Samplr vs sqrt
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Samplr
This app offers a unique multitouch interface for exploring and manipulating audio samples. Create music through various play modes, record gestures for sequencing, and experiment with audio effects. It's designed for audio experimentation, composition, and live performance.
- 8 distinct play modes (Slicer, Looper, Granular, etc.)
- Gesture recorder for sequencing
- Audio input recording and resampling
- 6 sample slots with 16 voices each
- 5 per-sample effects (Distortion, Reverb, etc.)
- Import audio from cloud storage and other apps
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The app used by renowned musicians like Fred again.., Richard Devine, Apparat, Weval or Matmos live and in the studio. Samplr introduced a brand new way to make music, only possible on multitouch devices. Explore the samples melody and texture using the different play modes and create compositions with the gesture recorder. Samplr is the ideal tool for audio experimentation, music composition and live performance. USER REVIEWS “The most profound audio manipulation tool on iOS” 5 stars “There is NOTHING on the market hardware or software like this” 5 stars “Stunningly beautiful interface and exceptionally easy to use” 5 stars “This is the most musical app I've ever used. It's polished, it's musical, it's fun, it's inspiring” 5 stars “It’s the best realization of what touch screen sampling should be” 5 stars FEATURES • 8 play modes: Slicer, Looper, Granular, Tape, Scratch, Arpeggiator, Keyboard and Loop Player • Gesture recorder for sequencing • Audio input recording and resampling • 6 sample slots (x16 voices) • 5 effects per sample: Distortion, Filter, Amplitude Modulator, Feedback Delay and Reverb COMPATIBILITY • Ableton Link • MIDI Keyboard, Controller and Sync input • IAA (Inter-App Audio) • Audiobus Input and Output • WAV and AIFF file support • Import files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, AudioShare, etc Learn more and see how it works on samplr.net. For feedback or support please reach out to support@samplr.net
sqrt
This app allows users to trigger and manipulate sounds on a multitouch surface. The pro version enables loading custom audio files and creating personalized sound grids. It offers a unique playback control system where sound parameters are interpolated across the screen.
- Multitouch sound triggering
- Drag-to-manipulate sound parameters
- Load custom sounds (Pro version)
- Create custom sound grids (Pro version)
- Interpolate between parameter presets
- Includes curated glitch sounds
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SQRT is a multitouch sound board sample player. Tap on the items to trigger different sounds. Drag a triggered sound around the surface to change its parameters. Use the two buttons on the side to change the way how you can play / trigger the sounds. With the pro version you can load in your own sounds (using iTunes or AudioShare) and create your own grids! SQRT comes with a specially designed set of (glitch) sounds by composer/sound designer Ctrl-t (aka Jan T.) and are an incarnation of one of his recent (live) pieces. If you want to use your own sounds, get the pro version! What is special about SQRT? The sounds can be triggered from one point on the screen but the playback behavior can be manipulated over the entire screen. For each 'trigger point' there are snapshots of parameter settings spread across the playing area. The playback behavior is changed by interpolating between these presets. Currently the presets define pitch, loop start and loop length.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: sqrt at Free against Samplr's $19.99. sqrt also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Samplr's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (79% vs 58%). On ads and in-app purchases 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
sqrt is free to download; Samplr costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Samplr holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samplr has 149 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Samplr's written reviews are positive against 58% of sqrt's.
Samplr ships an update every 3 months, sqrt every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 25, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Samplr | sqrt |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $19.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.7 (149 ratings) — better | 3.3 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews — better | 57.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 149 — better | 7 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 8.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Marcos Alonso | TeaTracks |
Customer experience
Samplr
sqrt
Bugs and requests
Samplr
Reported bugs
3 issues- Recording functionality not working as expected
- Dropbox integration causing crashes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
Requested features
5 requests- Implement Ableton Link for better sync
- Add support for more audio file formats
- Improve sample import/export workflow
- Introduce a more robust sequencing and automation system
- Provide multi-channel audio output
sqrt
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Samplr
No in-app purchases
sqrt
No in-app purchases








