Comparison

StreetSampler vs Pixelsynth

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

Head to head
About

StreetSampler

Read full description

THE WORLD IS YOUR SAMPLE LIBRARY StreetSampler is a sampler that turns everyday sounds into music. Record a train, a door, a voice, or the sound of the street wherever you find it. Trim and shape the sound, play it on 16 pads, and build a sequence while the inspiration is still fresh. CAPTURE FAST • Start recording instantly from the REC widget • Import audio from video • Automatically add clear, location-based titles • Create offline SHAPE YOUR SOUND • Trim intuitively with a clear waveform • Adjust pitch, speed, volume, pan, and looping • Play sounds on 16 responsive pads • Copy and rearrange pads without interrupting your flow BUILD THE BEAT • Create patterns with the built-in step sequencer • Set the BPM and save your work as a project • Automatically share recordings and projects with StreetSampler on Mac, with easy DAW import FROM STREET TO STUDIO Pair with StreetSampler on Mac to automatically sync recordings and projects over your local Wi‑Fi network. Some sync features require Pro. STREETSAMPLER PRO UPGRADE • Unlimited saved projects • Unlimited automatic sync with Mac • StreetSampler for Mac: export, drag to DAW and more with the same purchase • One-time purchase with no subscription The Free version includes recording, editing, 16 pads, sequencing, sharing, three saved projects, and 15 Wi‑Fi transfers. One purchase unlocks Pro on iPhone, iPad and Mac signed in with the same Apple Account.

About

Pixelsynth

This app transforms musical input into a vibrant visual experience, allowing users to see and shape their sound in real-time. It offers a playful and immediate way to create music, with all controls and feedback displayed on a single screen. Designed by a Deaf musician, it prioritizes visual feedback as an integral part of the instrument.

Highlights
  • Real-time visual sound shaping
  • Interactive 16-pad grid
  • Adjustable waveforms, filters, and envelopes
  • LFO, delay, and reverb effects
  • AUv3 instrument compatibility
  • Offline functionality
Features
Read full description

Make a sound in seconds—and shape it while it plays. Pixelsynth turns taps, drags, melodies, and chords into a colorful instrument you can understand by watching it. Everything you play lives on one screen. Touch a note and start exploring. FROM THE DEVELOPER OF PIXELBOOP Pixelsynth is a new visual instrument from the maker of Pixelboop. Both apps share a love of playful grids, immediate feedback, and musical ideas that begin with one touch. PLAY FIRST. LEARN BY WATCHING. Sixteen pads invite you to find a melody, hold a chord, or strum across the screen. Notes light up as you play, and every sound control moves in front of you. You can see what each gesture is doing while you hear the result. SHAPE THE SOUND LIVE • Switch waveforms to change the character of your sound. • Sweep the filter from bright and open to soft and focused. • Shape attack, decay, sustain, and release for crisp plucks, swelling notes, and long tails. • Add motion with LFO, repeating echoes with delay, and depth with reverb. Each control is a colorful tank. Touch higher or lower inside it to set the value directly. Values in the upper half stay where you leave them; notes in the lower half drain away after you lift. It feels immediate because the picture and the sound follow the same gesture. MADE TO BE SEEN Created by a Deaf musician, Pixelsynth treats visual feedback as part of the instrument. The entire musical surface is drawn on a 40 by 24 pixel grid—just 960 pixels—so every control stays visible and every change has a visual response. PLAY IT YOUR WAY Open Pixelsynth as a standalone instrument on iPhone or iPad, or load the included AUv3 instrument in a compatible iOS music host. Your host can send MIDI notes and save the instrument state with your project. A compatible host is available separately. FREE TO EXPLORE No account. No in-app purchases. No third-party ads. The instrument works offline. The standalone app may occasionally show developer news or an introduction to Pixelboop, which you can close immediately. Pixelsynth does not track you or collect the music you play. Open it. Touch a note. See where it takes you.

Screenshots

StreetSampler4 screens
Pixelsynth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pixelsynth at none against StreetSampler's 1. Pixelsynth also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. StreetSampler sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pixelsynth asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StreetSampler ships an update every 2 months, Pixelsynth every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
StreetSampler versus Pixelsynth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStreetSamplerPixelsynth
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomocreate, Inc.de Bastion, Inc

In-app purchases

1 purchases

StreetSampler

One-time1
  • StreetSampler Pro$4.99
None

Pixelsynth

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StreetSampler free?
StreetSampler is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pixelsynth free?
Pixelsynth is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do StreetSampler or Pixelsynth have ads?
Neither StreetSampler nor Pixelsynth shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StreetSampler or Pixelsynth?
StreetSampler ships an update every 2 months, and Pixelsynth every 9 days. Most recently, StreetSampler was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pixelsynth on October 11, 2026.

Other comparisons