# SampleTank CS vs Colossus Piano

SampleTank CS and Colossus Piano both sit at 3.1 stars, but that hides the real split: 54% of Colossus Piano's written reviews are positive against 29% of SampleTank CS's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SampleTank CS sells 15 one-off in-app purchases and Colossus Piano sells 9 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.1 for SampleTank CS against 3.3 for Colossus Piano. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 142 and 65 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 29% of SampleTank CS's written reviews are positive against 54% of Colossus Piano's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SampleTank CS | Colossus Piano |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (142 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sampletank-cs/id464775965/reviews) | **[3.3 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colossus-piano/id1122637899/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **142** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | 28.9% of reviews | **54.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1.5 GB | 384 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IK Multimedia US, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/323694278) | [Christian Schoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte](https://appshunter.io/developer/428367741) |

## What reviewers say

### 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)


### Colossus Piano

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/colossus-piano/id1122637899)

Experience incredibly realistic piano sounds with a vast library of acoustic and electric piano models. This app offers advanced features like multi-velocity layers, pedal support, and MIDI integration for a professional playing experience.

**Highlights:** 13 high-quality piano models, 24 velocity layers per key, Sustain, Sostenuto, and Soft pedal support, MIDI integration (In/Out), Audio Unit v3 and Inter-App Audio support, Low latency disk streaming, Adjustable tuning options

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (9)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Vintage Upright | $9.99 | one-time |
| Historic S Grand | $9.99 | one-time |
| Pianino | $12.99 | one-time |
| Japanese Grand | $12.99 | one-time |
| Classic B Grand | $15.99 | one-time |
| Upright Piano | $19.99 | one-time |
| Colossus E-Piano Set | $19.99 | one-time |
| Baby Grand Piano | $26.99 | one-time |
| Colossus Concert Grand | $49.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Amazing piano sound quality
- 🎹 Realistic and detailed samples
- 🎧 High-fidelity audio
- ✨ Professional-grade instrument
- 💡 Inspiring and expressive

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases
- 🚫 No free trial or demo sounds
- 💸 Overpriced for some users
- 💾 Large storage requirements
- 🐌 Slow download times

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when exporting to WAV/M4A in GarageBand
- App crashes when switching piano models
- Audio Unit extension crashes
- No sound when exporting to GarageBand
- Plugin crashes in DAWs during export/freeze

**Requested features**

- Add chorus effect
- Global EQ
- Release control
- Tap tempo for modulation speed
- Save velocity curves


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SampleTank CS free?

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

### Is Colossus Piano free?

Colossus Piano is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SampleTank CS or Colossus Piano?

Colossus Piano is rated higher. SampleTank CS averages 3.1 out of 5 from 142 ratings, while Colossus Piano averages 3.3 from 65 ratings.

### Do SampleTank CS or Colossus Piano have ads?

Neither SampleTank CS nor Colossus Piano shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SampleTank CS or Colossus Piano?

SampleTank CS ships an update every 2 months, and Colossus Piano every 2 months. Most recently, SampleTank CS was updated on October 23, 2026 and Colossus Piano on October 24, 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.*