# BeatHawk vs iSymphonic Orchestra

The clearest difference is rating: BeatHawk at 4.3 against iSymphonic Orchestra's 3.8. BeatHawk also leads on ratings volume (394 vs 103) and iOS requirement (9.3 vs 12.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

BeatHawk costs $9.99 and iSymphonic Orchestra $9.99 up front. BeatHawk sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and iSymphonic Orchestra sells 12 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

BeatHawk holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 394 and 103 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of BeatHawk's written reviews are positive against 63% of iSymphonic Orchestra's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeatHawk | iSymphonic Orchestra |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beathawk/id839563064/reviews)** | [3.8 (103 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isymphonic-orchestra/id892220800/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **394** | 103 |
| Positive reviews | **67.1% of reviews** | 62.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 981 MB | 1.3 GB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UVI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1108452322) | [Christian Schoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte](https://appshunter.io/developer/428367741) |

## What reviewers say

### BeatHawk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beathawk/id839563064)

Create, record, and mix music on the go with this portable production studio. It offers a vast library of sounds, instruments, and effects, allowing you to import your own samples and collaborate with other apps. Export your creations in various formats or share them directly to social media.

**Highlights:** Create beats and compose tracks, Sample, record, and sequence music, Mix and arrange your own music, High-quality UVI sounds and effects, Import your own samples, Export mixes, stems, and MIDI, Share on YouTube and SoundCloud

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| World Percussion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Latin Percusion | $1.99 | one-time |
| 808 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Trip Hop | $3.99 | one-time |
| Atlanta Urban | $4.99 | one-time |
| Funk | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guitar Loops | $4.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Drums | $4.99 | one-time |
| Choirs | $7.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Grand | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 High-quality sounds and sound packs
- 💻 Works well as an AUv3 plugin
- 🎶 Excellent for creating beats and music ideas
- 🔥 Powerful and flexible

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues, especially on older devices
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find samples/packs
- 💰 Sound packs are expensive
- 🖼️ Interface could use better visual clarity and customization
- 🔌 Bluetooth connectivity problems

**Reported bugs**

- Repeat Quantize setting not working properly
- Saving and loading projects can be unreliable
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Latency and performance problems when used as an AUv3

**Requested features**

- Add more pad banks and sample editing capabilities
- Improve file management and integration with cloud storage
- Implement MIDI learn and more advanced MIDI functionality
- Add built-in synth engine and more effects
- Enhance song mode and multi-track capabilities


### iSymphonic Orchestra

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/isymphonic-orchestra/id892220800)

This app provides sophisticated, realistic orchestral sounds for musicians. Connect a MIDI keyboard to your device to access a wide range of instruments for live performance or composition. It supports advanced audio and MIDI connections with other apps.

**Highlights:** Realistic orchestral instrument sounds, MIDI keyboard connectivity, Audio Unit and Inter-App Audio support, Low latency audio engine, Integrated effects with presets, MIDI recording and playback

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (12)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Arpa Sound Set | $8.99 | one-time |
| Vento Sound Set | $8.99 | one-time |
| Pro Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Canto Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Boato Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Voce Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Varia Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Aulos Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Perla Sound Set | $11.99 | one-time |
| Cupra Sound Set | $16.99 | one-time |
| Corda Sound Set | $16.99 | one-time |
| Keys Sound Set | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Exceptional sound quality and realistic orchestral samples
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🎹 Highly responsive to MIDI keyboard input and expression controls
- 🔌 Seamless integration with DAWs like GarageBand, Cubasis, and AUM
- 🎼 Wide variety of articulations and instrument combinations

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive in-app purchases for additional sound packs
- 🐛 Crashes when used as AU plugin with multiple instances
- ⚠️ Random loud distortion artifacts at unpredictable times
- 🎹 On-screen keyboard is too small and difficult to use
- 🔊 Inconsistent volume levels across different notes and instruments

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when using multiple AU instances in AUM
- GarageBand integration fails during export and audio merging
- Audio cuts out or plays only partially during export
- Track deletion causes complete app crash and data loss
- Reverberation artifacts on specific notes (C4, C5)

**Requested features**

- Ability to hide unowned sound packs for easier navigation
- Zoom function for keyboard section
- Adjustable attack and release envelope controls
- Filter to show only owned sounds
- Dedicated save/record/play controls on main screen


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeatHawk free?

BeatHawk costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is iSymphonic Orchestra free?

iSymphonic Orchestra costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BeatHawk or iSymphonic Orchestra?

BeatHawk is rated higher. BeatHawk averages 4.3 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while iSymphonic Orchestra averages 3.8 from 103 ratings.

### Do BeatHawk or iSymphonic Orchestra have ads?

Neither BeatHawk nor iSymphonic Orchestra shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BeatHawk or iSymphonic Orchestra?

BeatHawk ships an update every 2 months, and iSymphonic Orchestra every 2 months. Most recently, BeatHawk was updated on September 29, 2026 and iSymphonic Orchestra on October 1, 2026.

---

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