Head-to-head
djay vs BandLab
djay
65
Winner
BandLab
BandLab
75
BandLab is a better choice for aspiring musicians due to its robust free features and community, while djay is suitable for professional DJs willing to pay for its advanced mixing capabilities.
BandLab offers a comprehensive free music creation platform with a strong community, making it ideal for beginners, despite recent complaints about ads and paywalls. Djay, while highly praised by professional DJs for its advanced features, faces significant criticism for its aggressive paywall and connection issues with music services.
Head to head
djay Djay is praised by professional DJs for its comprehensive features and seamless integration with hardware controllers, offering a "great for on the go mixing" experience R2R34. However, many users express frustration over essential features like recording, Spotify integration, and even basic mixing tools being locked behind a premium subscription R1R10R20R27. Some users also report issues with specific features like auto-DJ mode's equalizer resetting R7, track loading problems , and a lack of trending songs .
BandLab BandLab is lauded for its ability to turn music from "ok to studio quality" and its "very easy learning curve," making it a "great starter for people who want to learn more about music" R71. Users appreciate the variety of vocal presets and editing tools . However, recent updates have introduced significant limitations, with many features, including increased track layers and samples, now behind paywalls R84. Users also desire more instruments, such as Chinese instruments .
djay Djay is described as "easy to navigate and upload songs to" by some users, especially when integrated with controllers R28R34. However, others find it "bad so hard to use and log in" R18. Issues like the equalizer auto-resetting R7 and pins lagging during mixing detract from the user experience.
BandLab BandLab is praised for its "very easy learning curve" and being "easy to use" R71. Many users find it a great starting point for music creation . Conversely, some users find the app "so confusing" and "very hard to understand and get to things" , especially after recent updates that rearranged the interface .
djay Djay users report frequent crashes during live streams and in automix mode R6. Glitches are also mentioned R11. Connectivity issues are a common complaint, particularly with Spotify R16R24R27R43 and local music libraries R19. Some users also experience problems with external hardware, such as controllers and mixers .
BandLab BandLab users have experienced critical bugs, such as the app stopping voice recording and producing only static . Crashes upon booting up are also reported . Some users mention a "timer stuck on my screen" that wouldn't go away . There are also reports of accounts being suspended without explanation and a lack of support R67.
djay Djay is heavily criticized for its aggressive paywall, with many users stating that "you have to pay for EVERYTHING for an actual good DJ experience" R3R20. Basic functionalities like recording songs and connecting to music apps (even with existing premium subscriptions) require payment R1R10R13R20. This leads to a perception of poor value for free users, with some calling it "money hungry" R20. However, paying users find it "well worth the small investment" for professional use R34.
BandLab BandLab is initially praised for its "robust" free version, allowing users to "get started" with music creation R71. However, recent updates have introduced significant paywalls, with "almost all of the premium features are ai slop" and many once-free features now locked behind subscriptions R70R84. Users are frustrated by the introduction of unskippable ads that block functionality R73.
Pick djay if
You are a professional DJ or serious enthusiast willing to pay for a premium experience, especially if you use external DJ controllers R3R34.
Pick BandLab if
You are a new musician looking for a free, robust platform to start making music and connect with a community, and are willing to tolerate some ads or consider a subscription for advanced features R71.
Evidence note: Both apps have a free-vs-paid asymmetry. Djay's negative reviews often stem from free users frustrated by paywalls, while paid users generally express satisfaction R1R3R20R34. BandLab, despite its higher lifetime rating, has seen a recent surge in negative reviews from free users due to increased ads and features moving behind paywalls, which impacts its perceived value for non-paying users R73R84.
Frequently asked
Can I use djay for free?
Does BandLab have a free tier?
Which app is better for connecting to Spotify?
Neither app has a strong record for seamless Spotify integration; djay users frequently report issues connecting to Spotify, often requiring a premium subscription even if they already have Spotify Premium R16R24R27R43. BandLab reviews do not specifically mention Spotify integration issues, focusing more on general feature access and ads.
What reviewers actually said
Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.
- [R1] djay DO NOT DOWNLOAD IF YOUR NOT WANTING TO USE MONEY: It cost money to play because if you don’t pay money you literally can’t do anything
- [R2] djay June: Love it ! Great for on the go mixing
- [R3] djay It’s okay.: You have to pay for EVERYTHING for an actual good DJ experience. But if you pay and are a professional DJ this app is your app!
- [R7] djay Never fixed: Why djay hasn’t ever fixed the equalizer auto resetting after every song load in auto dj mode is annoying as hell since day one.
