VU Studio vs Foundry
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VU Studio
Create music on the go with a portable beatmaking workstation. Build beats, shape samples, and arrange full tracks with a structured yet fast workflow. Import and edit audio, then organize your ideas into complete songs.
- Portable project workflow
- Sample shaping and editing
- Pattern and sequence building
- Full track arrangement timeline
- Dedicated editing views
- Mixer for balancing tracks
- Live performance effects
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VU Studio is a beatmaking workstation built for creating ideas, shaping samples, and arranging full tracks in one portable project workflow. Start with pads and sounds, build patterns per group, combine those patterns into sequences, then arrange patterns, sequences, and audio tracks on the song timeline. The workflow is direct enough for sketching beats quickly, but structured enough to grow an idea into a finished arrangement. Import audio into pads, preview waveforms, edit sample regions, and use CHOP to split samples into playable slices. VU Studio keeps imported audio inside the project package, so your songs stay portable instead of depending on temporary file picker paths. Use dedicated views for the way you want to work: - PADS for samples, pad settings, and sound preparation - STEPS for fast pattern programming - PIANO for detailed note and event editing - SEQUENCE for building song sections from patterns - SONG / Timeline for arranging the full track - MIXER for balancing groups, pads, audio tracks, sends, inserts, and master output - LIVE for performance effects and quick sound manipulation - BROWSER for finding and loading audio sources VU Studio projects are saved as managed .vustudio packages. Export creates a portable .vustudio archive for transfer or backup, with project data and assets kept together. On iOS, projects live in Documents so they remain visible in Apple Files. You're a fan of my previous VU202 app? That's great - VU Studio supports .vu202 project file - move your project and keep 100% edit possibilities! Whether you are chopping drum breaks, programming patterns, building sections, importing samples, or moving a project between iOS and desktop, VU Studio is designed around a simple idea: keep the beatmaking flow fast, organized, and portable.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Foundry at 100% against VU Studio's 56%. Foundry also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.5). VU Studio's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. VU Studio sells 8 one-off in-app purchases and Foundry sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Foundry holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of VU Studio's written reviews are positive against 100% of Foundry's.
VU Studio ships an update every 6 days, Foundry weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VU Studio | Foundry |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 55.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 days — better | Weekly |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 171 MB | 97 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dariusz Chynek | Querci |
Customer experience
VU Studio
Foundry
In-app purchases
VU Studio
- S2400$0.99
- EMAX$0.99
- MPC 2000$0.99
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- MPC 2000 2$0.99
- SP202$0.99
- S900$0.99
- SP1200$0.99
- MPC3000$0.99
Foundry
- Foundry Pro$2.991 Month
- Foundry Pro7 Days trial$19.991 Year
- Foundry Pro Lifetime$39.99









