Comparison

SimpLoop vs Tapko

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

Head to head
About

SimpLoop

This audio effect plugin offers a straightforward approach to live looping, inspired by classic hardware pedals. It allows for simple one-button operation or advanced MIDI control for dynamic performances. Export your creations as WAV files.

Highlights
  • One-button looping
  • MIDI controller support
  • Reverse and half-speed toggles
  • Multiply function for loop extension
  • Auto-record option
  • Variable record fade time
  • Export loops as WAV
Read full description

SimpLoop - A (Fairly) Simple Looper Plugin (AUv3) SimpLoop is an audio effect plugin that can run standalone, or in any AU compatible host application such as Logic Pro or GarageBand. Overview - SimpLoop is a fairly simple looper What does "fairly simple" mean? Well, SimpLoop can be configured to be a very simple one button looper - tap to record a loop, tap again to play your loop, then tap to stop and clear the loop. Alternatively, you could assign 6 button functions and two expression controllers to a MIDI hardware controller for an extremely dynamic live looping setup. To help understand what SimpLoop is, it might be easier to cover what SimpLoop is not... SimpLoop does not have any form of tempo sync capability, or support for multiple sync'd loop tracks or A/B "verse" / "chorus" sections, etc. SimpLoop also does not have an undo function or support for importing audio files (*), and it does not remember the recorded loop between sessions. There are several more advanced looper apps that do those sort of things, but if you're new to looping, or you just need a compact and basic looper to include in your setup, SimpLoop was designed for you! (*) You can export your recorded loops as .WAV files. SimpLoop was also designed for live, "on the fly" looping, and could almost be considered "old-school" now, as it draws inspiration from hardware guitar looping pedals that started becoming popular in the early 2000's. As a live looping "veteran" myself, I wanted to create a looper that included some of my favourite hardware pedal features, plus a few things I wished that those pedals had back in the day! As well as basic looping functionality with a 60 second maximum loop time, SimpLoop includes reverse and half-speed toggles, and a multiply function that doubles the current loop length. For example, you could record a one-bar rhythmic loop, then tap Multiply twice to create a four-bar loop made up of 4 repeats of your original recording. Additional features include an auto-record option, variable record fade time for seamless loops (great for creating drones!) as well as different mode settings to determine how the loop, stop and clear commands work. For maximum hands-free looping enjoyment, I recommend using SimpLoop with some kind of MIDI controller that can send MIDI CCs via buttons / switches or knobs / expression pedal inputs. For more info and support please visit: www.waverley-instruments.com/robjackson

About

Tapko

This app is a powerful drum sampler for musicians, offering a 16-pad grid for loading and manipulating sounds. It provides extensive per-pad editing, advanced sampling features like velocity layers and round robin, and seamless integration with music hosts.

Highlights
  • 16-pad grid with per-pad sample import
  • Per-pad editing (EQ, pan, reverb)
  • Velocity layers and round robin sampling
  • MIDI Learn for instant assignment
  • Built-in stereo reverb
  • Kit creation, import, and export
  • Multi-output routing
Features
Read full description

Tapko is a fast, no-nonsense drum sampler built by a musician for musicians. Load your sounds, build your kit, and play — standalone or as an AUv3 plugin in your favorite host. Use Tapko on its own as a playable drum machine, or load it as an AUv3 instrument in AUM, Loopy Pro, GarageBand, Cubasis, and more. 16 PADS, TOTAL CONTROL • 16-pad grid with per-pad sample import (WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, FLAC, CAF) • Per-pad 3-band EQ, volume, pan, gain, choke groups, and configurable Fade Out • Swipe pads to tweak volume, EQ, pan, and reverb send on the fly • MIDI Learn — tap a pad, play a note, instantly assign note and channel • Swipe left/right on single-sample pads to cycle saved versions • Built-in stereo reverb with per-pad send and global room/decay controls ADVANCED SAMPLING • Velocity layers — up to 5 layers per pad with adjustable velocity ranges • Round robin — cycle through up to 5 samples per pad (sequential or random) • Layer mode — stack up to 5 samples per pad and trigger them simultaneously • Random velocity — override incoming velocity with base +/- variation for natural dynamics • Sample Editor with zoomable waveform: high-detail zoom view above, full-file overview below with a draggable zoom-window and in/out markers, pinch-to-zoom, trim handles, start delay, attack, and per-pad gain • Global media browser — import clips once, assign to any pad in any kit KITS & SHARING • Create, rename, duplicate, and delete kits • Import and export kits as .tapkokit files • Kit Store — browse and download free community kits • Full backup and restore of all kits and media to a single .tapkobackup file • iCloud sync keeps kits and your Media Library in sync across devices • Build kits on your computer at tapko.davidguva.se MULTI-OUTPUT ROUTING • 9 stereo output buses (1 Main + 8 Aux) for hosts that support multi-output • Assign each pad to an individual output bus for separate mixing and effects • Main bus always carries the full mix — works seamlessly in single-output hosts too MIDI & HOST INTEGRATION • MIDI input with customizable note mapping (GM drum layout by default) • Per-pad MIDI channel assignment (omni or channel 1–16) • MIDI output and Program Change for kit switching • All parameters exposed to the host for automation • Factory presets support BUILT FOR PERFORMANCE • Real-time C++ DSP engine with vDSP acceleration • 48-voice polyphonic playback with intelligent voice stealing • Efficient CPU usage for most kits; usage increases with kit complexity (more layers, longer samples/tails, and heavier FX/routing) STANDALONE & PLUGIN Tapko works as a standalone drum machine right out of the box. It also registers as an AUv3 instrument plugin so any compatible host can load it.

Screenshots

SimpLoop4 screens
Tapko4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tapko at 5.0 against SimpLoop's 4.0. Tapko also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 60%) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). SimpLoop's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99) and device support (4 vs 2). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

SimpLoop costs $2.99 and Tapko $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tapko holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of SimpLoop's written reviews are positive against 100% of Tapko's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimpLoop ships an update every 2 weeks, Tapko every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
SimpLoop versus Tapko: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpLoopTapko
Price$2.99 — better$4.99
Rating4.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews60.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.2
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRob JacksonDavid Lars Guva

Customer experience

SimpLoop

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative25.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Tapko

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SimpLoop

No in-app purchases

None

Tapko

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimpLoop free?
SimpLoop costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Tapko free?
Tapko costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SimpLoop or Tapko?
Tapko is rated higher. SimpLoop averages 4.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Tapko averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do SimpLoop or Tapko have ads?
Neither SimpLoop nor Tapko shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SimpLoop or Tapko?
SimpLoop ships an update every 2 weeks, and Tapko every 4 days. Most recently, SimpLoop was updated on September 27, 2026 and Tapko on September 20, 2026.

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