Sonyk vs Groovebox by Ampify

Ampify’s Groovebox is the friendliest way to make a beat on an iPhone; Sonyk goes deeper and adds DJ decks. We link to Groovebox by Ampify because if it’s the better tool for you, you should have it.

Try it free in your browser

Both apps have a free way in. Try Sonyk in the browser without installing anything.

Where Groovebox by Ampify wins

The gentlest on-ramp in the category — instant results, curated sounds, nothing to learn.
A big catalogue of ready-made sound packs, many free.
Very stable, very polished, backed by a large company (Focusrite).

Where Sonyk wins

Synthesis you can dig into — the 303 model, the analog poly, wavetables, FM, granular, a patchable semi-modular.
Sequencer depth: trig conditions, polymeter, euclidean rhythms, per-step slides and accents, song mode with automation.
DJ decks with beat sync, stems, looper and performance FX; Ableton Link; AUv3 hosting and plug-in.
Mac, Vision Pro and a free browser version; Pro syncs songs across all of them.

Side by side

	Groovebox by Ampify	Sonyk
Beginner friendly	Best in class	Good
Sound packs	Large store	Bundled + your own library
Synth depth	Preset-driven	Deep
DJ decks + stems	—	Yes
Ableton Link	Yes	Yes
AUv3	Host	Host + plug-in
Platforms	iPhone, iPad	iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro, web

Verdict

For a first beat on a phone, Groovebox by Ampify is a lovely place to start. When you want to shape the sounds yourself, sequence like a hardware box and play the results out on decks, move to Sonyk.

Questions

Is Sonyk harder to learn?

The dice write real starter patterns on empty tracks and every knob has a default, so the first minute is easy; the depth is there when you want it. The user guide covers everything.