Koala Sampler vs WavePad
Koala Sampler
koalasampler.comWavePad
nch.com.auSide by side
| Figure | Koala Sampler | WavePad |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $3.33/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| iOS | Yes | Yes |
| Android | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 11 | 8 |
| Spec score · Audio Editing Software | 9.0 (#8) | 9.2 (#3) |
| Company facts | elf audio is a two-person London music-software company, according to its own about page. | LinkedIn lists NCH Software as privately held, founded in 1993, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, with 51–200 employees. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Headquarters | Sidcup, Kent, United Kingdom | Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Integrations | iOS AUv3 operation works in hosts including AUM, GarageBand and Logic Pro, and Ableton Link enables Wi-Fi jamming. | Official pages describe MixPad integration and DirectX and VST DLL plug-in support. |
| Licence | The desktop plugin is proprietary software licensed personally, non-exclusively and non-transferably; one licence can run on up to three computers. | NCH's EULA reserves copyright to NCH and licenses installation and use, making WavePad proprietary rather than open source. |
| Praise: ease of use | Google Play reviewers repeatedly describe Koala as intuitive, quick to learn and effective for experimenting with beats. | Independent reviewers repeatedly praise the simple, intuitive interface and quick learning curve. |
| Privacy | The maker says iOS and Android apps do not require an account and do not send projects or audio to the maker; microphone, file, and photo permissions stay on the device. | NCH's privacy policy says it does not store credit card information and uses SSL to encrypt personal information in transit on its site. |
| Purpose | Koala records sounds with a device microphone or imports sounds for making beats, adding effects, and creating tracks. | WavePad records and edits music, voice and other audio recordings. |
| Rating on Apple App Store | 4.8 out of 5 from 1.4K ratings | 4.6 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings. |
| Rating on Google Play | 4.8 out of 5 from 3.27K reviews | 3.2 out of 5 from 37.7K reviews. |
| Security and privacy | The maker says projects and audio stay on the user's computer, mobile apps need no account, and it does not sell data or use it for advertising. | The EULA says limited anonymized usage statistics may be collected under NCH's privacy statement and software is supplied as-is with liability limitations. |
| Support | The help center provides knowledge-base articles, bug-report guidance, crash-log instructions and a contact route. | NCH provides WavePad video tutorials, a help manual, FAQ, forum and technical support contact. |
| What it does | Koala records microphone sounds or imports audio, turns them into beats, applies effects, sequences ideas and resamples performances. | WavePad records and edits music, voice and other audio files with cutting, pasting, effects and format conversion. |
Plans
Koala Sampler
- DesktopPrice not published
- Desktop Koala SamplerFree
- Desktop plugin trialFree
- Koala Sampler desktop plugin trialFree
- Koala Sampler (Mac, Windows, Linux, Raspberry Pi)Free
- Sample packs$2.99, paid once
- Samurai Edition$3.99, paid once
- Koala Sampler for Android$4.99, paid once
- Koala Sampler for iOS$4.99, paid once
- Koala Sampler (iOS)$4.99, paid once
WavePad
- Master's Edition Annual Plan$99 a year
- Standard Edition Annual Plan$60 a year
- Master's Edition Quarterly Plan$16.50 a month
- Free versionFree
- WavePad Free VersionFree
- Master's Edition Quarterly Plan$21.48 a month
- Standard Edition Annual Plan$39.95 a year
- Master's Edition Annual Plan$69.95 a year
In their own words
Koala Sampler
Koala Sampler records sounds through a device microphone or imports audio for making beats and tracks. It can capture up to 64 samples and includes a high-resolution sequencer, keyboard mode, quantization, swing, and effects. Projects can be exported as WAV loops or tracks; the iOS version can also export Ableton Live Sets. MIDI control and Ableton Link support external control and Wi-Fi jamming. Optional in-app purchases add more tools: Samurai includes time-stretch algorithms, a piano roll, auto-chop, a three-band EQ, a polyphonic synth, and MIDI output. Mixer adds four channels, a main bus, and five effect slots per channel; its external plugin hosting is available on iOS, Mac, and Windows, but not Android. Koala Sampler is listed for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. Desktop builds for Mac, Windows, Linux, and Raspberry Pi are free for now, although the Windows build is in beta. The iOS app costs $4.99, paid once, with in-app purchases sold separately. The maker says mobile apps do not require an account and keep projects and audio on the device.
WavePad
WavePad records and edits music, voice, and other audio on Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android. Its editing tools include cut, copy, paste, trim, compression, and pitch shifting, while effects include echo, amplification, and equalization. Restoration tools reduce noise and remove clicks and pops. The software supports more than 50 formats, including MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, AAC, and M4A. Batch processing can apply effects or convert thousands of files in one operation. WavePad supports sample rates from 6 to 192 kHz, in stereo or mono and at 8, 16, 24, or 32 bits. It also supports DirectX and VST plugins, though the Standard Edition excludes VST support and the SFX Library. The maker lists podcast and radio editing, voiceovers, ringtone creation, and audio restoration as typical uses. The free version costs nothing, is for non-commercial use, and does not expire. It enables additional Master's Edition features for a 14-day trial after installation. Paid options include $60 a year for Standard Edition and $99 a year for Master's Edition.