- [R18] djay Could be good but: Bad so hard to use and log in but good otherwise
- [R28] djay awesome app!: Fun to play with, easy to navigate and upload songs to, def recommend
- [R34] djay Awesome!: I was a bit hesitant at first but I decided to purchase this app and I’m glad I did. It works flawlessly with my Numark controller, it’s VERY easy to use and there are a lot of cool features. Well worth the small investment. Thumbs up! 😁
- [R6] djay I love it but….: I do live streams and I love this app…I hope you can fix the app better so that it doesn’t crash during my live stream
- [R11] djay djay: it glitches sometimes but other than that it’s amazing an AMAZING app
- [R16] djay No: Won’t even let me add my Spotify account I swear if I don’t get a response I’m messing the whole app up idc
- [R19] djay Not showing local music in Apple Account: I have 6,000 sings locally and Apple Music account. When I click on Apple Music library, none of my local songs show as available, and if I search for them it says not found despite having Apple Music Catalog selected. I went to my Music account, redlownlaoed a song, and it still doesn’t show under songs, only on Recently added.
- [R10] djay Not good: This app is useless for my needs as I wanted to use it to make my own personal mixes, but it doesn’t upload from Spotify mix and save.
- [R13] djay End of a secret world: Got new phone Can’t use app without subscription. Byebye
- [R12] djay 1 year pass: I payed for a full year on here last month and now it’s asking for me too pay again soo I can go on my decks please review it and get back too me please instead of ripping me off
- [R39] djay No Manual Support: Update: June 2026 They weren’t able to tell me why my cue points keep moving, switching from their place. Their customer service kept asking for videos showing the issue but even after sending them the data they never provided with a solution or even recognition of that specific issue, at all. I can only use the App for a few minutes since I get frustrated when my inspiration of
- [R67] BandLab Account Suspended with Zero Support 🚫🚫: This all began May 29th, 2026. I've put real time and real work into my account @aye_ceee13, and in May it was suspended with no explanation. I filed an appeal expecting answers. Instead I got two "support" replies, from two different reps, that were word for word identical, both promising a 72 hour investigation. Both then went completely silent. Weeks lat
- [R90] BandLab Account deletion: I absolutely adore BandLab, and I use it almost constantly to make my own music and stuff, however, I recently transferred my data to a new phone, and all of a sudden, when I have tried to log back in to my account, it has ‘apparently’ been deleted, however, in the past it has just gone back to normal, but it’s been almost 2 days now and there is still no sight of my account, so
- [R20] djay 5 Stars so you see this (Terrible App): Ok first off,why do we need to have premium just to record a single song? Like,it’s just a song. You shouldn’t need premium to literally record a song. 2 it’s MONEY HUNGRY Like Jesus Christ WHY just WHY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD DOES THIS APPP NEED TO BE MONEY HUNGRY?! you have to pay for EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING! Please fix this…I’m losing my patience,no
- [R70] BandLab Retune in my way: Yall punishing us for not paying for the membership? the recording interface already cluttered and yall adding more options on the screen we cant choose from. Then most of the stuff yall add be in the way, especially on mobile.
- [R71] BandLab Just…wow!: I came back to recording music after a prolonged absence and happened upon BandLab and was just completely floored. very easy learning curve. Versatile. The fact I can basically fit a home studio in my pocket will never cease to amaze me. Free version is pretty robust for anyone to get started. I decided to upgrade for the increased control and double the number of available tracks. W
- [R73] BandLab bug: i hate that bandlab shows ads that are unskippable an useless. make it work cmon
- [R84] BandLab Limitations, like HUGE: Would be 2.5 stars, but no option so 3 instead Bandlab has huge paywalls, like memberships, like you pay for one and think that’s it, nope there is another tier just to use a DAW. My account is the free one so, very limited sample usage, beats etc and now, NOW there’s ads and you have to pay to get rid of the ads. Ads when you open the app, ads to enter the studio on top
- [R24] djay Why do I have to sign in to Spotify every time I loas the app: Spotify but you need to sign in every time you go on the app I don’t know why
- [R27] djay Bad: This app sucks I try to put my Spotify account in but it says only for premium users plus I bet if it did work I would have to buy there dumb little subscription.
- [R43] djay Unable to connect Spotify: I downloaded this app trying to explore and enjoy it and other apps similar to this but I can’t link my Spotify. It claims I need a premium subscription in order to do so which I do HAVE and no matter what I try it will not let me log into it because the app claims I don’t have a Spotify premium account when in reality I do have one. I’d be open to give this app another
Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store