Comparison

BeatMaker 2 vs eSPi

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

Head to head
About

BeatMaker 2

Create professional-quality music on your mobile device. Build virtual studios, compose songs with a variety of instruments and effects, and record your ideas. Import your own sounds or use the extensive library to bring your musical vision to life.

Highlights
  • Virtual home-studio creation
  • Multiple instrument types
  • Full range of audio effects
  • Sound library and import options
  • MIDI accessory compatibility
  • Multi-track sequencer
  • Piano-roll interface
Features
Read full description

*** BEATMAKER 3 IS AVAILABLE NOW ! *** BeatMaker 2: Advanced mobile music workstation. Combining music production tools that were behind the success of countless artists, BeatMaker 2 is a powerful, easy-to-use composition interface for amateurs and professionals alike. Build your own virtual home-studio, create multiple instruments and connect them to a full-range of audio effects. Compose, record, arrange and transform your ideas into complete songs, ready to be shared with others. Import your own sounds or use the sound library provided: more than 170 high-quality instrument and drum presets from synthesizers to realistic orchestral sounds. You can even import songs from your iPod library! Connect your MIDI accessories for an external control of BeatMaker's instruments, effects and mixer, ideal for home-studio productions and live performances. Compatible with audio interfaces with the Camera Kit (iPad only). Works on all iPhone, iPod and iPad models starting with third generation devices (iPhone3GS, iPod3G 32GB, iPhone 4/4S/5, all iPads). * STUDIO: - Create multiple instruments with Drum Machine, Keyboard Sampler, Audio Tracks - 11 effects: Reverb, Compressor, Filter, Delay, EQ, Flanger, Chorus, AutoPan, BitCrusher, Overdrive, 6-Band Parametric EQ - 3 effect slots for each instrument - CoreMIDI support: connect your MIDI accessories to control instruments, effects and mixer. * DRUM MACHINE: - 128 trigger pads: 16 pads over 8 banks - Chop Lab: Slice audio loops to automatically create new sound presets - Control sound parameters on individual pad: volume, pan, mute, output bus, semitone, fine tune, reverse and autoscaling - Low/high pass filter per pad - Pad trigger modes: one-shot, hold & loop - ADSR Envelope ADSR control for each pad - Exclusive groups and polyphony management - "Live" modes: trigger, mute, reverse, velocity and tune spreading. - Pad copy & paste * KEYBOARD SAMPLER - 128-key keyboard with pitch wheel, double keyboard mode, note display and zoom controls - Easily create your own instruments from any sample combination with the keygroup editor - Volume and filter ADSR envelopes - Low/high pass filter with key tracking - 2 LFOs to control volume, pitch and filter parameters - Polyphony control, up to 32 voices - Legato play mode with glide - Velocity layers * AUDIO TRACKS: - Add audio tracks for recording and sample playback directly on the sequencer - Record multiple audio tracks simultaneously - Gain and noise gate on audio inputs - Support for disk streaming to load samples without consuming RAM * MULTI-TRACK SEQUENCER - Create unlimited instrument, audio and FX tracks - Automations: Record, edit and replay instrument and effect parameters - Record, draw, arrange and resize patterns along the timeline to build your song - Compose and modify patterns with a piano-roll interface. Edit notes, parameters and automations. - Instrument and effect recording options: Quantize, take or partial undo, pre-roll, Overdub, note erasing. * WAVE EDITOR - Full-fledged wave editor with intuitive interface for manipulating samples - Basic edition tools: trim, cut, copy, paste, with undo/redo - High quality time-stretching and pitch-shifting algorithms - Audio tools: normalize, silence, reverse, fade in and out, cross-fade - Record new samples from microphone or instruments - Loop points and tempo/signature editor * MIXER CONSOLE - Realistic multi-track mixer with level meters - Edit volume, pan, solo, mute and bus routing features for each track - Four sends available for each instrument/audio tracks * LARGE SOUND BANK INCLUDED * SHARING & GLOBAL OPTIONS - MIDI files import/export - MIDI Out, Sync, Thru support - Virtual MIDI support - Korg's WIST support - Transfer files from/to your computer via iTunes or FTP - Import songs from your iPod library to create new remixes - Upload songs to your SoundCloud account - DropBox support - Share audio content via iOS pasteboard

About

eSPi

Recreate the iconic sound of the 90's SP-1200 sampler on your iPad. Import or record audio, then chop, pitch, and sequence it to create sampled beats. Experience the gritty sound and workflow of a legendary music production tool.

