# bismark bs vs kontakt smart controller

The clearest difference is rating: kontakt smart controller at 5.0 against bismark bs's 3.8. kontakt smart controller also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). bismark bs's advantage is price ($7.99 vs $14.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 25 months). On ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

bismark bs costs $7.99 and kontakt smart controller $14.99 up front. bismark bs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. kontakt smart controller asks for nothing beyond the download.

kontakt smart controller holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: bismark bs has 124 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

bismark bs ships an update every 3 weeks, kontakt smart controller every 25 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bismark bs | kontakt smart controller |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$7.99** | $14.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bismark-bs-16i/id388149926/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kontakt-smart-controller/id1560447225/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **124** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 62.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 25 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 54 MB | 51 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [bismark LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1213793300) | [9390-0801 Quebec inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1517759983) |

## What reviewers say

### bismark bs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bismark-bs-16i/id388149926)

This professional sampler allows you to load SoundFont and DLS libraries to create a vast collection of instruments. It functions as a powerful plug-in instrument within DAWs and offers extensive MIDI support for external controllers and virtual MIDI connections.

**Highlights:** AUv3 plug-in instrument, Load SoundFont (.sf2) and DLS libraries, Synthesizer engine with optional Hi-Res Engine, Scalable on-screen keyboard with pitch bend and CC controllers, USB and Bluetooth MIDI support, 16-part multitimbral playback, iCloud Drive synchronization

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 128 Polyphony | $2.99 | one-time |
| Hi-Res Synthesizer Engine | $4.99 | one-time |
| Compressor | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great soundfont player
- 👍 Versatile sound options
- 👍 Good MIDI support
- 👍 Useful for GarageBand
- 👍 Easy to use interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashing issues
- 🐛 Legacy version problems
- 🐛 Soundfont loading issues
- 🐛 Notes not playing
- 🐛 MIDI cutting out

**Reported bugs**

- MIDI cutting out intermittently
- Copy-pasted MIDI data plays piano sound instead of selected instrument
- Notes sometimes not playing during playback or export
- Legacy edition not loading in GarageBand
- App crashes when loading projects with legacy edition

**Requested features**

- More features for sound design
- Affected filter cutoff by low velocity
- Envelope affected by cutoff
- Organ effects like 'Wah'
- Add a manual/documentation


### kontakt smart controller

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kontakt-smart-controller/id1560447225)

Control your music software's sound banks, transpose, octave, and pitch bend directly from your mobile device. Offers an intuitive interface for managing up to 128 sounds per bank.

**Highlights:** Control bank sounds (128 per bank), Transpose control, Octave control, Pitch bend control, Scale control, Intuitive graphic interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bismark bs free?

bismark bs costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is kontakt smart controller free?

kontakt smart controller costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, bismark bs or kontakt smart controller?

kontakt smart controller is rated higher. bismark bs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while kontakt smart controller averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do bismark bs or kontakt smart controller have ads?

Neither bismark bs nor kontakt smart controller shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bismark bs or kontakt smart controller?

bismark bs ships an update every 3 weeks, and kontakt smart controller every 25 months. Most recently, bismark bs was updated on November 1, 2026 and kontakt smart controller on November 3, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*