Comparison

Viking Synth vs Filterstep

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

Filterstep

This app offers a creative motion filter plugin for real-time rhythmic movement. Explore intricate patterns and sonic possibilities with various filter effect settings and randomization. Shape any sound into a unique groove.

Highlights
  • Real-time rhythmic movement
  • Intricate filter effect settings
  • Filter randomization
  • Three filter types
  • Sequencer movement control
  • Infinity mode
Read full description

Filterstep is a creative motion filter plugin which provides all kinds of intricate rhythmic movement to any input in real-time. It can give you incredibly complex and nuanced results based on various filter effect settings, and almost infinite possibilities for sonic exploration through filter randomization. You can choose between three filter types, range, frequency, quantization, sequencer movement and more. Craft interesting patterns, or let it run endlessly using the infinity mode. Add filter motion and shape any sound into a groove.

Screenshots

Viking Synth4 screens
Filterstep2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Filterstep at Free against Viking Synth's $3.99. Filterstep also leads on iOS requirement (9.3 vs 12.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Viking Synth against 4.7 for Filterstep. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 42 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 70% of Viking Synth's written reviews are positive against 73% of Filterstep's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, Filterstep every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and August 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Viking Synth versus Filterstep: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViking SynthFilterstep
Price$3.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (42 ratings)4.7 (42 ratings)
Positive reviews69.8% of reviews73.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings4242
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.09.3 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlamsoft, Inc.AUDIOMODERN

Customer experience

Viking Synth

All ratings42 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews63 reviews
Positive69.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative19.0%

Filterstep

All ratings42 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.8%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive73.3%
Neutral13.3%
Negative13.3%

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

Filterstep

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Viking Synth

No in-app purchases

None

Filterstep

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Viking Synth free?
Viking Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Filterstep free?
Filterstep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Viking Synth or Filterstep?
Viking Synth and Filterstep are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 42 and 42 ratings respectively.
Do Viking Synth or Filterstep have ads?
Neither Viking Synth nor Filterstep shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Viking Synth or Filterstep?
Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, and Filterstep every 6 months. Most recently, Viking Synth was updated on October 1, 2026 and Filterstep on August 14, 2026.

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