# Alien Box vs Shaper

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Shaper at 64% against Alien Box's 0%. Shaper also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.3) and ratings volume (18 vs 3). Alien Box's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Alien Box costs $2.99 and Shaper $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Shaper holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shaper has 18 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Alien Box's written reviews are positive against 64% of Shaper's.

Alien Box ships an update every 38 months, Shaper every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Alien Box | Shaper |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | [1.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-box/id1235647874/reviews) | **[4.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaper-synthesizer/id1536713443/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **18** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **63.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 38 months | **Every 24 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 10 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Aleksandar Mlazev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1093798140) | [Autumn Rock Software Development](https://appshunter.io/developer/1486640548) |

## What reviewers say

### Alien Box

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/alien-box/id1235647874)

This audio effect plugin creates a unique sound with increased sustain and gentle, LFO-modulated vibes. It functions as an AUv3 effect for hosts like GarageBand or as a standalone app for real-time audio input processing.

**Highlights:** Unique sound enrichment, LFO modulated vibes, Complex resonator system, AUv3 plugin for hosts, Standalone app mode, Gain, Vibe, Depth, Reverb controls

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Shaper

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shaper-synthesizer/id1536713443)

This professional-grade subtractive synthesizer allows for crafting a wide range of dynamic sounds with an intuitive interface. It features an advanced modulation matrix, configurable LFO graphs, and classic analog filters, plus eight built-in effects. Supports MIDI and AUv3 for seamless integration with mobile DAWs.

**Highlights:** Advanced modulation matrix, Configurable LFO graphs, Drag-and-drop modulation assignment, Classic analog filter, Eight built-in effects, MIDI and AUv3 support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Alien Box free?

Alien Box costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Shaper free?

Shaper costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Alien Box or Shaper?

Shaper is rated higher. Alien Box averages 1.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Shaper averages 4.4 from 18 ratings.

### Do Alien Box or Shaper have ads?

Neither Alien Box nor Shaper shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Alien Box or Shaper?

Alien Box ships an update every 38 months, and Shaper every 24 months. Most recently, Alien Box was updated on October 29, 2026 and Shaper on October 24, 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.*