Comparison

Loopette vs TapeMan Recorder

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

Head to head
About

Loopette

Features
Read full description

Loopette is a cassette looper for iPhone. Press the tape to freeze. Drag to scrub. Flick to spin. The motor wobbles. The tape saturates. Loops that breathe. A pocket-sized tape machine, alive in your hands. Built for songwriters, producers, and sound designers who want analog character without menu-diving. WHAT IT FEELS LIKE • Touch-to-hold — press the cassette to freeze playback at the spot • Drag to scrub — DJ-style scratching with velocity-sensitive pitch • Flick to spin — momentum-based motion with a natural slowdown • Waveform timeline — see exactly where you are while you move WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE • Wow & flutter — slow drift and fast wobble, dialed by ear • Tape saturation — soft compression with frequency-dependent grain • Bias — frequency tilt the way old machines do • Ladder filter — warm, resonant low-pass that sweeps like a vintage synth • Hiss & age — noise floor and degradation you can taste HIDDEN DEPTH • Granular engine descended from a legendary open-source Eurorack module • Position, grain size, density, pitch — real texture synthesis • Found by feel, not by hunting through menus LOOPING THAT FLOWS • Overdub — layer takes without ever leaving the screen • Resampling — bounce loops back into the engine to keep building • Variable speed & reverse — pitch and direction as performance tools • Auto-save — never lose a take PROJECTS, NOT PRESETS • Name your projects on the tape label • Recall them instantly — your last take is one tap away • Import WAV, AIFF, or M4A; record from the mic • Export dry or fully wet, with the tape character baked in • Bluetooth-aware — auto-detects wireless audio gear NO SUBSCRIPTION One-time purchase. No ads. No login. No data harvesting. Free updates as new effects land — reverb, delay, and granular are next on the bench. Designed for iPhone. Made for musicians.

About

TapeMan Recorder

Features
Read full description

TapeMan turns your iPhone, iPad, or Mac into a tactile cassette recorder and performance instrument. Connect a class-compliant USB audio device or use the built-in microphone. Record WAV or M4A, then slow, stop, reverse, and scratch the interactive tape while recording, monitoring, or playing a saved take. THE CASSETTE IS THE INTERFACE • Scratch and manipulate the tape directly • Choose Hold, Follow, Sync, and Mix behavior • Add tape start, stop, wear, wobble, and recording color • Perform stackable Color, Motion, Space, Raw, and Direct effects • Control effects directly or through selectable XY mappings • Bounce a performance into a new non-destructive version BEAT-SYNCED LIVE TAPE • Capture seamless half- to eight-bar loops from live input • Quantize loop starts and releases, choose pre- or post-FX capture, and perform at half, normal, or double speed • Follow a selected MIDI clock source, detected audio beats, or a tapped/manual tempo • Keep a captured loop moving through MIDI Stop or temporary clock loss, then relock smoothly when clock returns ALL YOUR TAKES, TOGETHER • Search, sort, filter, loop, rename, trim, share, and delete • Keep originals, processed versions, stems, notes, and tempo metadata together • Record from the built-in microphone or compatible USB audio interfaces • Select input and output channel pairs • Use signal-activated recording and optional live monitoring LIVE MONITORING Monitor processed USB input through a separate stereo USB return when available. With a compatible 2-in/2-out device, TapeMan can also use the iPhone or iPad speaker when iOS routes USB input there. Keep the level low and stop if you hear feedback. OPTIONAL ON-DEVICE STEMS Separate vocals, drums, bass, and other with an optional model download. After installation, processing runs locally through Core ML. Mix, mute, solo, share, or save stems and bounces back into the take library. MAKE IT YOUR TAPE Choose from ten tuned 90s-inspired themes in light or dark mode. Import local video environments, apply a pixel treatment, and arrange clips behind the cassette. Video audio is never used. LOCAL-FIRST TapeMan has no account system, advertising, tracking, or automatic cloud upload. Recordings and imported media stay on your device unless you choose to export or share them. TapeMan is independent software and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any audio-hardware manufacturer.

Screenshots

Loopette4 screens
TapeMan Recorder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: TapeMan Recorder at Free against Loopette's $3.99. TapeMan Recorder also leads on device support (3 vs 1). Loopette's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

TapeMan Recorder is free to download; Loopette costs $3.99 up front. TapeMan Recorder sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Loopette asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Loopette versus TapeMan Recorder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoopetteTapeMan Recorder
Price$3.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNicholas CountsKristaps Dreija

In-app purchases

None

Loopette

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

TapeMan Recorder

One-time1
  • TapeMan Pro Lifetime$4.99

Questions

Is Loopette free?
Loopette costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is TapeMan Recorder free?
TapeMan Recorder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Loopette or TapeMan Recorder have ads?
Neither Loopette nor TapeMan Recorder shows ads.

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