Comparison

GranSample vs Foundry

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

Head to head
About

GranSample

This app offers a 16-pad sampler with a powerful granular engine for sculpting unique audio textures and sequencing patterns. It functions as a standalone application and an AUv3 plugin for popular DAWs. Unlock advanced features with a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • 16-pad granular sampler
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Step sequencer
  • Modulation matrix
  • Sample chopping
  • Kit sharing
  • Per-pad effects
Features
Read full description

A 16-pad sampler with a granular engine underneath. Standalone app + AUv3 plugin for GarageBand / Logic / AUM / Drambo / Loopy Pro. Tap pads, sculpt textures, sequence patterns, chain songs. Same instrument either way. Free to try. One purchase unlocks GranSample Pro — everything listed at the bottom. No subscription, no ads, no telemetry. NEW IN 1.5 Swing, in the app and in your host. Choke groups: hi-hats that cut each other off. Resample (Pro): record your beat back onto a pad as a bar-locked loop. A rebuilt AUv3 plugin editor. PATTERN BANK & SONG MODE Eight patterns per project (A–H). Switch live — the change waits for the bar end so the groove never stumbles. Then chain them into a song: tap letters to build, set repeats per section, loop or play once (song mode is Pro). Patterns, song and BPM save with the project. MODULATION MATRIX (PRO) LFO + ADSR envelope on 8 destinations per pad: grain position / size / pitch / density, volume, pan, pitch, playback start. Drag the envelope chart, set depth per lane — host-automatable in AUv3. SAMPLE CHOP (PRO) Slice any sample across the pads — equal grid, transient detection, or manual markers you drag. Audition before you commit; the grid shows where every slice lands. KIT SHARING Export any kit as a single .gskit file — samples, settings, effects, patterns. Send it anywhere. Importing is free for everyone; exporting is Pro. PAD NAMES, COLORS & CHOKE GROUPS Name your pads, pick from 8 colors, set one of 8 choke groups. AUv3 PLUGIN Load "nono.audio: GranSample" under AU Instruments in any AUv3 host. Same grid, Kits and engine, with Sound, Grain and Sequence tabs. 900 host-automatable parameters. Load your own samples without leaving the host. Sequencer locks to host transport; everything persists in the host project. LIBRARY Factory Kits + your Projects in one place — load, tweak, save. GRANULAR ENGINE Eight knobs per pad. Position scans the sample; grain size + density set the texture from pebbles to glass. Pitch + jitter, spray + stereo spread, four window shapes, an ADSR cloud envelope, Freeze for infinite sustain. 128 grains per voice — and you can watch them fire. CHROMATIC MODE Any pad becomes the root; the grid plays chromatically. STEP SEQUENCER Per-pad patterns at 16/32/64 steps, per-step velocity, drag-to-paint, swing. SAMPLE EDITOR Waveform view — drag the grain region, trim playback range, loop, reverse, normalize per pad. LINEAR or GRAN preview. Works inside the plugin too. EFFECTS Per-pad AND master bus. Reverb, Delay, Distortion, EQ, Compressor, Chorus, Filter — up to 8 per chain, automatable from any DAW. Hand-tuned presets; save your own. IPAD Pads bigger than an MPC; recorder, properties and sequencer get their own column. MIDI USB, Bluetooth (built-in browser), or virtual MIDI. MIDI Learn on every knob standalone, per-pad channel routing. The plugin routes MIDI in through the host and emits MIDI out for pad taps. RECORDING 60 seconds from the mic straight into a pad with a live waveform. Resample the master onto a pad, free or locked to 1–8 bars (Pro). Master bounces to WAV/M4A (Pro). 10 FACTORY KITS, 16 SAMPLES Late Night Room, Outer Space, Neon City, Midnight Dub, Tape Machine, Crystal Cave, and more — each with bespoke granular settings. FREE TIER Pads 1–8 — drums and melody, enough to finish a track — with the full granular engine, effects, pattern bank, mixer, MIDI in/out. Same in standalone and AUv3. Kit import (.gskit) is free too. GRANSAMPLE PRO — ONE PURCHASE, NO SUBSCRIPTION All 16 pads unlocked everywhere — standalone AND AUv3 plugin Song mode — chain patterns into an arrangement Modulation matrix — LFO + envelope on 8 destinations per pad Sample chop to pads Resample to pads Kit export (.gskit) Per-pad ADSR envelope editor Custom backgrounds — wallpapers or your own photo, with dim and pad-opacity WAV / M4A export Made by one person who wanted a granular beat pad that fit on a phone — and in their DAW.

About

Foundry

This app is a powerful sampler designed for music producers. It automatically detects tempo and key, allowing for precise slicing and manipulation of audio samples. Perform and record on velocity-sensitive pads, then refine your performance on a timeline for professional results.

Highlights
  • Automatic BPM, key, and downbeat detection
  • Beat-grid slicing with draggable markers
  • Per-slice pitch, type, and length editing
  • Velocity-sensitive pad grid
  • Timeline editing with quantization
  • On-device processing, no account needed
Features
Read full description

Foundry is a sampler for producers who want to get right to chopping. Import a track from Files, and Foundry finds the tempo, key, and downbeat automatically. Slice it on a beat grid with draggable markers, audition each slice, and retune or restretch it to your project tempo, repitch for that classic sampler feel, or stretch to keep the key. Then play. Sixteen velocity-sensitive pads, a count-in, and a loop of any length. Arm, record, and your performance lands on a timeline where you can nudge hits, quantize them to a grid with adjustable strength, and bounce the result to a WAV in Files. CHOP • Automatic BPM, key, and downbeat detection • Beat-grid slicing with draggable markers and a minimap • Loop finder that confirms the grid on tricky tracks • Per-slice pitch, type, and length editing • Repitch or time-stretch slices to follow the project tempo • Project-wide transpose PADS • 4×4 pad grid with a scrolling waveform playhead • Adjustable loop length and count-in • Arm + record transport TIMELINE • Every hit recorded as a dot on its lane • Drag single hits or whole groups • Quantize grid and strength • Bounce takes to WAV, share to anywhere Sessions save automatically and pick up where you left off. Everything runs on-device - no account, no upload, no tracking. Foundry offers features under a pro subscription and will auto-renew at the end of the period, unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payments will be chaged to your AppleID. You can manage your subsctiption via the Apple App Store "Subscriptions" panel. You may cancel your subscription any time. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula

Screenshots

GranSample4 screens
Foundry4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Foundry at 100% against GranSample's 40%. Foundry also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6). GranSample's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases 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. GranSample sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Foundry sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Foundry holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GranSample has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of GranSample's written reviews are positive against 100% of Foundry's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GranSample ships an update every 5 days, Foundry every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
GranSample versus Foundry: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGranSampleFoundry
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (16 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews40.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings16 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB93 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChih Han LinQuerci

Customer experience

GranSample

All ratings16 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral6.3%
Negative6.3%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive40.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative40.0%

Foundry

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GranSample

One-time1
  • GranSample Pro$3.99
2 purchases

Foundry

Subscriptions2
  • Foundry Pro$8.991 Month
  • Foundry Pro$59.991 Year

Questions

Is GranSample free?
GranSample is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Foundry free?
Foundry is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, GranSample or Foundry?
Foundry is rated higher. GranSample averages 4.6 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Foundry averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do GranSample or Foundry have ads?
Foundry shows ads; GranSample does not.
Which is updated more often, GranSample or Foundry?
GranSample ships an update every 5 days, and Foundry every 4 days. Most recently, GranSample was updated on October 14, 2026 and Foundry on October 8, 2026.

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