SoundForest vs Polywave
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SoundForest
Instantly compose music by tapping on unique musical creatures that represent notes. Create hypnotic tunes and build a musical ecosystem with various environments and pitch levels. Explore endless song possibilities with this intuitive mini music maker.
- Instant music loop composition
- 160 unique musical elements
- 4 distinct musical environments
- Adjustable pitch levels
- Create quick loops or mini songs
- Endless song creation possibilities
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SoundForest is a mini music maker that allows you to instantly compose a song using a collection of musical creatures. Compose a loop by tapping animal instruments and mix them into a hypnotic tune. Make a musical ecosystem with SoundForest. FEATURES: * Instantly compose awesome music loops * 160 elements, each a unique music note * 4 musical environments (SoundForest, ElectroJungle, SynthSavanna, EchoOcean) * 6 pitch levels for each music note * Make a quick loop or compose a mini song * Endless song possibilities TUTORIAL: 1. Listen to whatever the Alien says. 2. Creating music is best with headphones 3. Swipe and tap on the music note bar to select a music note 4. Tap on the song grid to add the music note to your song 5. Tap on the sky to pause or play your song 6. Double tap the sky to change you song's speed 7. Swipe the song grid over to make your song longer 8. Tap the menu button to return to the song modules 9. Tap a blank circle to create a new song 10. Swipe for more environments Visit Soundforestapp.com for more information.
Polywave
Create unique, evolving sonic experiences with a novel wavetable sequencer inspired by vintage synths. Draw your own waveforms, explore a vast library, and connect to external keyboards or DAWs. Record your creations directly within the app.
- Wavetable sequencer
- Custom waveform drawing
- Expansive waveform library
- 100+ factory presets
- MIDI and Audio Unit support
- Live recording module
- 8-voice polyphony
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From Fingerlab (multiple-time winner of Music App of the Week, 2012 Apple Design Award) and Jordan Rudess (keyboardist of Dream Theater), comes Polywave — a revolutionary wavetable sequencer synthesizer for iPhone, iPad & Mac. Inspired by the legendary Korg Wavestation, Polywave lets you draw your own waveforms with your finger and create unique, ever-evolving sounds that are truly yours. Draw your own waveforms directly on screen 100+ factory presets: leads, pads, loops & FX Connect any MIDI keyboard or load as AUv3 in your DAW Live recording built-in Free version includes 12 factory presets and a selection of core features. Get the Full Version IAP to unlock everything. Features: • 8-voice polyphony & 6 octaves • Wavetable & waveform sequencer • VCO & FM Oscillators • FM Modulation & Detune • ADSR Envelope editor • Moog Ladder filter with ADSR • 2 LFOs with custom modulation waveform • LFO Sync & Loop mode • Waveform drawing editor & library (100 waveforms) • Preset Randomizer & export/import • 5 FX: Tube Amp, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay & Reverb • Live recording & export • Full MIDI & MIDI Mapping support • AudioBus & Inter-App Audio (iOS) • Full AudioUnit AUv3 support • iCloud Family Sharing Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Polywave at 4.7 against SoundForest's 4.2. Polywave also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 67%). SoundForest's advantage is ratings volume (447 vs 34) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. SoundForest sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Polywave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Polywave holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SoundForest has 447 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of SoundForest's written reviews are positive against 80% of Polywave's.
SoundForest ships an update every 2 months, Polywave every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.
| Parameter | SoundForest | Polywave |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (447 ratings) | 4.7 (34 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 67.3% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 447 — better | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 89 MB | 44 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Justin Alexander | Fingerlab |
Customer experience
SoundForest
Polywave
Bugs and requests
SoundForest
Reported bugs
5 issues- Repeated tutorial loops
- Restore purchases button not working
- Compatibility issues on newer devices
- Audio not working with headphones
- Crashes when trying to unlock features
Requested features
5 requests- Ability to export/share created songs
- Option to create longer/more complex songs
- More themes, environments, and sound options
- Customization and personalization features
- Community features to discover and collaborate
Polywave
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SoundForest
- Unlock Everything$1.99
Polywave
- Full Version$11.99
