# bismark bs vs BK Partner

The clearest difference is price: BK Partner at Free against bismark bs's $7.99. BK Partner also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.1 vs 17.0). bismark bs's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 12 months) and ratings volume (124 vs 6). On rating, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

BK Partner is free to download; bismark bs costs $7.99 up front. bismark bs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. BK Partner asks for nothing beyond the download.

BK Partner holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: bismark bs has 124 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 62% of bismark bs's written reviews are positive against 61% of BK Partner's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

bismark bs ships an update every 3 weeks, BK Partner every 12 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | bismark bs | BK Partner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $7.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.8 (124 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bismark-bs-16i/id388149926/reviews) | **[4.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bk-partner/id591061937/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **124** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **62.3% of reviews** | 60.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 12 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 54 MB | 28 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [bismark LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1213793300) | [Roland Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/387333694) |

## 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


### BK Partner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bk-partner/id591061937)

Control your Roland BK-series instrument's sounds and accompaniments from your iPad. It mirrors the instrument's front panel for quick access to functions, tones, and rhythms. Supports Core MIDI and Roland Wireless Connection.

**Highlights:** Browse and select instrument tones, Control musical accompaniments, Duplicate instrument's front control panel on iPad, Fast visual access to main functions, Support for Core MIDI, Support for Roland Wireless Connection

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is bismark bs free?

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

### Is BK Partner free?

BK Partner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, bismark bs or BK Partner?

BK Partner is rated higher. bismark bs averages 3.8 out of 5 from 124 ratings, while BK Partner averages 4.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do bismark bs or BK Partner have ads?

Neither bismark bs nor BK Partner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, bismark bs or BK Partner?

bismark bs ships an update every 3 weeks, and BK Partner every 12 months. Most recently, bismark bs was updated on November 1, 2026 and BK Partner on October 22, 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.*