nils vs apeDelay
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).
apeDelay
This audio effect app transforms sound by converting it to the frequency domain for manipulation, then back to the time domain. It offers advanced spectral effects like blur, granulation, and filtering, with extensive control over delay lines and feedback.
- Spectral delay with up to 2048 lines
- STFT analysis/re-synthesis
- Spectral Blur, Granulate, Decimator, Freeze
- Brick-wall filters
- AudioUnit V3 (FX) and Inter-App Audio (FX) support
- Audiobus (Full) and Ableton Link integration
- Built-in Stereo Sampler
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apeDelay - spectral Delay implements up to 2048 delay lines with feedback or up to 2048 Brick-wall filters. The algorithm is based on the STFT (i.e. Short Time Fourier Transform) analysis/re-synthesis. The audio signal is converted in abstract ‘Frequency Domain’, where is manipulated and transformed back again in ‘Time Domain’. You can draw the Time and Feedback shapes for both stereo channels. This is achieved from the multi sliders, who provide a great tool to manage the huge numbers of parameters. You can also benefit of more advanced spectral manipulations like the Spectral Blur, Granulate, Bins Decimator, Noise Gate, Spectral Freeze and Brick-wall filters. + AudioUnit V3 (FX) + Inter-App Audio (FX) + Audiobus (Full) + Ableton Link + Audio Interface support + Microphone input + Built In Stereo Sampler with varispeed and scrubbing + Control Manager LFO for all the Parameters + Midibus, Virtual Midi and Network: 14 bit NRPN controllers + Sample Manager, sharing common audio files via iTunes, Dropbox and AudioCopy + Snapshots Presets Morphing Pad + Post Fx: Stereo Delay, Amazing ClassicVerb Low/Hi Shelving and Dynamic Processor + etc...
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: nils at $1.99 against apeDelay's $7.99. nils also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). apeDelay's advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 72%). On rating, ratings volume, 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 apeDelay $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
nils holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 17 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of nils's written reviews are positive against 88% of apeDelay's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
nils ships an update every 5 weeks, apeDelay every 4 months. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.
| Parameter | nils | apeDelay |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 — better | $7.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (13 ratings) — better | 4.6 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 72.2% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 17 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Erik Sigth | apeSoft |
Customer experience
nils
apeDelay
In-app purchases
nils
No in-app purchases
apeDelay
No in-app purchases








