nils vs RE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
nils
This real-time audio effect machine offers bitcrush, delay, and gain for distortion. It functions as a sampler and looper, allowing for lo-fi sound manipulation for both beginners and professionals. Supports Audiobus and various audio inputs.
- Real-time audio effects
- Bitcrush, delay, gain
- Sampler functionality
- Minimalistic looper
- Audiobus support
- Export audio
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..:: || NEW || AudioBus Support || ::.. Real time bitcrush, sampler and looper. Nils is a real time sound effect machine with a minimalistic looper. It comes with bitcrush, delay and gain for distortion. As input you can use the internal microphone, your earpods or accessories like iRig. Can also be used as a sampler, by holding the delay buffer and changing its phase. Lo-fi looping for both beginners and professionals. +++ Audiobus (input/effects/output). +++ Real time. +++ Bitchrush. +++ Sample rate (1 Hz - 44100 Hz). +++ Delay. +++ Hold delay buffer. +++ Play delay buffer. +++ Gain (goes up to 11). +++ Limiter. +++ Tape looper. +++ Export (email, soundcloud, MAPI audio copy).
RE
This app is a versatile virtual tape machine offering authentic tape echo and chorus effects. It also functions as a sampler, looper, and overdubbing tool, allowing for creative audio manipulation and real-time performance.
- Virtual tape deck with 3 read heads
- Authentic tape echo emulation
- Tape loop mode with overdubbing
- Sample/loop library
- Real-time parameter visualization
- Wow, Flutter, Color, Hiss & Saturation controls
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RE-1 - Tape Echo RE-1 is a full featured virtual Tape Machine capable of delivering authentic tape based echo and chorus effects but it doesn't stop there. With it's interactive tape player, sample, loop and overdub features it's possible to use it like a virtual tape recorder, sample player, looper or simply as a master effect. Overview: - Virtual Tape deck including 3 individually controllable read heads, variable delay time and feedback - Interactive user interface and realtime visualisation of various parameters related to the tape simulation - Dedicated controls for Wow, Flutter, Color, Tape Hiss & saturation amount - Tape Loop mode with overdub, tape reverse and time-stretching - Sample/Loop library loads wave files onto the virtual tape loop - Transport and Tempo Sync - Stereo Spread & Stereo Panner - Input processing: Highpass filter - Output processing: 2 band eq Tape Echo: - Authentic tape echo emulation - Multi-tap delay with 3 individually controllable read heads - Color Control adjusts the echo's tone from dark to bright - Delay Time: 5ms - 1000ms (or 1/32th to 1/1) - Wow & Flutter - Tape Hiss and Saturation - Stereo spread - Stereo panner Looper / Sample Player: - Uses the tape like a traditional looper with unlimited overdubs - Configurable Loop length with 1 - 8 bars and tempo sync and tape reverse - Tape transport can be linked to the host's transport controls - Time stretching keeps loops in sync - Samples/loops can be loaded onto the tape directly - Samples can be created from the tape loop and stored in the sample library at any time - Factory content includes a variety of loops grouped by style - Samples/loops can be imported from and exported to other apps Connectivity: - Standalone - AUv3 - InterApp-Audio - Audiobus - Ableton Link - MIDI (Tempo, CC, Program Change) - Requirements: - iOS 11+
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: nils at $1.99 against RE's $9.99. nils also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 11.0). RE's advantage is ratings volume (132 vs 13). On rating, review sentiment, 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
nils costs $1.99 and RE $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for nils against 4.7 for RE. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: RE has 132 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of nils's written reviews are positive against 65% of RE's.
nils ships an update every 5 weeks, RE every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | nils | RE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (13 ratings) — better | 4.7 (132 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews — better | 64.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 132 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 11.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 107 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Erik Sigth | Kai Aras |
Customer experience
nils
RE
In-app purchases
nils
No in-app purchases
RE
No in-app purchases









