Comparison

Launchpad vs Poly 2

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Launchpad

Create and remix electronic music with a professional sound library and intuitive grid interface. Layer beats, melodies, and vocals, then apply DJ-style effects to craft unique tracks. Record and share your musical creations with the world.

Highlights
  • Multi-color grid for playing sounds
  • Mix and remix soundpacks
  • DJ-style performance effects
  • Weekly soundpack releases
  • Record and share music
  • Import custom sounds (iPad)
  • Ableton Link integration
Features
Read full description

The original Launchpad — Make & Remix Music. Enter an inspiring world of music creation and remixing on your iPhone & iPad. 8 free soundpacks included. Hundreds more available, updated weekly. Launchpad is the original number-one app for making and remixing electronic music. Instantly combine beats, basslines, melodies, vocals and FX loops into new creations. Layer DJ-style effects to chop and change your sound. Record your performance and share it with others. There’s never been a better time to make music. // MAKE & REMIX MUSIC Instantly create and remix music. Use the world-famous Launchpad grid to trigger loops and sounds from a huge professional library. Launchpad is always locked to the beat, so you’ll never go out of time. // EASY TO USE DJ-STYLE FX Free, easy-to-use DJ-style FX turn every remix into a creative performance. Advanced options on iPad further enhance your remixes. The pro DJ-style effects include filter, gater, stutter, stopper, flanger and delay. // INSPIRING SOUNDPACKS, UPDATED WEEKLY Launchpad comes with 8 remix soundpacks to get you started. Hundreds more are available in the store, with new ones added every week. // PRO FEATURES COLLECTION For the advanced or adventurous, the Pro Features Collection for iPad add-on lets you import your own sounds, use the extended FX features and sync easily to other apps and external hardware. Connect the world famous Launchpad hardware to your iPad for the ultimate sonic experience. At any time, capture your performance and share it easily. Features • Make music instantly — Play a multi-colour grid of amazing sounds • Be a DJ — Mix soundpacks together endlessly • 8 free soundpacks — Nearly 400 sounds included. Discover hundreds more in the store. • Weekly releases — Professional remix soundpacks released every week • DJ-style performance FX — Make your mixes unique with powerful DJ effects • Share your music — Soundcloud, YouTube, Facebook, Dropbox, Audiocopy and more • Create your own remixes — Craft your own remix by combining sounds from your library • Reuse soundpacks — Launchpad soundpacks appear automatically in Blocs Wave • Play in key — Set the key of your session and browse all clips in that key Advanced Features • Real-time tempo — Change tempo at any time, with real-time audio stretching • Blocs Wave export — Easily send your Blocs Wave projects to Launchpad • Audio Import* — Supports Dropbox, AudioShare, AudioCopy and Airdrop • Advanced performance FX* — Enhanced Stutter, Autofilter, Gater, Delay, Stopper & Flanger • Launchpad hardware — Integrates with Novation’s Launch hardware (iPad only) • Ableton Link — Jam in sync with your other apps, devices or Ableton Live • MIDI sync output* — Connect Launchpad to external hardware synths and drum machines* (iPad only) • Audiobus Support — Use any Audiobus-compatible apps to extend your music-making setup • Bluetooth — Supports Bluetooth speakers and headphones *In-App Purchase Terms of use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Poly 2

This app generates evolving musical patterns and melodies using polyrhythms. It offers extensive sound manipulation with a sampler, multiple effects, and the ability to store numerous configurations. Users can also import their own sounds and integrate with other music production tools.

Highlights
  • Generative polyrhythm sequencing
  • Up to 8 simultaneous sounds
  • Sampler with envelopes and filters
  • Randomize capabilities
  • Built-in delay, reverb, distortion, and EQ FX
  • AUv3, Audiobus, and IAA support
  • Import custom samples
Features
Read full description

Poly 2 is a generative sequencer that creates evolving patterns and melodies based on the power of polyrhythms. Check out the promo video: https://youtu.be/ovCXtBynEkw Features: - Up to 8 different sounds at any time - Store up to 16 different configurations for each project - A sampler that includes envelopes, filters, loop crossfading, an LFO and more - Randomise capabilities - Delay, reverb, distortion and EQ FX - Over 100 samples included for free - 13 premade collections of sounds - 13 example projects - AUv3 support, both MIDI and Audio - Audiobus and IAA - Ableton Link - MIDI notes in / out, MIDI CC in / out and MIDI clock in - Import your own samples via iOS Files or WIFI transfer

