# Orphion vs SAND

The clearest difference is price: SAND at Free against Orphion's $3.99. SAND also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.0) and device support (3 vs 1). Orphion's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

SAND is free to download; Orphion costs $3.99 up front. Orphion sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SAND sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SAND holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 86 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 85% of Orphion's written reviews are positive against 79% of SAND's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Orphion | SAND |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (31 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orphion/id495465097/reviews) | **[4.6 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-audio-midi-sequencer/id1642467684/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 31 | **86** |
| Positive reviews | **84.7% of reviews** | 79.4% 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 | 27 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bastus Trump](https://appshunter.io/developer/495465100) | [Matteo Caldari](https://appshunter.io/developer/325826466) |

## What reviewers say

### Orphion

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/orphion/id495465097)

Create expressive music and melodies with a unique virtual instrument. Explore your creativity through intuitive finger movements on virtual pads, generating sounds between string and percussion. Ideal for both beginners and experienced musicians.

**Highlights:** Unique string and percussion sound, Expressive polyphonic music, Intuitive finger pad interaction, Customizable pad layouts, MIDI and Audiobus support, Multiple articulations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Orphion Editor | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Unique and expressive musical instrument design
- 👍 Intuitive touch interface for playing music
- 🎛️ Customizable pad layouts and configurations
- 🔌 Works well as MIDI controller for other apps
- 🎨 Beautiful, simple, and elegant user interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio crackling and distortion issues on recent iPadOS versions
- ❌ App crashes and fails to launch on newer devices
- 📱 UI rendering problems on iPad mini and newer iPad models
- 🔧 Abandoned by developer - no updates or support
- 🚫 Incompatible with latest iPadOS (18+)

**Reported bugs**

- Audio crackling and distortion on iPadOS 18 and M4 devices
- App crashes on startup with recent iPad OS versions
- UI elements out of place on iPad mini
- MIDI not working in AUM and other DAWs
- Virtual MIDI instruments not detected when loaded as IAA

**Requested features**

- Recording and export functionality
- Additional sound patches and voices
- Custom scale and layout editor
- Pitch bend and modulation wheel controls
- AudioCopy/Paste support


### SAND

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sand-audio-midi-sequencer/id1642467684)

This app is a grid-based music sequencer that allows users to create compositions using AUv3 plugins and external MIDI devices. It offers extensive tools for arranging clips, editing notes, automating parameters, and routing MIDI.

**Highlights:** Grid-based MIDI sequencing, AUv3 plugin hosting, External MIDI device support, Advanced clip editing, Track and effect management, Song mode for arrangement, MIDI routing and mapping

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 14-day trial | Free | one-time |
| 14 Days Trial | Free | one-time |
| Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |
| Audio Tracks | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great UI and features
- 💡 Potential for music creation
- 🚀 Fast and creative workflow
- 👍 Easy to use, no instructions needed
- 💡 Most usable studio on small screen

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Record function always starts
- 🐛 Sand not opening in overview
- 🐛 Integration with other apps seems off
- 🐛 Record does not pick up data
- 🐛 Cannot save ideas from one app to another

**Reported bugs**

- Record function always starts when entering Midi Instrument or FX
- Sand not opening in overview
- Integration with other apps seems off
- Record does not pick up data
- Cannot save ideas from one app to another

**Requested features**

- Sand always open in overview
- Long press in sequence track window
- Random/chance abilities in clips (Polyend Play style)
- Semi-generative function or scale-based patterns/sequences
- Save AUv3 presets


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Orphion free?

Orphion costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is SAND free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Orphion or SAND?

SAND is rated higher. Orphion averages 4.0 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while SAND averages 4.6 from 86 ratings.

### Do Orphion or SAND have ads?

Neither Orphion nor SAND shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Orphion or SAND?

Orphion ships an update every 2 months, and SAND every 2 months. Most recently, Orphion was updated on October 13, 2026 and SAND on October 14, 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.*