# Viking Synth vs RoughRider3

The clearest difference is price: RoughRider3 at Free against Viking Synth's $3.99. RoughRider3 also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (87% vs 71%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

RoughRider3 is free to download; Viking Synth costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Viking Synth against 4.6 for RoughRider3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 41 and 76 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of Viking Synth's written reviews are positive against 87% of RoughRider3's.

Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, RoughRider3 every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Viking Synth | RoughRider3 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (41 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viking-synth/id1085274012/reviews)** | [4.6 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roughrider3/id1496058931/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 41 | **76** |
| Positive reviews | 71.2% of reviews | **87.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 11 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blamsoft, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1051938244) | [Audio Damage, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1248448317) |

## What reviewers say

### Viking Synth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viking-synth/id1085274012)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great sound quality
- 💡 Versatile sound options
- 💰 Excellent value (free)
- 💻 Lightweight and efficient
- 🎹 Good for learning synthesis

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Preset issues
- 🔌 Not a standalone app
- 🐛 Occasional crashes
- 💾 Settings not saving
- 🤷‍♂️ Difficult to find/use

**Reported bugs**

- Presets not showing up
- Presets disappear
- App not showing in AUv3 menu
- Settings not saving after iOS 14 update
- Crashes when opening presets browser

**Requested features**

- More subtle drive mode
- Categorized preset browser
- Polyphony option
- Dark mode
- More apps from developer


### RoughRider3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/roughrider3/id1496058931)

This audio effect plugin offers advanced compression with new features like external sidechain input and a sidechain HPF control. It allows for cleaner sound with full bandwidth control and includes input/output level adjustments for easier tuning.

**Highlights:** External Sidechain Input, Sidechain HPF control, Input and Output level controls, FULL BANDWIDTH control, AUv3 and Standalone, Inter-App Audio support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Viking Synth free?

Viking Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is RoughRider3 free?

RoughRider3 is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Viking Synth or RoughRider3?

Viking Synth is rated higher. Viking Synth averages 4.7 out of 5 from 41 ratings, while RoughRider3 averages 4.6 from 76 ratings.

### Do Viking Synth or RoughRider3 have ads?

Neither Viking Synth nor RoughRider3 shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Viking Synth or RoughRider3?

Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, and RoughRider3 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Viking Synth was updated on October 20, 2026 and RoughRider3 on October 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*