Comparison

FIELD KIT Playback Engine vs Porthole Audio

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

Head to head
About

FIELD KIT Playback Engine

Transform audio recordings into evolving textures, rhythms, and atmospheres. Create up to four independent playback windows with customizable speed, direction, and effects. Explore new sonic material from your recordings.

Highlights
  • Up to four independent playback windows
  • Variable playback speed and direction
  • Drive and filtering per window
  • Routable modulation sources
  • Save and recall .fieldkit files
  • Standalone app and AUv3 Audio Unit
Currently charting
Read full description

FIELD KIT is an audio playback instrument built for turning recorded sound into evolving texture, rhythm, and atmosphere. Load an audio file and create up to four independent playback windows across the recording. Each window can move through a different section of the source with its own playback speed, direction, crossfade, drive, filtering, level, and pan. Use FIELD KIT to pull overlapping textures from long field recordings, transform environmental sound into ambient beds, create asynchronous loops, or find entirely new material hidden inside a recording. Three modulation sources can be routed independently across the playback windows, allowing parameters to drift, pulse, and evolve over time. Features include: - Up to four independent playback windows - Forward, reverse, and ping-pong playback - Variable playback speed - Adjustable loop crossfade - Drive and filtering per window - Independent level and pan controls - Three routable modulation sources - SPLICE for working with multiple audio sources - Save and recall .fieldkit files to share across platforms - Internal recording in Standalone mode - Standalone app and AUv3 Audio Unit - Host transport support in compatible AUv3 hosts FIELD KIT was designed around a simple idea: a recording doesn't have to be played from beginning to end. It can be a place to explore.

About

Porthole Audio

This app captures system audio from your device and routes it into audio plug-ins. It allows you to host AUv3 plug-ins and use the app itself as an instrument within other music applications.

Highlights
  • Capture system audio
  • Route audio to plug-ins
  • Host AUv3 plug-ins
  • Use as an AUv3 instrument
  • Cross-app audio capture
Currently charting
Read full description

Porthole captures audio from other apps and sends it directly to AUv3 samplers. No screen recordings, video trimming, or file transfers required. AUv3 Hosting Open a compatible sampler inside Porthole and capture audio directly into it. AUv3 Instrument Load Porthole in AUM, Loopy Pro, GarageBand, or another compatible host. Direct Audio Capture Record audio playing in other apps without creating video files or extracting audio afterward.

Screenshots

FIELD KIT Playback Engine4 screens
Porthole Audio3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: FIELD KIT Playback Engine at 80% against Porthole Audio's 50%. FIELD KIT Playback Engine also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 27.0). Porthole Audio's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and price ($4.99 vs $9.99). On ratings volume, 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

FIELD KIT Playback Engine costs $9.99 and Porthole Audio $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Porthole Audio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 4 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of FIELD KIT Playback Engine's written reviews are positive against 50% of Porthole Audio's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FIELD KIT Playback Engine ships an update every 2 weeks, Porthole Audio every 11 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
FIELD KIT Playback Engine versus Porthole Audio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFIELD KIT Playback EnginePorthole Audio
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.6 (5 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings5 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 11 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#167#139 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperField Tone Audio, LLCFeras Alnatsheh

Customer experience

FIELD KIT Playback Engine

All ratings4 ratings
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Porthole Audio

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

FIELD KIT Playback Engine

No in-app purchases

None

Porthole Audio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FIELD KIT Playback Engine free?
FIELD KIT Playback Engine costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Porthole Audio free?
Porthole Audio costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, FIELD KIT Playback Engine or Porthole Audio?
Porthole Audio is rated higher. FIELD KIT Playback Engine averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Porthole Audio averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do FIELD KIT Playback Engine or Porthole Audio have ads?
Neither FIELD KIT Playback Engine nor Porthole Audio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FIELD KIT Playback Engine or Porthole Audio?
FIELD KIT Playback Engine ships an update every 2 weeks, and Porthole Audio every 11 days. Most recently, FIELD KIT Playback Engine was updated on November 6, 2026 and Porthole Audio on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, FIELD KIT Playback Engine or Porthole Audio?
FIELD KIT Playback Engine currently peaks at #167 in the App Store charts, and Porthole Audio at #139. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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