# bismark bs vs SampleTank CS

The clearest difference is price: SampleTank CS at Free against bismark bs's $7.99. SampleTank CS also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). bismark bs's advantage is rating (3.8 vs 3.1) and review sentiment (62% vs 29%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

SampleTank CS is free to download; bismark bs costs $7.99 up front. bismark bs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and SampleTank CS sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

bismark bs holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 124 and 143 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of bismark bs's written reviews are positive against 29% of SampleTank CS's.

bismark bs ships an update monthly, SampleTank CS every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bismark bs | SampleTank CS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bismark-bs-16i/id388149926/reviews)** | [3.1 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sampletank-cs/id464775965/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 124 | **143** |
| Positive reviews | **62.3% of reviews** | 28.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 54 MB | 1.5 GB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [bismark LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1213793300) | [IK Multimedia US, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/323694278) |

## 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 access a wide range of instruments. It functions as a powerful AUv3 plug-in instrument within DAWs or as a standalone app with a built-in MIDI player and extensive controller support.

**Highlights:** AUv3 plug-in instrument, Load SoundFont (.sf2) and DLS libraries, 16-part multitimbral playback, Scalable on-screen keyboard, Pitch bend wheel and CC controllers, USB and Bluetooth MIDI support, Built-in SMF player

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**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


### SampleTank CS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sampletank-cs/id464775965)

This professional mobile sound and groove workstation brings desktop-level virtual instrument power to your iPhone and iPad. It offers a vast array of world-class instruments and patterns for live performance and composition, with expandable sound libraries available for purchase.

**Highlights:** 23 free instruments in 16 categories, 8-part multitimbral sound module, Expandable sound library with 2300+ instruments, Over 1,200 melodic and rhythmic patterns, 8-track MIDI recorder with audio export, Intuitive interface and new sound engine, Song and Live environments

**In-app purchases (15)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Organ | $4.99 | one-time |
| Strings | $4.99 | one-time |
| Brass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Synth Leads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Synth Pads | $4.99 | one-time |
| Woodwinds | $4.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Drums | $4.99 | one-time |
| Electric Piano | $7.99 | one-time |
| The Grid | $14.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to SampleTank | $24.99 | one-time |
| Miroslav Philharmonik - Mobile Edition | $24.99 | one-time |
| Sample Moog - Mobile Edition | $24.99 | one-time |
| Sonik Synth - Mobile Edition | $24.99 | one-time |
| All Sounds | $64.99 | one-time |
| SampleTank PRO - All Sounds Pack | $64.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Excellent for live performances

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
- 🔋 High memory usage
- 👎 Lack of updates and support

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- MIDI issues and lack of device detection
- Purchased content not properly restored

**Requested features**

- Add AU/AUv3 support for better DAW integration
- Improve MIDI functionality and mapping
- Allow importing custom samples
- Enhance performance controls (e.g., pitch bend, modulation)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bismark bs free?

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

### Is SampleTank CS free?

SampleTank CS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, bismark bs or SampleTank CS?

bismark bs is rated higher. bismark bs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while SampleTank CS averages 3.1 from 143 ratings.

### Do bismark bs or SampleTank CS have ads?

Neither bismark bs nor SampleTank CS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bismark bs or SampleTank CS?

bismark bs ships an update monthly, and SampleTank CS every 2 months. Most recently, bismark bs was updated on October 29, 2026 and SampleTank CS on October 28, 2026.

---

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