Best apps like SWAM Viola

6+ similar apps compared and reviewed

4.4 avg rating
0 free apps
Updated September 2026

SWAM Viola is great, but it's not the only option. Explore 6+ similar apps for iPhone and iPad, each reviewed and rated by real users. Find free alternatives, premium upgrades, and hidden gems.

Top Alternatives to SWAM Viola

Midiflow#1

Midiflow by Johannes Doerr

MIDI Router and Processor
Editor's Choice
🎵 Music
4.0😐(39 ratings)
$7.99In-App Purchases
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This app enables seamless MIDI data transfer between different applications on your device. It allows for app synchronization, routing MIDI from sequencers to synths, and assigning keyboard zones. Users can save and recall configurations, and monitor MIDI activity.

What We Love

  • 👍 Comprehensive MIDI routing
  • 💡 Flexible MIDI manipulation
  • 🚀 Powerful functionality
  • ✨ Intuitive interface (for some)
  • ✅ Works in background
  • 🛠️ Good for complex setups
  • 🔄 Constantly updated (historically)
  • 📚 Well-documented
  • 💡 Re-maps MIDI messages
  • 💡 Splits/layers sounds
  • 💡 Controls external gear
  • 💡 Essential for MIDI setups
  • 💡 Connects old to new MIDI
  • 💡 Solves MIDI keyboard issues
  • 💡 Ultimate MIDI command center
  • 💡 Great for live performance
  • 💡 Swiss Army knife of MIDI
  • 💡 Breathes life into synths
  • 💡 Best MIDI workflow reroute
  • 💡 Solves MIDI problems
  • 💡 Useful for live sound
  • 💡 Easy to use
  • 💡 Essential MIDI tool
  • 💡 Inspires creativity
  • 💡 Professional and complete
  • 💡 Missing link for MIDI
  • 💡 Elegant and useful
  • 💡 Incredible potential
  • 💡 Excellent MIDI app
  • 💡 Solid live MIDI solution
  • 💡 Fantastic MIDI router
  • 💡 Great product
  • 💡 Very useful
  • 💡 Nicely done interface
  • 💡 Brilliant MIDI software
  • 💡 Outstanding app
  • 💡 Good stuff
  • 💡 Easy routing
  • 💡 Powerful utility
  • 💡 Very versatile
  • 💡 Works flawlessly

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes
  • 🐛 App doesn't open
  • 🐛 App closes immediately
  • 🐛 Bugs and quirks
  • 🐛 Unreliable for live use
  • 🐛 Layout issues
  • 🐛 Navigation problems
  • 🐛 No response from support
  • 🐛 Forum is dead/locked
  • 🐛 In-app purchases complex
  • 🐛 Does not work with AUM
  • 🐛 Pricing too complicated
  • 🐛 Note off velocities ignored
  • 🐛 Crashes during editing
  • 🐛 Edits lost after crash
  • 🐛 Backup song lost
  • 🐛 Does not work with GarageBand
  • 🐛 MIDI splitter issues
  • 🐛 No back/cancel button
  • 🐛 Crashes when searching devices
  • 🐛 Not working with iOS 14
  • 🐛 Not working with iOS 15
  • 🐛 Not working with iOS 16
  • 🐛 Inconsistent MIDI implementation
  • 🐛 Some IAPs not in bundle
  • 🐛 Overpriced
  • 🐛 Interface a mess
  • 🐛 Not logical
  • 🐛 Does not record to GarageBand
  • 🐛 Does not work with SampleTank in background
  • 🐛 Remapping doesn't work
  • 🐛 Bluetooth connectivity crashes
  • 🐛 CC mapping issues
  • 🐛 Does not pass release velocity
  • 🐛 App appears abandoned
  • 🐛 Disingenuous standalone description
  • 🐛 Requires further payment
  • 🐛 Support is impossible
  • 🐛 No acknowledgment of help requests
  • 🐛 Forum sign-up prevents requests
  • 🐛 Ignored questions on forum
  • 🐛 Rip off
  • 🐛 Wasted money
  • 🐛 Can't do what I want
  • 🐛 Not compatible with iOS 8/10
  • 🐛 No dark mode
  • 🐛 Some MIDI messages blocked/morphed
  • 🐛 Remapping adds code, doesn't replace
  • 🐛 Limited usefulness
  • 🐛 Many IAPs
  • 🐛 Some apps don't work
  • 🐛 No MIDI input selection in SampleTank
  • 🐛 Fixed MIDI channels in Korg iPolysix
  • 🐛 Does not work with Arturia iMini/iProphet
  • 🐛 Needs to be universal app
  • 🐛 Some functions need buying
  • 🐛 Stopped using it
  • 🐛 App shutdown on iPad 2
  • 🐛 Doesn't search nearby devices
  • 🐛 Force closes on remapping
  • 🐛 GUI problems
  • 🐛 $11 dollars wasted
  • 🐛 App doesn't load after paid updates
  • 🐛 No return button
  • 🐛 Layout issues on iPhone
  • 🐛 Filter out Note Off messages missing
  • 🐛 Frequent crashes while editing
  • 🐛 Mapped CCs dropped during performance
  • 🐛 Incomplete standalone app
  • 🐛 No AUv3 plugin version
iSymphonic Orchestra#2

iSymphonic Orchestra by Christian Schoenebeck d/b/a Crudebyte

Virtual Orchestra Sound App
Strong Contender
🎵 Music
3.8😐(103 ratings)
$9.99In-App Purchases
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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.

