By Mazbox
Report updated Apr 12, 2026
Sampletoy
For experimental musicians, sound designers, and hobbyists looking for an intuitive, portable tool to capture and manipulate audio in creative ways.
Sampletoy is an established music app that is completely free. With a 4.2/5 rating from 102 reviews, it shows polarized user reception.
What Is Sampletoy?
Current Momentum
v1.2.4 · 86mo ago
ZombieSampletoy's last major update introduced AudioBus3 support and file importing in March 2019. The app has not been updated in over seven years.
Active Nemesis
Samplr
By Marcos Alonso
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
No ranking data
Recent User Mood 🇺🇸
Gathering signals...
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?
Loading...
What Are The Key Features?
Capture sounds via microphone and manipulate them using granular synthesis techniques
Play back sounds at different pitches using up to 5 fingers simultaneously
Toggle between traditional keyboard scales and microtonal, free-form sound manipulation
Who is it for & how much does it cost?
Target Audience
Experimental musicians, sound designers, and hobbyists looking for an intuitive, portable tool to capture and manipulate audio in creative ways.
Pricing
Free- Fully free application with no mentioned in-app purchases or subscriptions
The app is a legacy-style utility offered for free, likely serving as a brand-builder for Elf Audio rather than a direct revenue generator.
Who Built It?
Enrichment in progress
Publisher profile available very soon
What other apps does Mazbox make?
What do users think recently?
Gathering public signals...
Sentiment analysis will be available soon
What is the competitive landscape for Sampletoy?
How's The Music Market?
Market outlook for this category
Available very soon
Music Market Trend
Music market trend & dynamics
Available very soon
The rivals identified
The Nemesis
Samplr
★4.7 (151)Marcos Alonso
Samplr is the definitive multitouch granular sampler on iOS, sharing Sampletoy's core philosophy of tactile, gesture-based audio manipulation but with a more professional feature set.
Head to Head
Samplr holds a clear edge as the professional standard for this sub-genre due to its active development and deeper feature set. Sampletoy remains a credible, lightweight alternative for hobbyists specifically seeking a free, scale-constrained granular experience.
What sets Sampletoy apart
- +
Offers a completely free entry point compared to the premium pricing of the nemesis
- +
Includes a dedicated 'Stepped' mode for chromatic and scale-based playing, which is more intuitive for traditional melodic work
What's Samplr's Edge
- -
Significantly larger user base and stronger industry reputation as a professional tool
- -
More frequent updates and modern compatibility with the latest iOS versions and hardware
Contenders
tardigrain
★4.5 (95)Erik Sigth
A highly accessible granular synthesizer that balances experimental sound design with a more traditional synth layout.
Full AUv3 support for integration into modern iOS DAWs
Built-in factory presets and a more structured synthesis engine
SpaceCraft Granular Synth
★4.7 (150)Mark Watt
A modern, highly visual granular engine that focuses on ease of use and immediate creative results.
Dual-engine architecture for layering two different samples
Innovative 'XY' pad control for grain density and position
Peers
Centralized library for all audio files on an iOS device
Built-in basic editing and normalization tools
AUM - Audio Mixer
Kymatica AB
The primary mixer and host for iOS musicians, often used to route Sampletoy's audio into other effects or recorders.
Sophisticated routing and mixing capabilities for multiple apps
Highly stable performance environment for live use
New Kids on the Block
Gauss Field Looper
★4.7 (113)Bram Bos
A collaboration with experimental artist Hainbach that brings a unique tape-looping approach to granular-style manipulation.
Authentic tape-style degradation and pitch-shifting effects
Focus on 'happy accidents' and organic, evolving loops
The outtake for Sampletoy
SWOT Analysis
Core Strengths
- Completely free entry point
- Unique 'Stepped' mode for melodic granular work
- 5-finger multitouch responsiveness
- Professional 44kHz/16bit audio quality
Critical Frictions
- No updates since March 2019
- Lack of AUv3 support for modern DAW integration
- Limited synthesis modes compared to Samplr
- Outdated email-based export workflow
Growth Levers
- Modernize to AUv3 format to capture the iPad DAW market
- Implement gesture recording to compete with Samplr's automation
- Update UI for modern high-resolution displays
Market Threats
- Samplr's dominance as the professional standard
- App Store removal due to lack of 64-bit/modern API updates
- Newer competitors like Tardigrain offering better ecosystem integration
What are the next best moves?
Develop AUv3 support
Competitors like Tardigrain and SpaceCraft offer AUv3, which is now the industry standard for iOS music production; Sampletoy's lack of this feature limits its use in modern workflows.
Implement Gesture Recording
The Nemesis (Samplr) uses gesture recording as a key differentiator for complex textures; adding this would close a significant feature gap.
Update for iOS 17+ compatibility
The app was last updated in 2019 (v1.2.5), posing a high risk of churn due to technical obsolescence and potential OS-level crashes.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- AUv3 Support (available in Tardigrain and SpaceCraft)
- Gesture Recording and Playback (available in Samplr)
- Dual-engine architecture (available in SpaceCraft)
- Advanced play modes like Bow and Tape (available in Samplr)
Key Takeaways
Sampletoy is a high-potential experimental tool currently trapped in maintenance mode. While its 'Stepped Mode' and free price point provide a niche competitive edge, its failure to adopt the AUv3 standard and its 5-year update hiatus make it a high-risk choice for professional users compared to Samplr.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
Last updated March 2019 — the app is in maintenance mode, not active development.
Maintains a 4.17 rating despite age, suggesting core stability but lack of modern features.