# Samplr vs Sound/Waves

The clearest difference is price: Sound/Waves at Free against Samplr's $19.99. Sound/Waves also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Samplr's advantage is ratings volume (149 vs 4) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 18.6). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Sound/Waves is free to download; Samplr costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Sound/Waves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Samplr has 149 ratings behind it against 4, 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 100% of Sound/Waves's.

Samplr ships an update every 3 months, Sound/Waves every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Samplr | Sound/Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (149 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samplr/id560756420/reviews) | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundwaves/id6778446282/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **149** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 79.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 49 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcos Alonso](https://appshunter.io/developer/560756423) | [Nathan Michel](https://appshunter.io/developer/6778446284) |

## What reviewers say

### Samplr

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/samplr/id560756420)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Intuitive and responsive interface
- 🎨 Powerful sample manipulation capabilities
- 🎶 Excellent for live performance and sound design
- 💰 Great value for the price
- 🎉 Inspiring and creative app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and stability issues
- 🔌 Lack of audio import/export options
- 🔀 Difficulty with sample organization and management
- 🔇 Missing features like panning, MIDI support, and AUv3

**Reported bugs**

- Recording functionality not working as expected
- Dropbox integration causing crashes
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- 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


### Sound/Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/soundwaves/id6778446282)

This app generates real-time ambient music and visuals based on live ocean data from NOAA buoys. It offers two distinct musical models, Spectral and Chromatic, to interpret wave frequencies and surf report data into unique soundscapes. Users can also explore hourly buoy photos, creating an immersive sensory experience.

**Highlights:** Real-time ambient music synthesis, Live ocean data integration (NOAA buoys), Spectral and Chromatic music models, Hourly buoy photo visuals, Customizable scan mode for visuals, Interactive soundscape creation

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Samplr free?

Samplr costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Sound/Waves free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Samplr or Sound/Waves?

Sound/Waves is rated higher. Samplr averages 4.7 out of 5 from 149 ratings, while Sound/Waves averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Samplr or Sound/Waves have ads?

Neither Samplr nor Sound/Waves shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Samplr or Sound/Waves?

Samplr ships an update every 3 months, and Sound/Waves every 4 days. Most recently, Samplr was updated on October 15, 2026 and Sound/Waves on October 16, 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.*