Comparison

Viking Synth vs BLEASS Groovebox

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

Head to head
About

Viking Synth

This app emulates a classic monophonic analog synthesizer with advanced DSP technology. It features three variable wave oscillators, dual ladder filters, an LFO, and two modulation busses for versatile sound design. An intuitive interface and extensive preset library make it ideal for creating thick bass and rich lead sounds.

Highlights
  • Three continuously variable wave oscillators
  • Dual ladder filters (Lowpass/Highpass)
  • Multi-wave LFO
  • Two modulation busses
  • Intuitive user interface with expandable controls
  • 228 presets including Bass, Lead, and Synthwave
  • State-of-the-art DSP for authentic sound
Read full description

Viking Synth is an authentic emulation of a classic monophonic analog synthesizer. It has three continuously variable wave oscillators, two ladder filters with a Dual Lowpass or Highpass/Lowpass configuration, a multi-wave LFO, and two modulation busses. Viking Synth uses state of the art DSP technology to accurately reproduce the sound of the hardware. You get a desktop quality plug-in at an iOS friendly price. Viking Synth is an Audio Unit Extension Instrument (AUv3) that works as a plug-in inside host apps. Just open up your favorite host that supports Audio Unit Instruments and select it from the list of available Audio Units. Compatible with GarageBand, Cubasis, Auria, BeatMaker, AudioBus, AUM, Modstep, and more. The user interface of Viking Synth is designed for quick and intuitive control. Knobs and sliders expand during tweaking and are designed so the current value isn't hidden below your finger. The six pages divide the synth into logical sections that can be accessed quickly. The filter display acts as an XY pad for controlling cutoff and resonance. Simply double tap a knob or slider to reset it to its default value. Presets Viking Synth comes with 228 presets in the categories Bass, Bright Lead, Electro Bass, FX, Percussive Lead, Soft Lead, and Synthwave. The synth excels at thick bass and rich lead sounds. The 50 Electro Bass and 50 Synthwave presets were designed by renowned sound designer eXode. Presets work perfectly with GarageBand, Cubasis, and AUM. Oscillators At the heart of Viking are three adjustable wave oscillators. The continuously variable waveform knob gives the oscillators a unique sound that can’t be achieved with the fixed waveforms found in most synths. A noise oscillator provides three types of noise, one specifically modeled after the hardware. Modulation Two modulation busses and an LFO provide flexible modulation capabilities. All of the options hidden deep in menus on the hardware are immediately accessible with one tap. Filters The filters are classic transistor ladder filters modeled meticulously. Two DSP varieties are available allowing for either reduced CPU load or soft clipping plus three additional overdriven modes. The number of poles is adjustable for a wider range of filter sounds. Compare Viking to other synths: – Viking’s oscillators are free running, not sampled, wavetable based, or generated from a zero point – Viking’s oscillators use advanced techniques to avoid aliasing – Viking’s oscillators have instability, which is controllable through the tuning drift control – Viking’s nonlinear filter uses circuit modeling and provides soft clipping

About

BLEASS Groovebox

Create, perform, and compose music with this all-in-one beat studio. Features a multitrack sequencer, synthesizers, and drum machines for intuitive beatmaking and sound design. Optimized for both studio and live performance.

Highlights
  • Multitrack sequencer
  • Monophonic & polyphonic synthesizers
  • Drum machines
  • Sample recording and editing
  • Real-time performance controls
  • MIDI and Ableton Link support
Features
Read full description

