Comparison

DAF vs ARC

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

Head to head
About

DAF

This application provides a digital audio funstation with a 16-step sequencer, drum machine, and multiple synthesizers. Explore sound creation with a drone generator, effects, and a recorder for creative audio experiments.

Highlights
  • 16-step x 4-bar sequencer
  • Drum machine
  • 2 monophonic synths
  • 1 polyphonic synth
  • Drone generator
  • FX and recorder
Features
Read full description

DIGITAL AUDIO FUNSTATION 100 NOT A WORKSTATION IT IS A FUNSTATION - 16-STEP x 4-BAR SEQUENCER - DRUM MACHINE - 2 MONOPHONIC SYNTHS - 1 POLYPHONIC SYNTH - SAMPLER - DRONE GENERATOR - FX, RECORDER AND OTHER FUN THINGS

About

ARC

Create music with a versatile groovebox featuring eight tracks for synths, samplers, and drums. Its intuitive interface allows for real-time performance and easy arrangement into songs, all while staying in key and scale.

Highlights
  • Eight dynamic tracks (synth, sampler, drums)
  • Key and scale locked note/chord pads
  • 16-pad sampler with import/record
  • Deep synth editing and 25 arpeggiator patterns
  • Full mixer with EQ and individual track effects
  • Song mode for arrangement and live performance
  • MIDI input and iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

Eight tracks. Synths, samplers, drums. Play it like an instrument. ARC-24 is a groovebox for iPhone and iPad. Pads, loops, and a mixer in one place. Everything stays in key. Pick a key and a scale and the pads follow, so you can play fast without landing on a wrong note. Record a loop, keep overdubbing while it runs, and fix whatever you fumbled on the grid afterwards. Once you've got a few loops going, chain them into a song. Or leave the transport running and fire them off by hand from the mixer. • Eight tracks that sort themselves out. Synth, sampler, or drums, decided by what you play first. Overdub while the loop cycles. • Note and chord pads locked to your key and scale. Hold latches notes so they sustain. Pulse retriggers them on the beat. • A sixteen pad sampler. Import WAV, AIFF, MP3, M4A, AAC, or FLAC, pull audio from a video, or record through the mic. Chop it into slices across the grid, or map one sample over every pad and play it pitched, in scale or chromatic, at the original length or at tape speed. • Ten drum kits, from 909 and trap to lo-fi, boom bap, and hand percussion. Tune, pan, and level every pad. • Synth editing that goes deep enough to matter. 21 presets to start from, two oscillators, filter, envelope, and LFO when you want to build your own. Save the keepers. • 25 arpeggiator patterns, all of them in your key, from slow drifting phrases to sixteenth note runs. • A piano roll editor. Move, stretch, and delete notes while the loop keeps playing. • A real mixer. Faders, pan, mute, solo, and three band EQ on every channel. • Every track gets its own effects rack, not a shared send. Resonant low and high pass with cutoff and resonance. Compressor and gate. Distortion, bit crusher, ring mod, flanger. Tempo synced delay in digital, analog, or tape. Reverb with chorus and tape wow. Character for texture, air, width, and warmth. • Motion, so synth parts never sit still. Slow LFOs drift the filter as the loop runs, and Bloom opens the cutoff every time you play a note. • Song mode. Arrange loops into sections, or switch between them live from the mixer without ever stopping. • MIDI in from a USB or Bluetooth controller. • Export to WAV or AAC. • iCloud. Start something on the iPad, pick it up on the phone. Seven days free, the whole app. After that one purchase unlocks it for good. No subscription, no renewal, nothing to cancel.

Screenshots

DAF3 screens
ARC4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DAF at 100% against ARC's 33%. DAF also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and rating (4.8 vs 4.3). ARC's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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. ARC sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. DAF asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DAF holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of DAF's written reviews are positive against 33% of ARC's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DAF ships an update every 3 weeks, ARC weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
DAF versus ARC: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDAFARC
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (6 ratings) — better4.3 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel BusheikinDaelan Wood

Customer experience

DAF

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

ARC

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

DAF

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

ARC

One-time2
  • 7-Day TrialFree
  • ARC-24 Full Version$9.99

Questions

Is DAF free?
DAF is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is ARC free?
ARC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, DAF or ARC?
DAF is rated higher. DAF averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while ARC averages 4.3 from 3 ratings.
Do DAF or ARC have ads?
Neither DAF nor ARC shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DAF or ARC?
DAF ships an update every 3 weeks, and ARC weekly. Most recently, DAF was updated on October 14, 2026 and ARC on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons