Comparison

Tapko vs Break Beats

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

Head to head
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 with adjustable gain and frequency, 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, per-pad dry level, and global room/decay/wet-level controls • Built-in delay/echo with per-pad send and global time, feedback, damping, and wet-level controls • Per-pad varispeed pitch — retune a pad up or down, turntable-style • Let a pad's hits overlap and ring out instead of cutting each other off — perfect for cymbals and pads 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; organize into folders, multi-select to move or delete, and export/import your whole library as a single file 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 backup — upload your kits and Media Library and restore them on another device, with live progress and a clear confirmation once everything is in iCloud • 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 • Pads assigned to an Aux bus are isolated to that bus, so you can send drums to individual channel strips without duplicating them on Main • Single-output hosts hear every pad that's still assigned to Main • Pads routed to an Aux bus show which output they use right on the pad 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 • Delay syncs to the host's tempo • 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.

About

Break Beats

This app is a portable loop player designed for DJs and turntablists. It offers 32 loop slots across eight banks, precise boundary-locked switching, and pitch control for practice and performance. Import your own breaks and record your sessions.

Highlights
  • 32 loop slots across 8 banks
  • Boundary-locked loop switching
  • Adjustable pitch control (±15% / ±50%)
  • Resonant low-pass and high-pass filters
  • Reverse playback
  • Built-in session recorder
  • Import custom WAV files
Read full description

Break Beats is a boundary-locked loop player built for portablists and turntablists. Connect your iPhone to a portable deck and you have a practice rig anywhere. Plug into a Numark PT01 Scratch, Reloop Spin or any portable turntable or mixer with an Aux input / Bluetooth and start working your scratch routines over your favourite breaks. THIRTY-TWO LOOP SLOTS Eight banks of four pads give you thirty-two assignable loop slots. Each bank is independent - load different breaks, different styles, different tempos. Swipe between banks and switch instantly without interrupting playback. Clear any pad back to empty whenever you want. BOUNDARY-LOCKED SWITCHING Tap a new pad while a loop is playing and the switch happens at the exact end of the current loop - never mid-bar. The incoming pad blinks while it waits. Keep scratching, the app handles the switch. PITCH CONTROL The pitch fader adjusts playback speed and pitch together, just like a turntable. The standard range is ±15%, and long-pressing PITCH unlocks ULTRA mode for ±50%. The BPM counter updates in real time so you can match any record on your deck. Tap to reset to centre. Long-press the BPM to enable Global BPM to lock every loop to one tempo automatically. RESONANT FILTERS Independent low-pass and high-pass filters let you sweep frequencies out and back in for dramatic transitions between combos. Long-press to switch between LPF and HPF; tap to reset. REVERSE & RECORD Flip any loop into boundary-locked reverse playback and capture your sessions with the built-in recorder straight to a WAV in your Files app. IMPORT YOUR OWN BREAKS Import any WAV file from your iPhone, iCloud Drive or Dropbox. Prepare your loops in your favourite DAW, note the BPM and append it to the file name when you export - preferably at 48000Hz 24-bit for the cleanest audio. The app reads the BPM from the filename automatically.

Screenshots

Tapko4 screens
Break Beats3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Tapko at 100% against Break Beats's 0%. Tapko also leads on update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). Break Beats's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tapko ships an update every 4 days, Break Beats every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tapko versus Break Beats: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTapkoBreak Beats
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.217.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDavid Lars GuvaCHRISTOPHER PHILIP SMITH

Customer experience

Tapko

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

Break Beats

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tapko

No in-app purchases

None

Break Beats

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tapko free?
Tapko costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Break Beats free?
Break Beats costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tapko or Break Beats have ads?
Neither Tapko nor Break Beats shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tapko or Break Beats?
Tapko ships an update every 4 days, and Break Beats every 2 weeks. Most recently, Tapko was updated on October 11, 2026 and Break Beats on October 7, 2026.

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