Comparison

AmpliTube CS vs Playback

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Read full description

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

About

Playback

This app transforms your device into a powerful multi-track player for worship teams. It integrates with other worship production tools, offers advanced features like automation and MIDI control, and provides an intuitive interface for volunteers.

Highlights
  • Multi-track audio playback
  • Integration with worship production tools
  • Automation and MIDI control
  • Custom song arrangements
  • Setlist management
  • Ambient pad player
Features
Read full description

Playback turns your Apple device into a simple, yet powerful MultiTrack player that works seamlessly with the rest of the MultiTracks.com ecosystem of products like ChartBuilder®, RehearsalMix®, and the Church Streaming License®. Link your Planning Center account and have setlists you create automatically appear in Playback. Pairing Playback with our ProPresenter Templates gives it access to pre-made MIDI Cues that perfectly sync lyrics to your tracks. Playback has been optimized to be the best tracks solution for a worship team. While it has powerful features like automation, custom song arrangements, MIDI in/out, and even support for SMPTE timecode, it’s easy and intuitive for new volunteers. A Playback Rentals subscription is an easy and affordable way to quickly access the MultiTracks from our ever expanding library of over 24,000 original master recordings. Any previous tracks purchases from MultiTracks.com are instantly available in your Playback library. Already have your own tracks? Upload them to your library with a Cloud Pro subscription so that they can be accessed in Playback. Playback Sync® automatically scrolls charts in the ChartBuilder app to always match where you are in a song. No extra cables needed since it’s all done over Wi-Fi. This ensures your team is literally all on the same page! Pad Player® lets you to stay in the moment with ambient pads underneath every song and transition in your setlist. INTRO (Free) - Build & save setlists - Solo, mute & adjust track volumes - Set custom start & end times - Tempo/key change to all 12 keys - Play ambient pads underneath songs - Access any song in the catalog with a Playback Rentals Subscription - Song transitions - AutoPan - Add click-and-pad-only songs to setlists - Adjust click track subdivisions - Live Crossfade between songs - Reference the original song mix PREMIUM (Starting at $9.99/mo | Visit MultiTracks.com/Pricing) - All “Intro” features - Add, remove, rearrange, rename, & TRIM song sections - MIDI Map controls to a MIDI Controller - Loop/Infinite Loop Song Sections - Save Custom Song Arrangements w/Cloud Pro Intro or higher - Add an Infinite Click Track - Automation: Place cues anywhere in a song to trigger automations for track volumes, mute/unmute, Pad Player, & more! - Playback Remote - Send MIDI Cues to lyrics, lights & more with (Requires Live Bundle or MULTITRACKS ONE) - Live Re-Order: While audio is playing, jump to a particular Song Section - MIDI Map to a specific Song Section - Freely jump between Song Sections & Songs live using a MIDI Controller - Buses: Route your tracks out of 10 buses for better mix control - SmartRouting®: We’ve pre-assigned every track type to a bus. *Supported USB Audio Interfaces & Playback will automatically route your tracks to the available outputs - MultiOuts®: Route tracks & buses to multiple outputs with one of our *Supported USB Audio Interfaces. - Create & edit MIDI Cues directly in Playback. Save MIDI Cues to your Library with a Cloud Pro subscription - Advanced Pad Player Interface Playback Premium is also included in the Live Bundle & the MULTITRACKS ONE Bundle. *Please Note* Because access is given to Original Artist Master MultiTracks through our free ”Demo Setlist” & "Play of the Week," account registration is required for you to verify your identity and ensure compliance with Terms of Use. Price may vary by location. Subscriptions will be charged to your credit card through your iCloud account. Subscription will automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You won't be able to cancel the subscription once activated. Any unused portion of a free trial will be forfeited if you upgrade from a free subscription to a paid version. Manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. For more details on our Privacy Policy & Terms of Use for MultiTracks.com please visit: http://www.multitracks.com/privacy/ and http://www.multitracks.com/terms/

Screenshots

AmpliTube CS4 screens
Playback4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Playback at 66% against AmpliTube CS's 31%. Playback also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (4 vs 1). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AmpliTube CS sells 17 one-off in-app purchases and Playback sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AmpliTube CS ships an update every 4 months, Playback monthly. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
AmpliTube CS versus Playback: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAmpliTube CSPlayback
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.8 (4.3K ratings) — better
Positive reviews30.9% of reviews66.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings—4.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size753 MB132 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIK Multimedia US, LLCMultiTracks.com

Customer experience

AmpliTube CS

Written reviews482 reviews
Positive30.9%
Neutral14.9%
Negative54.1%

Playback

All ratings4,293 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews359 reviews
Positive66.0%
Neutral5.3%
Negative28.7%

User reviews

AmpliTube CS

From App Store reviews

What 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

Playback

From 4.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 👍 Powerful features
  • 🚀 Seamless playback
  • 🚀 Intuitive interface
  • 👍 Great for small churches

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and glitches
  • 💰 Expensive subscription model
  • 🔒 Difficult to use on multiple devices
  • 🔒 Lack of free trial or demo
  • 🐛 Inconsistent behavior after updates

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

Playback

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Click track and guide audio issues
  • Playback freezing or crashing on certain devices
  • Syncing problems between multiple devices
  • Rental tracks not loading properly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to create and save custom setlists
  • More advanced editing capabilities for individual tracks
  • Tempo and key change options during live performance
  • Improved MIDI integration for lyrics and lighting control
  • Standalone version without subscription requirement

In-app purchases

17 purchases

AmpliTube CS

One-time17
  • Distortion$2.99
  • Chorus$3.99
  • Wah$3.99
Show 14 more
  • 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
3 purchases

Playback

Subscriptions3
  • Pro1 Month trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro1 Month trial$8.991 Month
  • Premium$14.991 Month

Questions

Is AmpliTube CS free?
AmpliTube CS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Playback free?
Playback is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do AmpliTube CS or Playback have ads?
Neither AmpliTube CS nor Playback shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AmpliTube CS or Playback?
AmpliTube CS ships an update every 4 months, and Playback monthly. Most recently, AmpliTube CS was updated on October 15, 2026 and Playback on October 15, 2026.

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