Comparison

Theremin Touch vs Relic Waves

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

Head to head
About

Theremin Touch

Experience the unique sound of a classic electronic instrument with this vintage-styled simulator. It offers multiple oscillator wave shapes, adjustable frequency ranges, and built-in effects for a realistic playing experience. Optimized for touch and Apple Pencil on compatible devices.

Highlights
  • Vintage theremin emulation
  • Onboard delay and reverb FX
  • 4 oscillator wave shapes
  • Adjustable frequency range
  • Touchpad for frequency and volume control
  • Apple Pencil support (iPad only)
  • Built-in tuner
Features
Read full description

The Theremin is one of the earliest electronic musical instruments, created by Leon Theremin in the late 1920's. Theremin Touch is a vintage styled theremin simulator designed to emulate the sound and spirit of the theremin. This single oscillator, monophonic synthesizer with real world style control features - onboard delay and reverb FX - 4 different oscillator wave shapes - adjustable frequency range for a more stable and playable instrument - 1 to 7 octave range (approx.). 32.703Hz (C1) to 4.186KHz (C8) - touch pad to control frequency and volume - works with Apple Pencil (iPad only) - tuner - customisable look - built with AudioKit With its beautiful vintage audio look, "Theremin Touch" provides the closest experience to playing a theremin on iOS.

About

Relic Waves

Generate unique Lo-Fi sounds, pads, and effects using advanced synthesis algorithms. Explore billions of sonic possibilities with intuitive controls and real-time recording. Perfect for musicians and sound designers seeking experimental audio.

Highlights
  • Billions of unique Lo-Fi sounds
  • Random sound generation with search
  • Multiple keyboard input options
  • Real-time audio recording to WAV
  • Export to WAV, SunVox, and clipboard
  • MIDI control and processing
  • iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3)
Features
Read full description

Relic Waves is a generator of Lo-Fi noises, pads and effects based on unique synthesis algorithms from NightRadio. More than 4 billion samples from the depths of the Mathematical Universe! Features: * search for new sounds with three buttons: next random set, edit code, previous set; each set of 12 sounds corresponds to a code of 8 characters; * three types of keyboards for live performing: on-screen buttons, PC keyboard, MIDI input; * several processing parameters + control via MIDI; * real-time audio recording to WAV (32-bit); * export to: WAV (one file or a set), SunVox (samples + effects in one file), text clipboard; * the LCK button freezes individual samples - they will not change during the search for new sets; * iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3). Double clicking on a parameter opens a window for setting the exact value. If you enable the Hold option, the notes will play endlessly, without reacting to key release (noteOff) events; turning the note on again works like turning it off; there are two ways to enable this option: 1) using the Hold parameter in the "MIDI Mapping" window; 2) by pressing the HOLD button, which appears in place of LCK while playing the musical keyboard: press HOLD, release the desired notes - then the released notes will continue to play.

Screenshots

Theremin Touch4 screens
Relic Waves1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Relic Waves at 5.0 against Theremin Touch's 4.0. Relic Waves also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 65%) and price ($1.99 vs $2.99). Theremin Touch's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 11 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Theremin Touch costs $2.99 and Relic Waves $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Relic Waves holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 43 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of Theremin Touch's written reviews are positive against 100% of Relic Waves's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Theremin Touch ships an update every 2 weeks, Relic Waves every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Theremin Touch versus Relic Waves: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTheremin TouchRelic Waves
Price$2.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.0 (15 ratings)5.0 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1543 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJohn McMillanAlexander Zolotov

Customer experience

Theremin Touch

All ratings15 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral13.3%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive64.7%
Neutral5.9%
Negative29.4%

Relic Waves

All ratings42 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews22 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Theremin Touch

No in-app purchases

None

Relic Waves

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Theremin Touch free?
Theremin Touch costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Relic Waves free?
Relic Waves costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Theremin Touch or Relic Waves?
Relic Waves is rated higher. Theremin Touch averages 4.0 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while Relic Waves averages 5.0 from 43 ratings.
Do Theremin Touch or Relic Waves have ads?
Neither Theremin Touch nor Relic Waves shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Theremin Touch or Relic Waves?
Theremin Touch ships an update every 2 weeks, and Relic Waves every 11 months. Most recently, Theremin Touch was updated on October 10, 2026 and Relic Waves on October 22, 2026.

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