Comparison

S vs Coil

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

Head to head
About

S

This semi-modular synthesizer app for iPad offers a hands-on sound design experience with a single-screen interface for intuitive patching. It delivers a warm, vintage sound inspired by 1970s synthesizers, featuring dual oscillators, resonant filters, and multiple modulation sources.

Highlights
  • Single-screen interface
  • Fast, hands-on patching
  • Vintage 1970s synth sound
  • Dual oscillators
  • Resonant ladder filter
  • Multiple modulation sources
Features
Read full description

S-Modular is a semi-modular synthesiser for iPad, designed for fast, hands-on patching without clutter. Everything is presented on a single screen, making sound design immediate and intuitive. Simply drag from one jack to another to create connections. S-Modular delivers a distinctive vintage sound inspired by classic 1970s synthesis — warm, rich, and full of character. Features Dual oscillators 24 dB/oct ladder filter Resonant high-pass and low-pass filters Two LFOs Four-step CV sequencer Four-track mixer Audio and CV splitter Two AHR envelope generators Delay effect

About

Coil

This app simulates the sound and behavior of a spring reverb unit, offering two distinct tanks and engines for varied sonic textures. It allows for interactive "kicking" of the springs via tap or MIDI input, with adjustable decay, tone, and mix controls.

Highlights
  • Two distinct spring reverb tanks (Long/Short)
  • Two reverb engines (physical modeling/vintage)
  • Interactive "kick" feature via tap or MIDI
  • Adjustable Dwell, Tone, and Mix controls
  • Optional built-in amp stage
  • AUv3 and standalone app support
Features
Read full description

Coil brings the character of spring reverb into a compact, playable pedal. TWO TANKS Choose LONG for spacious, wobbling tails or SHORT for a tighter, brighter response. TWO ENGINES A uses physical spring modeling. B offers a lower-CPU vintage spring sound. Both follow the TANK switch. KICK THE TANK Tap the pedal body to strike the physical springs. You can also trigger Kick from your host, MIDI CC 83, or MIDI notes; velocity controls strike strength. THREE KNOBS DWELL sets decay, TONE shapes brightness and high-frequency damping, and MIX blends your dry signal with the reverb. CLEAN OR AMP Use the dedicated CLEAN / AMP switch to add the built-in amp stage. The lamp and artwork show the amp state. PLAY YOUR WAY Use Coil as an AUv3 audio effect in a compatible host or as a standalone app with an audio interface. The MUTED/LIVE control provides quick access to input muting. The in-app scroll guide explains controls and MIDI mappings. One purchase for Mac, iPad and iPhone.

Screenshots

S2 screens
Coil3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Coil at 5.0 against S's 2.6. Coil also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 7 months) and price ($0.99 vs $2.99). S's advantage is ratings volume (11 vs 3). 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

S costs $2.99 and Coil $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Coil holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 3 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

S ships an update every 7 months, Coil every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
S versus Coil: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSCoil
Price$2.99$0.99 — better
Rating2.6 (11 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews31.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings11 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul BetowskiJoshua Rideout

Customer experience

S

All ratings11 ratings
Positive27.3%
Neutral27.3%
Negative45.5%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive31.3%
Neutral25.0%
Negative43.8%

Coil

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

S

No in-app purchases

None

Coil

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is S free?
S costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Coil free?
Coil costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, S or Coil?
Coil is rated higher. S averages 2.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Coil averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do S or Coil have ads?
Neither S nor Coil shows ads.
Which is updated more often, S or Coil?
S ships an update every 7 months, and Coil every 8 days. Most recently, S was updated on November 3, 2026 and Coil on November 2, 2026.

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