Comparison

Synesthesia vs Cymatica

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Synesthesia

Experience music through a spectrum of colors, mimicking the sensory phenomenon of synesthesia. Use it as a dynamic mood light, a calming night light, or to visualize the pitches of songs and instruments.

Highlights
  • Music visualization
  • Mood lighting
  • Night light functionality
  • Pitch to color mapping
  • Microphone access for real-time audio
Features
Read full description

Synesthesia makes listening to music a colorful experience and is a wonderful mood light and soft night light when you want to calm down. Do you want to see colors when playing certain tones like people with synesthesia / chromestesia do? The app "Synesthesia - See the music in colors" enables you to experience music in color as well. Whether you use it to train you perfect pitch, to help you remember melodies or just for entertainment as a light organ while listening to your favorite songs - Synesthesia helps you to see the current pitch in colors. To experience the colors simply allow the app to access the microphone on the first start and then play your instrument or a song, sing, ... or just enjoy many color changing patterns even without music as a mood light or night light. Please note: People with synesthesia may experiences different colors for the same pitch. The app therefore uses it's own color scale (each musical note C displays a red color for example). Some of our users use the app as an replacement for their old light organs ... so that should work very well ;-) If you like music apps be sure to check out our other apps as well -> Piano Champion, Guitar Champion, Drum Champion, Voice Back .... and many more to come

About

Cymatica

Explore the universe's hidden mathematics by transforming sound into mesmerizing geometric sand patterns. This interactive physics simulation brings scientific principles to life with real-time calculations and haptic feedback.

Highlights
  • Interactive sand pattern simulation
  • Sound wave visualization
  • Haptic feedback
  • Real-time frequency calculations
  • Adjustable pattern complexity
  • Pattern saving
  • Dark mode
Features
Read full description

Transform sound into stunning visual art. Cymatica is an interactive physics simulation that brings Ernst Chladni's 18th-century discovery to life on your iPhone. Watch as invisible sound waves sculpt thousands of sand particles into mesmerizing geometric patterns, revealing the hidden mathematics that shapes our universe. CREATE & EXPLORE - Draw sand with one finger, erase with two - Adjust pattern complexity with the intuitive XY pad - Switch between square and circular plates - Control pattern modes from 1 to 16 - Up to 100,000 particles flowing in real-time - Shake your device to disturb the sand - Tap the plate to cycle display modes AUDIO MODES - Tone — singing bowl synthesis with frequency dial - Mic — patterns react to your voice or environment - Sounds — 9 procedural ambient instruments that never repeat - Music — play from Apple Music with live waveform visualization - Import — load your own audio or video files (advanced) TONE EFFECTS - Noise — adds grit and organic texture - Reverb — spacious, resonant depth - Decay — longer sustain and release - Detune — shimmering chorus effect GENERATIVE SOUNDSCAPES - Singing bowl, drone, pad, sub bass, piano, rain, shakuhachi, cello, flute - Evolving chord progressions that never repeat - Nordic ambient inspired soundscapes APPLE MUSIC - Search and browse your library - Play any song or playlist - Live waveform and particle visualization from speaker audio VIDEO RECORDING - Record and share videos of your patterns - Optimized for TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube - Pro subscribers record without watermark FEEL THE SOUND - Synchronized haptic feedback matching visual patterns - Real-time frequency display - 6 color themes with glow effects ADVANCED MODE - Glow — soft bloom on particles - Streak — motion trails behind particles - Stereo 3D — cross-eye stereoscopic view - Open and closed plate boundaries Whether you're a physicist, musician, meditator, or simply someone who appreciates the elegant patterns underlying reality, Cymatica offers a journey into the profound connection between sound and form. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Synesthesia4 screens
Cymatica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Cymatica at 4.7 against Synesthesia's 2.3. Cymatica also leads on review sentiment (77% vs 38%). Synesthesia's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Cymatica sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Synesthesia asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cymatica holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 38% of Synesthesia's written reviews are positive against 77% of Cymatica's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Synesthesia ships an update monthly, Cymatica every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Synesthesia versus Cymatica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynesthesiaCymatica
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.3 (16 ratings)4.7 (27 ratings) — better
Positive reviews37.5% of reviews76.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1627 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS8.0 — better18.5
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristian AuzingerShridhar Gupta

Customer experience

Synesthesia

All ratings16 ratings
Positive25.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative62.5%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive37.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative62.5%

Cymatica

All ratings27 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral7.4%
Negative3.7%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive76.9%
Neutral15.4%
Negative7.7%

In-app purchases

None

Synesthesia

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Cymatica

Subscriptions2
  • Cymatica Pro$3.991 Month
  • Cymatica Pro$19.991 Year
One-time2
  • Unlock Sounds$4.99
  • Cymatica Pro Lifetime$24.99

Questions

Is Synesthesia free?
Synesthesia is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cymatica free?
Cymatica is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Synesthesia or Cymatica?
Cymatica is rated higher. Synesthesia averages 2.3 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Cymatica averages 4.7 from 27 ratings.
Do Synesthesia or Cymatica have ads?
Neither Synesthesia nor Cymatica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Synesthesia or Cymatica?
Synesthesia ships an update monthly, and Cymatica every 6 weeks. Most recently, Synesthesia was updated on October 13, 2026 and Cymatica on October 16, 2026.

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