Comparison

SampleWiz vs Santoor HD

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

Head to head
About

SampleWiz

Record, manipulate, and play back sounds using various sampling techniques. Explore classic, granular, and modern synthesis modes to create unique musical instruments and expressive performances.

Highlights
  • Multiple sampling modes (classic, granular, modern)
  • Real-time waveform editing
  • Jordan Rudess signature sound presets
  • Resampling capabilities
  • Expressive playing surface modes
  • Advanced pitch rounding
  • Finger vibrato effect
Features
Read full description

SampleWiz was awarded Music Making App of the Year for 2011 by the Music Industries Association! Capture your sonic universe! Listen… Record… Create… Jordan says: In creating this instrument I wanted to create something that would appeal to the sonic explorer in all of us. Creating a sampler for iOS devices has allowed us to push the boundaries of traditional sampling instruments. From playing a selection of my signature sounds on the SampleWiz keyboard (JR lead anyone?) to getting up close and personal with sounds by playing directly on the waveform screen, our mission was to blow your mind, put a smile on your face, and expand your creativity. In creating SampleWiz, we have created partnerships with leading sound developers in addition to my personally selected onboard presets. "Inspiring! Just when you thought nothing could be new in the world of sampling, along comes SampleWiz to fire up the neurons of our creativity in new ways. I love the the new realtime interactive noises I can get by 'touching the sound'...the crazy and unique stuff you can do with it is really expressive and fresh!" - Eric Persing, Founder of Spectrasonics "SampleWiz gets you playing instantly, and if you like to sample, there's no quicker or more fun way to go from recording to playing your own samples. Amazing controls, easy to understand yet deep enough to let you create musical voices! And it comes with a library of great sounds from Jordan Rudess. SampleWiz is a wiz if ever there was!" - David Mash, VP of Technology and Education, Berklee College of Music  We have poured our hearts and minds into this and driven our families, bandmates, and friends insane by sampling everything that moves. I hope you enjoy this very expressive and wild music app creation! *Choose from three different sampling modes: classic, granular, and modern. *Classic - the traditional method of sampling where the sound will speed up and slow down as you go higher or lower than the recorded pitch. *Granular - Wizdom Music's own take on a granular synthesis engine. Adjust grain size and speed while the entire range of notes maintain the same speed. *Modern - explore new sampling possibilities using Dirac technology to allow formants and time to be adjusted automatically over a device-selected range. *Up to 10 seconds per sample. *Jordan Rudess presets from his private collection. *Resample anything that you play on the playing surface to create all new samples derived from your existing presets! *Three playing surface modes allow you to play on the keyboard, wave-edit screen, and the ADSR window. *Wizdom Music's Advanced Pitch Rounding for initial attack as well as after a slide. *Every note you play is an independent event allowing powerful, expressive control of pitch and amplitude. *Finger vibrato effect allows you to use vibrato even when pitch lock is activated! *Unique visuals for each sampling mode. A glow tracks your fingers and respond to the amount of amplitude of every note you play. *Choose from many different scales and customize your own. *Play your samples forward or reverse! *Looping options include standard looping as well as back-and-forth looping. *Allows trimming of samples. *Unique visualization of the amplitude envelope on the ADSR page. *FX include delay with a choice of tap-tempo, BPM, and seconds control over the rate. *Have two keyboards on the screen, each with its own range and scale! *Unique hold mode where every held note can be in a different synthesis mode! *Share your presets with friends by mailing them as SampleWiz files or standard audio files. *Play directly on the waveform and hear the audio that is right under your finger. Slide each finger separately in any direction to change pitch and position in the sample. *MAPI AudioCopy/AudioPaste allows sharing of audio with top audio apps. *Load your own audio files with iTunes file sharing. *Onboard help screens explain every parameter. Touch the question mark to activate.

About

Santoor HD

Experience the traditional Santoor instrument with realistic sound and touch controls. Play individual notes, create vibrate effects by sliding, and even play semitones. Record and playback your musical creations with loop and fast-forward options.

