SampleTank CS vs Piano Partner 2
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SampleTank CS
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.
- 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
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SampleTank 2 for iOS is a professional, fully featured mobile sound and groove workstation that brings the sound, power and features of desktop virtual instruments to your iPad and iPhone — without compromise. It is designed for professional live performance, song composition and puts a comprehensive array of world-class instruments, sounds and patterns right at your fingertips. SampleTank CS provides all the functionality of the full app, with 23 instruments in 16 categories, so you can try out this powerful workstation for free. Additional sounds are available a la cart via in-app purchase. SampleTank gives you 8 multitimbral instrument slots that you can easily layer or split. Choose from a comprehensive, expandable sound collection that covers virtually every acoustic and electronic sound imaginable. Plus, each instrument category includes instrument riffs and grooves so you can start composing and playing in no time. The included instruments and the new sound engine are derived from the desktop version of SampleTank, IK's flagship workstation, offering you unmatched realism, variety of sound and audio performance. For the first time on iOS, thousands of professional sample-based sounds and patterns can be easily accessed, layered and used for playing live or in the studio. What’s more, SampleTank offers an ever-growing library of sounds and are available via in-app purchase: • Elektronika - a series of electronica and EDM-oriented groove libraries and sound collections that make it easy to create hits in today’s most popular styles • Miroslav Philharmonik — the legendary orchestral libraries, now available on your mobile device! Stunningly realistic and expressive samples of a wide range of orchestra and percussion instruments. • SampleTank PRO - the latest and most high-end sounds and grooves available, letting you create professional-grade compositions on your mobile device • Plus additional libraries covering cinematic sounds, the finest pianos, drum libraries from iconic drummers and much more! SampleTank for iOS offers over 2,300 instruments and over 1,200 MIDI patterns — the largest collection of sounds available for any virtual instrument for iOS. Features: • 23 sounds in 16 categories included free • 8-part multitimbral professional quality sound and groove module • Expandable sound library with 2300+ instrument • Over 1,200 melodic and rhythmic patterns • 8-track MIDI recorder with audio export • Totally redesigned intuitive interface • New sound engine derived from SampleTank 3 for Mac/PC • Zones feature lets you easily create splits & layers on your controller • Song and Live environments for composing and playing • Built-in insert effects and master reverb • MIDI learn feature makes programming external controllers easy • Plug-and-play compatibility with iRig interfaces and controllers • Polyphony: up to 64 voices on new Apple devices
Piano Partner 2
Enhance your Roland digital piano experience with interactive learning tools. Practice with intelligent accompaniment, develop skills through engaging games, and track your progress with recording and diary features. Control your piano remotely for easier operation.
- Interactive learning tools
- Intelligent accompaniment
- Skill-building games
- Performance recording
- Practice diary and stats
- Remote piano control
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Compatible Pianos: GP609、GP607、LX-17、LX-7、HP605、HP603A/HP603、HP601、RP501R、RP102、KIYOLA KF-10、DP603、F-140R、FP-90、FP-60、FP-30、FP-10、GO:PIANO(GO-61P)*、GP:PIANO88(GO-88P)、GO:PIANO with Alexa Built-in(GO-61P-A)*、 *Incompatible with iPad Pro 9.7 inch. Make sure your Roland digital piano is updated with the most current system program. The latest system program and setup instructions can be found at the support pages at www.roland.com. Introduction: The Piano Partner 2 app provides a friendly, interactive way to help you learn and enjoy music with your Roland digital piano. Songs and DigiScore Lite show the piano’s internal music collection on your device’s display, while Rhythm and Flash Card allow you to build skills with intelligent accompaniment and engaging music exercises. Piano Partner 2 also enables your iPad/iPhone to work as a remote controller for your Roland piano, offering an intuitive graphic interface for even easier operation. Recorder and Diary functions help you progress more quickly, allowing you to evaluate performances and keep track of your daily practice activities. The Diary logs stats about playing time, which keys you played, and more, and it’s even possible to share them with your family, friends, and teachers directly from the app. To use Piano Partner 2, connect your device and a compatible Roland piano wirelessly via Bluetooth®, or wired with a USB cable. -Songs—browse and select music from your Roland digital piano’s onboard song library -DigiScore Lite—display music notation for the onboard songs -Rhythm—develop your sense of rhythm with accompaniment that follows the chords you play -Flash Card game—fun challenges to develop ear-training and