed Cubasis LE 3, simply transfer your previous plug-in in-app purchases from Cubasis LE 2 – free of charge. NEW IN CUBASIS LE 3 • Universal app support: Run Cubasis on the iPhone and iPad • Cubasis for iPhone: Create great music in the palm of your hand • Full-screen mixer: Easily extend the size of the mixer and more • Free Cubasis LE 2 IAP transfer: Freely transfer previous plug-in in-app purchases to Cubasis LE 3 • 960 PPQN MIDI resolution: Precise audio and MIDI event editing at the highest level • FX rearrangement: Quickly rearrange plug-ins and change their pre/post fader position • New effects presets: Make tracks sound great with these ready-to-use presets • Undo with history list: Quickly jump back to earlier versions of your song • Redesigned instruments and effects: Modern styling with more precise operation • Audio, and MIDI editors revisited: File editing is much more effective • Revised MediaBay: Your all-new control center for file and project management • UI scale presets for iPhone and iPad: Quickly change the size and arrangement of Cubasis • Overdub and looper recording modes: Choose the best mode for your recordings HIGHLIGHTS • Up to 4 audio and 4 MIDI tracks • 2 assignable physical inputs and stereo output • 32-bit floating point audio engine • Audio I/O resolution of 16-bit/44.1 + 48 kHz • MicroSonic with 25 instrument sounds based on HALion Sonic and Allen Morgan drum kits • Mixer with 5 effect processors • Super-versatile RoomWorks SE reverb effect with intuitive graphical display • Virtual keyboard with note repeat control • Sample Editor and MIDI Editor • Unlock all the features of the full Cubasis version via in-app purchase Technical support http://www.steinberg.net/cubasisforum If you like Cubasis, please support us by rating this app in the App Store! Thank you!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Cubasis LE 3 at every 6 weeks against AmpliTube CS's every 4 months. Cubasis LE 3 also leads on review sentiment (43% vs 31%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. AmpliTube CS sells 17 one-off in-app purchases and Cubasis LE 3 sells 14 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
AmpliTube CS ships an update every 4 months, Cubasis LE 3 every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AmpliTube CS | Cubasis LE 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 4.5 (746 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 30.9% of reviews | 43.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 746 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.7 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 753 MB | 1.2 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | IK Multimedia US, LLC | Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH |
Customer experience
AmpliTube CS
Cubasis LE 3
User reviews
AmpliTube CS
From App Store reviewsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great for practice and recording
- 👍 Excellent amp and effect modeling
- 🎨 Vast selection of amps and pedals
- 🎛️ Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
- 💰 Good value for money
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔇 Poor sound quality and latency
- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🔒 Purchases not transferable across devices
- 🤯 Confusing and cluttered UI
Cubasis LE 3
From 746 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful DAW on iPad
- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💡 Great for mobile music creation
- 🚀 Stable and reliable performance
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔒 Restrictive demo mode
- 💰 Expensive for a mobile app
Bugs and requests
AmpliTube CS
Reported bugs
5 issues- Compatibility issues with iOS 16
- Distorted and sped-up audio playback
- Metronome and tempo controls not working
- Purchases not restoring after reinstall
- Frequent crashes and freezes
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to import songs from music library
- Improved recording and looping capabilities
- More bass-focused amp and effect options
- Better integration with other music apps
- Grandfathered access to all purchases
Cubasis LE 3
Reported bugs
3 issues- Issues with connecting external audio interfaces
- Incompatibility with certain iOS versions
- Problems with importing and exporting projects
Requested features
4 requests- Tempo track and time signature support
- Improved MIDI and audio editing capabilities
- More built-in effects and instruments
- Seamless integration with desktop Cubase
In-app purchases
AmpliTube CS
- Distortion$2.99
- Chorus$3.99
- Wah$3.99
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Overdrive$3.99
- Reverb$3.99
- Metal Distortion$3.99
- Flanger$3.99
- Octave$3.99
- Envelope$3.99
- Phazer$3.99
- Fuzz$3.99
- Clean amp$4.99
- Metal amp$4.99
- Bass amp$4.99
- Crunch amp$4.99
- Recorder + Master FX$19.99
- Fender Collection 1$24.99
Cubasis LE 3
- Micrologue ARP Arpeggiator$4.99
- Waves Tune Real-Time$4.99
- Classic Machines$6.99
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- FX Pack 1: Reverbs & Delays$6.99
- FX Pack 2: Vintage FX$6.99
- Waves AudioTrack$7.99
- Waves L1 Ultramaximizer$7.99
- Waves Q10 Equalizer$7.99
- Neo FM$13.99
- FM Classics$13.99
- Waves Plug-in Bundle$19.99
- HALion Sonic Selection$19.99
- Cubasis 3 Full Feature Set$29.99
- Cubasis 3 Full Feature Set$49.99
Questions
Is AmpliTube CS free?
Is Cubasis LE 3 free?
Do AmpliTube CS or Cubasis LE 3 have ads?
Which is updated more often, AmpliTube CS or Cubasis LE 3?
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