What We Love

  • 🎵 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
  • ✨ Beautiful reverb and effects processing
  • 💪 Stable performance on iPad with proper setup
  • 🎯 Versatile for multiple music genres and compositions
  • 📱 Works well as both standalone app and audio unit plugin
  • 🎸 Great for layering sounds across different instruments

Room to Improve

  • 💰 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
  • ⏱️ Slow attack times on some sounds
  • 🔌 Latency issues with long cables or unresponsive keyboards
  • 📊 Limited control over attack, release, and delay parameters
  • 🐛 Audio export issues and incomplete playback
  • 💾 App crashes when deleting tracks, losing unsaved progress
  • 🔄 Requires inter-app audio switching to access all sound banks
  • 🎼 Some instrument tone changes every few keys
  • 📱 Poor AU functionality compared to standalone version
ButterSynth#3
4.0😐(62 ratings)
$19.99
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This powerful synthesizer app offers a hybrid approach, combining wavetable, FM, and sample-based synthesis. Create unique sounds with a vast sonic range, advanced modulation, and a built-in effects rack. It caters to both experienced sound designers and beginners with extensive presets.

What We Love

  • ✨ Deep sound design capabilities
  • 🎛️ Versatile modulation matrix
  • 🔊 Great sound quality
  • 💡 Innovative wavetable generator
  • 🌟 Serum-like experience
  • 📱 Available on phones/iPads
  • 🎹 Excellent for sound design
  • 🚀 Powerful and capable synth
  • 💯 Top-tier instrument
  • 🎶 Amazing workflow and sound
  • 💻 Desktop-class plugin on iOS
  • 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive UI
  • 🎚️ Wide range of filters
  • 🎛️ Loads of modulation capabilities
  • 💡 Unique random LFO feature
  • 🎚️ Good array of effects
  • 🎛️ Multiple oscillator types
  • 🎚️ FM synthesis included
  • 🎛️ Real 4-op FM synthesis
  • 🎨 Straightforward interface presentation
  • 🎚️ Great filters
  • 🎶 Excellent sound
  • 💡 Top-notch sound banks/patches
  • 🎛️ Highly customizable
  • 🎚️ Great for DnB
  • 🎛️ Can sound pretty or nasty
  • 🎚️ Granular controls
  • 🎛️ Deep and great sounding
  • 💡 Can recreate popular synths
  • 🎚️ Powerful and versatile
  • 🎛️ Good selection of presets
  • 🎚️ Excellent standalone app
  • 🎛️ Amazing wavetable synth
  • 🎚️ Good for soundscapes
  • 🎛️ Highly recommended

Room to Improve

  • 📱 Fiddly on small screens
  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Disappears in Cubasis
  • 🐛 Spikes CPU usage
  • 🐛 Crashes on patch change
  • 🐛 No audio on render/freeze
  • 🐛 Keyboard doesn't load on iPhone
  • 🐛 Audio Unit Extension quit error
  • 🐛 Unusable in GarageBand
  • 🐛 Preset changes on play
  • 🐛 Random crashes in Logic Pro
  • 🐛 Patches hang
  • 🐛 Limited wavetable selection
  • 🐛 Sample module buzz
  • 🐛 Simple LFOs
  • 🐛 Square wave LFO not square
  • 🐛 Step sequencer has glide
  • 🐛 Can't save custom presets
  • 🐛 No undo in wavetable editor
  • 🐛 AUv3 loading issues
  • 🐛 Unstable as AUv3
  • 🐛 Patches sound different in AUv3
  • 🐛 Crashes on iPhone with sequencer
  • 🐛 No keyboard in iPhone standalone
  • 🐛 Audio degradation in GarageBand
  • 🐛 Preset browser closes on selection
  • 🐛 Envelope curve is odd
  • 🐛 Release envelope ends abruptly
  • 🐛 Matrix fiddly with min/max knobs
  • 🐛 Missing filter key follow button
  • 🐛 Missing sustain pedal support
  • 🐛 Missing tunings
  • 🐛 Missing master detune
  • 🐛 Missing parameter lock
  • 🐛 Black borders on screen
  • 🐛 Automation not working
  • 🐛 No contact option for developer