Comparison

tardigrain vs lo

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

Head to head
About

tardigrain

Create unique sounds by breaking down samples into small fragments and playing them back non-linearly. Explore granular synthesis with adjustable grain size, direction, and step size. Enhance your audio with built-in effects, filters, and modulation options.

Highlights
  • Granular synthesis engine
  • Adjustable grain parameters
  • Built-in effects (reverb, wave shaper, crush)
  • Resonant filter
  • MIDI and MPE modulation
  • Sequencer/arpeggiator
  • LFO modulation
Features
Read full description

Tardigrain is a granular synthesiser for iOS that runs standalone or as an AU plugin. Sounds are created by taking smaller fragments of a sample and playing them back in a non linear fashion, with settings for grain size, direction, step size and more. Process the sound further through effects like reverb, wave shaper and sample crush. Tardigrain supports connections with AudioCopy, AudioBus, Inter App Audio and AUv3. Plus all audio parameters can be modulated by MIDI, as AU parameters and by aftertouch on the build in keyboard. Now also a selected set of parameters can be modulated by LFOs och notes triggered by a new sequencer/arpeggiator. +++ Record your own samples or import using AudioCopy/drag'n drop +++ Chromatic granualar playpack +++ Effects (Wave shaper, Reverb, Sample crusher, Pitch and stereo spread) +++ Resonant filter (low, band and high pass) +++ Keyboard and MPE modulation of any audio parameters +++ Note trigger sequencer/arpeggiator +++ 4 LFO sources for modulating a selected set of parameters +++ Multiple factory presets to get you started +++ Save and load your own settings and samples +++ Inter App Audio, AudioBus and AUv3 +++ Core MIDI, Inter App Audio MIDI and AUv3 MIDI

About

lo

This app offers a versatile toolkit for manipulating audio with a variety of lo-fi effects. Explore historical audio degradation, modern digital artifacts, and analog warmth to transform your sound.

Highlights
  • Convolution reverb with unique impulse responses
  • Spectral processing for MP3 simulation and pitch shifting
  • Digital section with bitcrusher and CD stutter
  • Analog section with tape saturation and noise generation
  • Rearrangeable processing sections
  • Dozens of presets for sound warping
Features
Read full description

"LO‑FI‑AF is a very capable lo‑fi toolkit capable of surgically targeted destruction and it could easily find applications in just about any musical genre" -SoundOnSound Unfiltered Audio's lo-fi-af is now available on iOS as a Standalone app or AUv3 plugin! lo-fi-af takes your sound on a journey of artifacts and noise throughout recorded history, from tape warbles and vinyl noise to MP3 chirps and cell phone speaker chatter. lo-fi-af's many sections and versatile algorithms can place your sound in a different decade, or give it a thoroughly modern spin through compound processing. The first section is a convolution reverb preloaded with impulse responses from broken microphones, toy speakers, cell phones, and more. With this section alone, you can place your sound into an entirely different space. The Spectral section then splits your sound into thousands of frequencies before reconstructing it with a twist. Here you can reproduce the sound of a pirated MP3 or pitch shift your signal with clean perfection. Your signal then takes a trip through the digital section. All sorts of hazards are present here, from a skipping CD stutter effect to a multimode bitcrusher. Finally, the rich, colorful analog section adds that vibe that you crave. A maximizer, a tape saturator, a noise generator, an analog-style filter, a pitch warbler, and a radio demodulator all work together in harmony to toss your sound into the past. But wait! That's only one possible signal chain. The Convolution, Spectral, Digital, and Analog sections can be completely rearranged in any order. Dozens of presets will get your started on your sound warping adventure. As an AUv3 plugin, lo-fi-af has been tested to work perfectly with Garageband, Drambo, AUM, Cubasis, Beatmaker, Nanostudio, apeMatrix, Loopy Pro, and more! Additionally, with its clear layout and smart resizing, lo-fi-af can be used on tablets and phones with ease. (Note for Drambo users: Drambo does not yet have automatic Plugin Delay Compensation for managing plugins with latency. As a result, tracks with lo-fi-af will not line up properly with other tracks. An upcoming patch for Drambo will add this feature in.)

Screenshots

tardigrain4 screens
lo4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: lo at 5.0 against tardigrain's 4.6. lo also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). tardigrain's advantage is price ($5.99 vs $9.99) and review sentiment (76% vs 67%). 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

tardigrain costs $5.99 and lo $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

lo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 98 and 29 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of tardigrain's written reviews are positive against 67% of lo's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

tardigrain ships an update every 2 months, lo fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
tardigrain versus lo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametertardigrainlo
Price$5.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.6 (98 ratings)5.0 (29 ratings) — better
Positive reviews75.9% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings98 — better29
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.011.0
Further details — not scored
Size60 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperErik SigthUnfiltered Audio

Customer experience

tardigrain

All ratings96 ratings
Positive88.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive75.9%
Neutral9.2%
Negative14.9%

lo

All ratings29 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

tardigrain

No in-app purchases

None

lo

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is tardigrain free?
tardigrain costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is lo free?
lo costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, tardigrain or lo?
lo is rated higher. tardigrain averages 4.6 out of 5 from 98 ratings, while lo averages 5.0 from 29 ratings.
Do tardigrain or lo have ads?
Neither tardigrain nor lo shows ads.
Which is updated more often, tardigrain or lo?
tardigrain ships an update every 2 months, and lo fortnightly. Most recently, tardigrain was updated on October 29, 2026 and lo on October 23, 2026.

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