# Shape Beats vs PlayStems

The clearest difference is ads: PlayStems at none against Shape Beats's shown. PlayStems also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks). Shape Beats's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shape Beats sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PlayStems sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shape Beats ships an update every 5 weeks, PlayStems fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shape Beats | PlayStems |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playstems/id6773736611/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 56 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oktay Shakirov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1786802690) | [Matthias Santer](https://appshunter.io/developer/1538440760) |

## What reviewers say

### Shape Beats

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shape-beats/id6751116257)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Shape Beats Full Unlock | $3.99 | one-time |


### PlayStems

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/playstems/id6773736611)

This app allows musicians to play and manipulate individual audio tracks (stems) from songs. It offers features like volume control, pitch shifting, and looping for practice and performance, with on-device stem splitting capabilities.

**Highlights:** Multi-track playback in sync, On-device stem splitting, Per-stem volume, mute, solo, balance, Adjust speed and pitch while playing, Loop marker ranges, Song library with title and artist

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full version | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shape Beats free?

Shape Beats is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PlayStems free?

PlayStems is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Shape Beats or PlayStems have ads?

Shape Beats shows ads; PlayStems does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shape Beats or PlayStems?

Shape Beats ships an update every 5 weeks, and PlayStems fortnightly. Most recently, Shape Beats was updated on October 11, 2026 and PlayStems on October 18, 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.*