note-reading skills -Remote Controller—control Roland digital piano functions from your mobile device -Recorder—capture daily performances and listen back instantly -Diary—track your daily activities and share progress statistics on social media such as Twitter -Profiles—multiple users can track individual Diary data on one device Notes: - A connection with the compatible model is required to use this application except for the part of Flash Card. - The compatible model and an iPad or iPhone need Bluetooth connection or a wired connection by a USB cable. - When connecting an iPad or iPhone to the piano via a USB cable, a USB cable and Apple’s iPad Camera connection Kit or Lightning-USB Camera Adapter are required. - When using Piano Partner 2 with a compatible piano for the first time, an Internet connection for the tablet is required. - Songs and DigiScore Lite corresponds to only a built-in song of the piano. Log Retention Policies The Piano Partner 2 app collects information when it is used, including the device type and how the app is used (the functions used, date and time of use, etc.). We will never use this data for the purpose of collecting any personal information or identifying a specific person. We use the collected data for the following purposes only: • To improve the functionality of Piano Partner 2 and future related apps. • To create statistical analysis about how the app is used. When you download and use the Piano Partner 2 app, it is accepted that you agree with the above policies. If you do not accept these policies, we recommend that you do not use the app.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: SampleTank CS at 3.1 against Piano Partner 2's 2.2. SampleTank CS also leads on review sentiment (29% vs 19%). Piano Partner 2's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 15) and iOS requirement (9.2 vs 13.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Both are free to download. SampleTank CS sells 15 one-off in-app purchases. Piano Partner 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
SampleTank CS holds the better App Store score, 3.1 against 2.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 144 and 230 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of SampleTank CS's written reviews are positive against 19% of Piano Partner 2's.
SampleTank CS ships an update every 2 months, Piano Partner 2 every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SampleTank CS | Piano Partner 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (144 ratings) — better | 2.2 (230 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 28.9% of reviews — better | 18.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 144 | 230 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 9.2 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.5 GB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | IK Multimedia US, LLC | Roland Corporation |
Customer experience
SampleTank CS
Piano Partner 2
User reviews
SampleTank CS
From 144 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Great sound quality
- 👍 Easy to use
- 💡 Excellent for live performances
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes
- 🔒 Issues with in-app purchases and restoring purchases
- 🔋 High memory usage
- 👎 Lack of updates and support
Piano Partner 2
From 230 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Expands features of Roland pianos
- 🚀 Enables easy changes to voices, reverb, transpose, etc.
- 💡 Provides access to additional sounds
- 👍 Functional app when it works
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and connection issues
- 👎 Outdated and unintuitive user interface
- 👎 Unreliable Bluetooth connectivity
- 👎 Limited functionality compared to expectations
- 👎 Incompatible with newer Roland piano models
Bugs and requests
SampleTank CS
Reported bugs
3 issues- Incompatible with latest iOS versions
- MIDI issues and lack of device detection
- Purchased content not properly restored
Requested features
4 requests- 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)
Piano Partner 2
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes when accessing Diary feature
- Inability to connect to piano via Bluetooth
- Recorded audio playback issues
- Metronome settings reset when switching apps
Requested features
5 requests- Add ability to save/export recorded audio
- Improve metronome functionality and settings retention
- Optimize app for modern device screens
- Expand song/rhythm library beyond classical music
- Improve reliability and reduce bugs
In-app purchases
SampleTank CS
- Organ$4.99
- Strings$4.99
- Brass$4.99
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- Synth Leads$4.99
- Synth Pads$4.99
- Woodwinds$4.99
- Acoustic Drums$4.99
- Electric Piano$7.99
- The Grid$14.99
- Upgrade to SampleTank$24.99
- Miroslav Philharmonik - Mobile Edition$24.99
- Sample Moog - Mobile Edition$24.99
- Sonik Synth - Mobile Edition$24.99
- All Sounds$64.99
- SampleTank PRO - All Sounds Pack$64.99
Piano Partner 2
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SampleTank CS free?
Is Piano Partner 2 free?
Which has better reviews, SampleTank CS or Piano Partner 2?
Do SampleTank CS or Piano Partner 2 have ads?
Which is updated more often, SampleTank CS or Piano Partner 2?
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