Screenshots

Launchpad4 screens
Poly 24 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Launchpad at 35K against Poly 2's 696. On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Launchpad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Poly 2 sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Launchpad against 4.8 for Poly 2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Launchpad has 35K ratings behind it against 696, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 85% and 84% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Launchpad ships an update fortnightly, Poly 2 every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Launchpad versus Poly 2: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLaunchpadPoly 2
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (35K ratings) — better4.8 (696 ratings)
Positive reviews84.8% of reviews — better84.4% of reviews
Number of ratings35K — better696
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size129 MB153 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFocusrite Audio EngineeringJames Milton

Customer experience

Launchpad

All ratings35,013 ratings
Positive95.6%
Neutral2.5%
Negative1.9%
Written reviews861 reviews
Positive84.8%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.5%

Poly 2

All ratings686 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral2.6%
Negative2.3%
Written reviews64 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral4.7%
Negative10.9%

User reviews

Launchpad

From 35K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fun
  • 🚀 Lots of beats you can use
  • 🚀 Good for mental capacity
  • 🚀 So good at making beats
  • 🚀 Really good

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Makes it look free but not
  • 🐛 Not much you can do without paying
  • 🐛 Crashes while working
  • 🐛 Glitchy
  • 🐛 Needs bluetooth MIDI desperately

Poly 2

From 696 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Unique, creative, and powerful tool
  • 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly interface
  • 🎨 Excellent for ambient, experimental, and generative music
  • 🎹 Great for drum grooves and rhythmic patterns
  • 💻 Seamless integration with external hardware and software

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔇 Lack of sustain/voice ring-out when transport is stopped
  • 📺 Small interface elements can be difficult to use on iPad
  • 🔌 Compatibility issues with some third-party apps

Bugs and requests

Launchpad

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • Audio import not working
  • Inability to delete unnecessary recordings
  • Inability to see name of soundpack a loop belongs to
  • Pad selections disappearing when hitting stop
  • Inability to import audio after updating
Show 4 more
  • Inability to access audio import after signing out of account
  • App crashing when trying to import audio
  • App constantly closing when importing stuff
  • Inability to restore audio import after getting a new device

Requested features

11 requests
  • Ability to edit after a track is recorded, adjusting levels/adding effects
  • Pause button
  • Ability to duplicate a current song
  • Sequencer to use drum hits
  • Ability to change key of project
Show 6 more
  • Display key when pressing tempo button
  • Ability to sync projects across devices
  • Ability to record and save instruments, drums, piano etc.
  • Ability to export separate stems
  • Dark mode option
  • Advanced analytics dashboard

Poly 2

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • In-app purchase not working for some users
  • MIDI connectivity issues with certain apps
  • Crashes upon opening for some users

Requested features

8 requests
  • Ability to preview samples before importing
  • Autoslice/autochop functionality for samples
  • Support for larger sample imports and automatic slot filling
  • Granulizer effect
  • Note repeat and vinyl effects
Show 3 more
  • More built-in effects and processing options
  • Ability to create and arrange full songs
  • M1 Mac compatibility

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Launchpad

Subscriptions1
  • Launchpad Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$7.991 Month
One-time9
  • Found Sound Journey: Hip HopFree
  • EDM HazeFree
  • Dub TrapFree
Show 6 more
  • Found Sound Journey: TechnoFree
  • FoundSoundJourney:ItalianChillFree
  • Glitchstep$1.99
  • Viral Hip Hop$1.99
  • Hypnotic Energy$1.99
  • Audio Import$6.99
1 purchases

Poly 2

One-time1
  • Pro mode$11.99

Questions

Is Launchpad free?
Launchpad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Poly 2 free?
Poly 2 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Launchpad or Poly 2?
Launchpad is rated higher. Launchpad averages 4.8 out of 5 from 35K ratings, while Poly 2 averages 4.8 from 696 ratings.
Do Launchpad or Poly 2 have ads?
Neither Launchpad nor Poly 2 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Launchpad or Poly 2?
Launchpad ships an update fortnightly, and Poly 2 every 4 weeks. Most recently, Launchpad was updated on October 31, 2026 and Poly 2 on October 29, 2026.

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