# VOLT Synth vs VAPolyWest

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: VAPolyWest at none against VOLT Synth's 3. VAPolyWest also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and price ($14.99 vs $19.99). VOLT Synth's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (193 vs 5). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

VOLT Synth costs $19.99 and VAPolyWest $14.99 up front. VOLT Synth sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. VAPolyWest asks for nothing beyond the download.

VAPolyWest holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VOLT Synth has 193 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of VOLT Synth's written reviews are positive against 75% of VAPolyWest's.

VOLT Synth ships an update every 2 weeks, VAPolyWest every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VOLT Synth | VAPolyWest |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$14.99** |
| Rating | [4.6 (193 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volt-synth/id1185984394/reviews) | **[5.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vapolywest/id6587550154/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **193** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | 62.9% of reviews | **75.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 92 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kai Aras](https://appshunter.io/developer/370820899) | [Ryo Togawa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1474193056) |

## What reviewers say

### VOLT Synth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/volt-synth/id1185984394)

This app is a virtual analog synthesizer designed for expressive sound creation. It supports multidimensional polyphonic expression (MPE) and offers a variety of synth voice features, built-in effects, and keyboard layouts. It's compatible with MPE hardware and software, as well as standard MIDI controllers.

**Highlights:** Virtual analog synthesizer, Multidimensional Polyphonic Expression (MPE), Expressive synth engine, Multiple keyboard layouts, Built-in stereo effects, 100+ factory presets, Standalone and AUv3 support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Dub Pack | Free | one-time |
| haQ attaQ paQ | $3.99 | one-time |
| Red Sky Lullaby Pack | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Great sounds
- ✨ Intuitive UI
-  MPE integration
- 🎵 Expressive
- 💻 Good for travel

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashing frequently
- ⚠️ Unstable on newer iOS
- 🎛️ Cumbersome sound switching
- 📉 Poor performance
-  unresponsive controls

**Reported bugs**

- No MIDI input after 30 seconds
- Crashing when using multiple AU instances
- Presets disappear after iOS 14 update
- Standalone mode broken on recent iOS
- AU3 not working in Cubasis/NanoStudio 2

**Requested features**

- Two fields for sound forward/backward
- New features and sounds for MPE
- Dedicated strings section in presets
- Randomize function for LFOs/envelopes
- Larger fonts in preset display


### VAPolyWest

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vapolywest/id6587550154)

This app is a polyphonic synthesizer inspired by 1960s California west coast synthesis. It features wave folding, lowpass gates, and step sequencers for generative music creation. It functions as a standalone app or an AudioUnit Extension across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

**Highlights:** Virtual analog west coast style polyphonic synthesizer, Wave folder and lowpass gate, Step sequencer and envelope generators, Up to 8 voice polyphony, Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) support, MIDI 2.0 support, Audio export options

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VOLT Synth free?

VOLT Synth costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is VAPolyWest free?

VAPolyWest costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VOLT Synth or VAPolyWest?

VAPolyWest is rated higher. VOLT Synth averages 4.6 out of 5 from 193 ratings, while VAPolyWest averages 5.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do VOLT Synth or VAPolyWest have ads?

Neither VOLT Synth nor VAPolyWest shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VOLT Synth or VAPolyWest?

VOLT Synth ships an update every 2 weeks, and VAPolyWest every 10 months. Most recently, VOLT Synth was updated on October 9, 2026 and VAPolyWest on October 7, 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.*