# CRATE vs Octal

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CRATE at none against Octal's 1. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Octal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CRATE asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CRATE against 5.0 for Octal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly daily. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | CRATE | Octal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-ai-sampler/id6818032563/reviews) | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-pocket-synth/id6822089963/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Daily | Daily |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 36 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [书晗 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1506489090) | [RYAN JAMES,GALANG ELLIS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6818578656) |

## What reviewers say

### CRATE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/crate-ai-sampler/id6818032563)

Describe a musical vibe, and this app generates a beat with drums, samples, and bass in seconds. You can then easily modify it using simple text commands or intuitive pad gestures, and even sample from your microphone or imported songs.

**Highlights:** Generate beats from text descriptions, Modify beats with plain language commands, Intuitive pad-based editing, Live recording and step sequencing, Punch-in effects, Sample from microphone or imported audio, Auto-chop and re-sequence samples, Song arrangement and export

**In-app purchases:** none


### Octal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/octal-pocket-synth/id6822089963)

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:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Octal, the full version | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CRATE free?

CRATE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Octal free?

Octal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CRATE or Octal?

CRATE and Octal are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do CRATE or Octal have ads?

Neither CRATE nor Octal shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CRATE or Octal?

CRATE ships an update daily, and Octal daily. Most recently, CRATE was updated on October 31, 2026 and Octal on October 31, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*