Highlights
  • Realistic Santoor instrument simulation
  • Individual string touch for notes
  • Vibrate effect with horizontal sliding
  • Semitone playback option
  • Record and playback functionality
  • Loop and fast-forward playback
Read full description

Played the Harp? Try the Santoor - A Traditional Musical Instrument. Supports touching individual strings to play notes as well as sliding horizontally across a string for VIBRATE effect. Fade out your vibrate effect by sliding your finger to the edge of the Santoor. Now also includes the option to play semitones! ***** Ranked in the top 7 and top 25 in the India APP STORE in the Music category for iPad and iPhone respectively. *****Ranked in the top 31 in the Greece APP STORE in the Music category for iPad. ***** Ranked in the top 45 in the US APP STORE in the Music category for iPad. FEATURES * Hi Quality Retina Display Optimized Graphics * Studio Quality Sounds. Realistic Vibrate Effect with tuned strings across two octets. New option to also play Semitones * Fast, Fluid Touches and Sounds. Recognizes multiple touches with both hands * Features sliding across a string for VIBRATE effect. * Slide along a string to the edges for a unique fade out effect. * Switch to play Semitones to truly play out all of your melodies! (Pro Version) * Record And Playback your own creations * Options to Loop playback of recordings and also to play them at Fast Forward Speeds Questions/suggestions/bugs? Email us at: thesoftwarekitchen@gmail.com To fun times with "Santoor HD"!!

Screenshots

SampleWiz4 screens
Santoor HD2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SampleWiz at none against Santoor HD's 1. SampleWiz also leads on iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). Santoor HD's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and review sentiment (85% vs 63%). On rating, 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

SampleWiz costs $9.99 and Santoor HD $2.99 up front. Santoor HD sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SampleWiz asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for SampleWiz against 4.3 for Santoor HD. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Santoor HD has 157 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of SampleWiz's written reviews are positive against 85% of Santoor HD's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SampleWiz versus Santoor HD: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSampleWizSantoor HD
Price$9.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.4 (16 ratings) — better4.3 (157 ratings)
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews84.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16157 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS8.0 — better11.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWizdom Music LLCSoftware-Kitchen

Customer experience

SampleWiz

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews238 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral6.3%
Negative31.1%

Santoor HD

All ratings157 ratings
Positive83.4%
Neutral7.0%
Negative9.6%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive84.9%
Neutral4.2%
Negative10.9%

User reviews

SampleWiz

From 16 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • 🎨 Powerful sound creation and manipulation capabilities
  • 🎹 Excellent for live performance
  • 🎶 High-quality sound and presets
  • 💡 Innovative features like granular and modern sampling modes

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues, especially on newer iOS versions
  • 🔋 High battery consumption
  • 📱 Limited functionality on smaller devices like iPhone
  • 🎨 Outdated or distracting visual design elements

Santoor HD

From 157 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Beautiful and realistic instrument sound quality
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy-to-use interface
  • 🎸 Authentic santoor/harp playing experience
  • 😌 Relaxing and meditative app for stress relief
  • 🎹 Recording feature for capturing musical creations

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes on startup for many users
  • ⚠️ Incompatible with iOS 11 and newer versions
  • 💰 Aggressive monetization with paywalls for semitones
  • 🔒 Locked features requiring payment
  • 📱 Freezes and hangs during use

Bugs and requests

SampleWiz

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Crashes on launch or after short usage
  • Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
  • Unreliable sample playback and export

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support
  • Increase sample recording time
  • Implement MIDI controller support
  • Allow importing custom samples from iTunes/Dropbox
  • Add more effects and modulation options

Santoor HD

Reported bugs

8 issues
  • App crashes immediately upon opening
  • Freezes on startup screen with stuck audio
  • Black screen with continuous sound on launch
  • Incompatible with iOS 10.2 and later versions
  • Popup keyboard fails to appear when saving recordings
Show 3 more
  • App becomes unresponsive and requires force close
  • Strange noise and visual glitches during startup
  • Recording feature doesn't function properly

Requested features

10 requests
  • iOS 11+ compatibility and regular updates
  • Note labels on strings for non-harp players
  • Ability to layer and edit recorded tracks
  • Audio input/output functionality
  • Better pitch control options
Show 5 more
  • Improved rhythm buttons with customization
  • Remove or reduce aggressive monetization
  • Better note selection precision
  • Export recorded songs functionality
  • Semitone access without paywall

In-app purchases

None

SampleWiz

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Santoor HD

One-time1
  • Santoor HD - No Ads$3.99

Questions

Is SampleWiz free?
SampleWiz costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Santoor HD free?
Santoor HD costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SampleWiz or Santoor HD?
SampleWiz is rated higher. SampleWiz averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Santoor HD averages 4.3 from 157 ratings.
Do SampleWiz or Santoor HD have ads?
Neither SampleWiz nor Santoor HD shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SampleWiz or Santoor HD?
SampleWiz ships an update every 3 months, and Santoor HD every 3 months. Most recently, SampleWiz was updated on November 1, 2026 and Santoor HD on November 1, 2026.

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