# SampleTank CS vs Sound Museum

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Sound Museum at none against SampleTank CS's 10. Sound Museum also leads on rating (3.5 vs 3.1) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). SampleTank CS's advantage is ratings volume (143 vs 6) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SampleTank CS sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Sound Museum asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sound Museum holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SampleTank CS has 143 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 29% of SampleTank CS's written reviews are positive against 25% of Sound Museum's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SampleTank CS ships an update every 2 months, Sound Museum every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SampleTank CS | Sound Museum |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.1 (143 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sampletank-cs/id464775965/reviews) | **[3.5 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-museum/id1162511804/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **143** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | **28.9% of reviews** | 25.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 1.5 GB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [IK Multimedia US, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/323694278) | [Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/448581784) |

## 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 (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Organ | $4.99 | one-time |
| Strings | $4.99 | one-time |
| Brass | $4.99 | one-time |
| Synth Pads | $4.99 | one-time |
| The Grid | $14.99 | one-time |
| Upgrade to SampleTank | $24.99 | one-time |
| Miroslav Philharmonik - 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)


### Sound Museum

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sound-museum/id1162511804)

Explore the diverse instrument sounds of your Kawai digital piano. Listen to demo songs, select Dual and Split modes, and save favorite sounds through an intuitive touch interface. Compatible with a wide range of Kawai models and supports wireless MIDI connections.

**Highlights:** Explore Kawai digital piano instrument sounds, Listen to demonstration songs, Select Dual and Split playing modes, Store favorite sounds, Wireless MIDI connectivity

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SampleTank CS free?

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

### Is Sound Museum free?

Sound Museum is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SampleTank CS or Sound Museum?

Sound Museum is rated higher. SampleTank CS averages 3.1 out of 5 from 143 ratings, while Sound Museum averages 3.5 from 6 ratings.

### Do SampleTank CS or Sound Museum have ads?

Neither SampleTank CS nor Sound Museum shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SampleTank CS or Sound Museum?

SampleTank CS ships an update every 2 months, and Sound Museum every 4 months. Most recently, SampleTank CS was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sound Museum on November 2, 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.*