Comparison

Sceneboard vs Octal

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

Head to head
About

Sceneboard

Features
Read full description

Sceneboard is a private, custom soundboard for your own sounds. Import an audio file, pull the audio out of a video, or record straight into the app — trim it, normalize its loudness, drop it on a big colourful pad, and fire it the instant you touch it. Built for tabletop game masters running ambience and effects at the table — and just as at home in a classroom, a podcast session, or anywhere you need your own sounds on cue. YOUR SOUNDS, NOT A CATALOGUE • Import audio files, extract the audio from videos, or record with the microphone • Trim on a waveform and normalize loudness — one tap makes a quiet clip as loud as the rest • Nothing is bundled and nothing is uploaded: every sound on your board is yours INSTANT, RELIABLE PLAYBACK • Pads fire the moment you touch them — no spinner, no confirmation, no delay • The live grid never scrolls and hides no gestures, so a tap in the dark always means play • Four per-pad modes: Restart, Interrupt, Overlap, and Loop (tap again to stop) • Smooth, click-free stops and seamless loops — even for clips that weren't made to loop • Loops keep playing with the screen off or the app in the background • Stop all in one tap; the Playing tray shows everything sounding — and stops any one sound, from any page MADE FOR THE TABLE • Big, legible pads with your labels, colours and icons — readable in a dim room at arm's length • Fixed pages with names and colours, switched from a permanent strip — never by a gesture that could misfire a pad • One app for iPhone and iPad, portrait and landscape; pad positions are remembered per device and orientation • Your board shows your pads — not a screen padded out with empty cells; rotate the device and the same pads are simply rearranged • VoiceOver, Dynamic Type and Reduce Motion supported throughout FAIR AND PRIVATE • Free forever: one board with 8 pads and the complete toolset — import, video extraction, recording, trim, normalize, every playback mode • A single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited boards and pads, hardware keyboard shortcuts, and board export & sharing • Share a whole board — sounds included — by AirDrop or Messages; importing a shared board is free • No ads. No subscription. No account. No tracking. Your clips never leave your device. Your sounds. One tap. No ads.

About

Octal

This app transforms your phone into a musical instrument with eight intuitive buttons that always create harmonious chords or notes. Easily record loops, layer beats, and arrange them into full songs. Explore a variety of sounds and share your creations.

Highlights
  • Eight-button chord/note interface
  • Loop recording and editing
  • Song arrangement
  • Diverse sound library
  • Undo/history functionality
  • Audio file sharing
Features
Read full description

Octal turns your phone into an instrument. The eight buttons play chords or notes that always go together, so whatever you press sounds like music. The bead under your other thumb changes their mood or behavior as you play. MAKE A LOOP Press record and play a few bars. Open the wheel, pick drums or a bass, and play over the top. Swipe over to the Loop Deck to see your loop and change it bar by bar. TURN LOOPS INTO A SONG Pinch the Loop Deck and chain your loops into a song. SOUNDS Synths, keys, drum kits, textures and acoustic instruments, a tap away on the wheel. NEVER LOSE AN EDIT Every edit is kept. The history tool lets you wind back to any of them. SHARE IT Send the mix as an audio file, or send the loop or song itself to a friend who has Octal. Making music in Octal is free, with four saved loops and one song. THE FULL VERSION One purchase, no subscription. MIDI and stems to finish your song in a DAW, MIDI out to play other synths, the bead lab to make and keep sounds of your own, and as many loops and songs as you like. PRIVACY Octal collects no data. The microphone is only on while you record a sound or play a Vocoder.

Screenshots

Sceneboard4 screens
Octal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Sceneboard at 16.4 against Octal's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Sceneboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Octal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Sceneboard versus Octal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSceneboardOctal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyDailyDaily
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB36 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaksym TsaplinRYAN JAMES,GALANG ELLIS

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Sceneboard

One-time1
  • Everything unlock$5.99
1 purchases

Octal

One-time1
  • Octal, the full version$9.99

Questions

Is Sceneboard free?
Sceneboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Octal free?
Octal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Sceneboard or Octal have ads?
Neither Sceneboard nor Octal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Sceneboard or Octal?
Sceneboard ships an update daily, and Octal daily. Most recently, Sceneboard was updated on October 29, 2026 and Octal on October 26, 2026.

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