BLEASS Groovebox brings music production and performance to its very core: play, perform, compose beats, chords and melodies in a new yet intuitive way thanks to its multitrack sequencer, monophonic & polyphonic synthesizers and drum machines. PROFESSIONAL GRADE INSTRUMENT BLEASS Groovebox has been designed for both iPhone and iPad and offers great performance and stability thanks to its powerful realtime audio engine and fully customizable parameters: go deep in the shaping of electronic sounds without being limited by factory presets. WILD BASSES, BEATS AND SYNTHS Record, import and edit your own samples and make sick beats out of the 16 steps sequencer with customizable filters and grooves, as well as binary and ternary quantization. Customize endlessly your monophonic and polyphonic synthesizers by tweaking the effects, envelopes and LFOs ! BUILT FOR STUDIO AND LIVE PERFORMANCE Unique slider controls, long-press & multi-touch controls make this groovebox a perfect live tool: Record/Edit/Start/Stop/Copy/Paste your patterns as you feel like, build and arrange your songs on the fly, apply reverb or delay effects, and let the music live! COMPATIBLE WITH THE iOS MUSIC STANDARDS BLEASS groovebox supports Ableton Link and Inter-App Audio and also works in complete synergy with all of your studio soft- and hardware gear using MIDI IN/OUT and SYNC OUT features. Manage your project files, audio export, import your own samples thanks to the Apple iOS Files Integration. Load BLEASS groovebox in your favorite host or plug your iPhone or iPad in an external sound card to enjoy virtual and physical multi-track output routing. GENERAL FEATURES : > low-CPU and low-latency iOS-dedicated audio engine > up to 16 steps per bar > up to 8 bars per sequence > separate groove settings per track > binary and ternary time signatures and quantization > live and song modes > tap tempo > metronome > speed control for each sequence ( x 0.5 / x1 / x2 ) > multi-touch solo button for each track > start & stop sequences with single tap and double tap > 2 FX sends > 4 tracks sequencer > optimized workflow for a smooth live/studio experience > notes swapping : easily move a note to a different step > major and minor scales DRUM MACHINE > 6 user-customizable samples per track > sample length, attack, release and pitch settings > low pass and high pass filters > post and pre- drive and bitcrusher settings > velocity settings per step (with random velocity option) > sample import via iCloud or Files MONO SYNTHS > up to 9 virtual-analog synthesizers for each track > 2 oscillators + 1 noise > 1 amplifier envelope > 2 filters with 1 envelope > post and pre- drive and bitcrusher > 2 LFOs > presets loading > pitch envelope CHORDS > on the fly chords performance with scales > up to 4 virtual-analog synthesizers for each track > 2 oscillators + 1 noise > amplifier and pitch envelope > 2 filters with 1 envelope > strumming > bitcrusher > 2 LFOs > presets loading ADVANCED FEATURES > expression panels (pads or keyboard) with beat repeat > on the fly sequence recording with quantization > sample recording > iCloud synchronization > live audio export > Ableton Link & Inter-App Audio compatibility PRO FEATURES You can access all the BLEASS PRO FEATURES by purchasing the full unlock (pay once and own forever). As a PRO user, you gain access to all premium features, all samples and all presets packs, as well as upcoming new features and instruments added continuously: > Access to all samples packs (over 1000 samples). New sample packs added regularly! > Projects files management : load, save, import, export… > MIDI in/out > MIDI LEARN (control changes) > MIDI sync out > Presets saving > MIX panel > FXs parameters customization : reverb, delay, ping pong delay > External Audio Routing > Virtual Audio Routing (open separate BLEASS audio channels into any compatible host) Find tutorials and more about our plugins on www.bleass.com

Screenshots

Viking Synth4 screens
BLEASS Groovebox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: BLEASS Groovebox at Free against Viking Synth's $3.99. BLEASS Groovebox also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Viking Synth's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.7 vs 4.2). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

BLEASS Groovebox is free to download; Viking Synth costs $3.99 up front. BLEASS Groovebox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Viking Synth asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Viking Synth holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Viking Synth's written reviews are positive against 64% of BLEASS Groovebox's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, BLEASS Groovebox every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Viking Synth versus BLEASS Groovebox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViking SynthBLEASS Groovebox
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (41 ratings) — better4.2 (38 ratings)
Positive reviews71.2% of reviews — better64.1% of reviews
Number of ratings41 — better38
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlamsoft, Inc.BLEASS

Customer experience

Viking Synth

All ratings42 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews66 reviews
Positive71.2%
Neutral10.6%
Negative18.2%

BLEASS Groovebox

All ratings38 ratings
Positive81.6%
Neutral7.9%
Negative10.5%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral20.5%
Negative15.4%

Bugs and requests

Viking Synth

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Presets not showing up
  • Presets disappear
  • App not showing in AUv3 menu
  • Settings not saving after iOS 14 update
  • Crashes when opening presets browser
Show 1 more
  • Saved presets not loading

Requested features

5 requests
  • More subtle drive mode
  • Categorized preset browser
  • Polyphony option
  • Dark mode
  • More apps from developer

BLEASS Groovebox

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Viking Synth

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

BLEASS Groovebox

One-time1
  • Full Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is Viking Synth free?
Viking Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is BLEASS Groovebox free?
BLEASS Groovebox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Viking Synth or BLEASS Groovebox?
Viking Synth is rated higher. Viking Synth averages 4.7 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while BLEASS Groovebox averages 4.2 from 38 ratings.
Do Viking Synth or BLEASS Groovebox have ads?
Neither Viking Synth nor BLEASS Groovebox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Viking Synth or BLEASS Groovebox?
Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, and BLEASS Groovebox every 6 weeks. Most recently, Viking Synth was updated on October 26, 2026 and BLEASS Groovebox on October 24, 2026.

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