Highlights
  • Sampled beat creation
  • SP-1200 emulation
  • Import and record samples
  • Sample chopping and pitching
  • Sequencing
  • Multiple filters and effects
  • Compressor
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Create sampled beats the original 90's way using eSPi. The SP-1200 was the primary tool of many legendary hip-hop beatmakers and house music producers in the 90's. It is well known for its gritty sound and simple but effective workflow. Now with eSPi you get to experience this machine right at your fingertips, on your iPad. Import samples or record them yourself, chop them up, pitch them and sequence them within the app. Features include multiple filters, effects, a compressor, and most importantly the best emulation of the gritty signature sound produced by the SP-1200 when pitching samples up & down. eSPi is also available on Mac, Linux & PC. *SP1200 & SP12 are registered trademarks or Rossum Electromusic LLC.

Screenshots

BeatMaker 24 screens
eSPi4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BeatMaker 2 at $11.99 against eSPi's $19.99. BeatMaker 2 also leads on review sentiment (66% vs 51%) and ratings volume (232 vs 39). eSPi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (3.7 vs 3.4). On update cadence, ads and device support 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

BeatMaker 2 costs $11.99 and eSPi $19.99 up front. BeatMaker 2 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. eSPi asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

eSPi holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BeatMaker 2 has 232 ratings behind it against 39, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 66% of BeatMaker 2's written reviews are positive against 51% of eSPi's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BeatMaker 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, eSPi fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
BeatMaker 2 versus eSPi: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBeatMaker 2eSPi
Price$11.99 — better$19.99
Rating3.4 (232 ratings)3.7 (39 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.2% of reviews — better50.8% of reviews
Number of ratings232 — better39
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#90 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size745 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperINTUALouis Teboul

Customer experience

BeatMaker 2

All ratings232 ratings
Positive56.5%
Neutral8.6%
Negative34.9%
Written reviews665 reviews
Positive66.2%
Neutral9.3%
Negative24.5%

eSPi

All ratings39 ratings
Positive59.0%
Neutral15.4%
Negative25.6%
Written reviews65 reviews
Positive50.8%
Neutral20.0%
Negative29.2%

Bugs and requests

BeatMaker 2

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Bluetooth connectivity problems
  • Inability to restore in-app purchases
  • Crashes when editing multiple pads or tracks
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
  • Dropbox integration and file transfer not working

Requested features

5 requests
  • Improved Dropbox and file management integration
  • Add MIDI output and external hardware support
  • Implement a more streamlined and intuitive UI
  • Include a wider range of high-quality built-in sounds
  • Add real-time audio recording and export options

eSPi

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

BeatMaker 2

One-time10
  • Prime Loops - Dirty South Heroes$3.99
  • Prime Loops - East Coast Hip Hop Volume 1$3.99
  • Prime Loops - Midnight R&B Gold$3.99
Show 7 more
  • Prime Loops - West Coast Anthology$3.99
  • 9TH Street$4.99
  • Essential Pack$5.99
  • Emerge Audio Dubstep Destruction$5.99
  • Southern Homie$6.99
  • South Chiefs$7.99
  • INTUA Future ATL$11.99
None

eSPi

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BeatMaker 2 free?
BeatMaker 2 costs $11.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is eSPi free?
eSPi costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BeatMaker 2 or eSPi?
eSPi is rated higher. BeatMaker 2 averages 3.4 out of 5 from 232 ratings, while eSPi averages 3.7 from 39 ratings.
Do BeatMaker 2 or eSPi have ads?
Neither BeatMaker 2 nor eSPi shows ads.
Which is updated more often, BeatMaker 2 or eSPi?
BeatMaker 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, and eSPi fortnightly. Most recently, BeatMaker 2 was updated on October 14, 2026 and eSPi on October 15, 2026.

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