Comparison

Viking Synth vs MF

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

MF

This app is a digital recreation of a classic analog lowpass filter effect pedal. It allows users to add dynamic motion and warm, vibrant tones to various audio sources like guitars, vocals, and synthesizers.

Highlights
  • Analog 4-pole lowpass filter emulation
  • Envelope follower for dynamic motion
  • Processes guitar, voice, and synths
  • AUv3 effects plugin
  • Warm and vibrant sound quality
Features
Read full description

The MF-101S Lowpass Filter is a re-invention of Moog Music’s classic Moogerfooger MF-101 analog effects pedal. The hardware MF-101 Lowpass Filter, introduced in 1998, contained two complete modular functions: a classic, all-analog 4-pole Lowpass Filter paired with an envelope follower to impart dynamic motion to the filtered sound. Designed by Bob Moog and his engineering team, the MF-101 was a direct descendant of the original Moog modular synthesizers, adapted to process, modulate, and play with inputs ranging from guitar, voice, and synthesizer to any imaginable audio source. The MF-101 Lowpass Filter has been meticulously recreated as the MF-101S, capturing not only the warm and vibrant sound of the original, but also the organic way in which the parameters interact to create a musical playing experience. The MF-101S is an AUv3 effects plug-in that requires a compatible host or DAW to function.

Screenshots

Viking Synth4 screens
MF3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Viking Synth at $3.99 against MF's $14.99. Viking Synth also leads on review sentiment (69% vs 50%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). MF's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Viking Synth costs $3.99 and MF $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Viking Synth holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Viking Synth has 42 ratings behind it against 8, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Viking Synth's written reviews are positive against 50% of MF's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, MF monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Viking Synth versus MF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViking SynthMF
Price$3.99 — better$14.99
Rating4.7 (42 ratings) — better4.5 (8 ratings)
Positive reviews69.4% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings42 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBlamsoft, Inc.Moog Music Inc.

Customer experience

Viking Synth

All ratings42 ratings
Positive92.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive69.4%
Neutral11.3%
Negative19.4%

MF

All ratings8 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

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

MF

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Viking Synth

No in-app purchases

None

MF

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Viking Synth free?
Viking Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MF free?
MF costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Viking Synth or MF?
Viking Synth is rated higher. Viking Synth averages 4.7 out of 5 from 42 ratings, while MF averages 4.5 from 8 ratings.
Do Viking Synth or MF have ads?
Neither Viking Synth nor MF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Viking Synth or MF?
Viking Synth ships an update every 4 months, and MF monthly. Most recently, Viking Synth was updated on September 23, 2026 and MF on August 12, 2026.

Other comparisons