Comparison

SynthDrum Kick vs FrobulatorAU

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

Head to head
About

SynthDrum Kick

Create unique kick drum sounds using synthesis rather than samples. This lightweight, fast plugin offers extensive controls for EDM genres and integrates seamlessly with iOS DAWs. Get the perfect kick sound quickly without relying on presets.

Highlights
  • AUv3 AudioUnit plugin
  • Synthesized kick drum sounds
  • Pitch and Amp envelopes
  • Delayable LFO for AM/FM
  • Dual parametric EQ
  • Soft clipper
  • Velocity sensitive
Features
Read full description

AUv3 Drum Synthesizer for iOS SynthDrum Kick is a fast, focused Audio Unit plugin for designing punchy, modern drum sounds—fully synthesised, no samples required. Create kicks from scratch in seconds. No digging through sample packs. No compromises. Just direct control over your sound. Load multiple instances in your favourite AU host like GarageBand, Cubasis, AUM, or BeatMaker 3 to build full percussion setups with ease. Go Further with the Included Sequencer App Load up to 8 Audio Unit SynthDrum Kick instances into the included app and drive them with a powerful 64-step sequencer. Independent channel lengths for polyrhythms Built-in mixer Integrated FX: reverb, delay, compressor, limiter Create evolving patterns and complete rhythmic ideas—all in one place. Sound Design Without Limits From tight, punchy house kicks to deep, tuned trap bass, SynthDrum Kick gives you everything you need to shape your sound. All sounds are 100% synth-generated, giving you total control and a unique result every time—no recycled samples. A streamlined interface and purpose-built DSP engine keep everything fast, focused, and musical. Designed for Percussion Unlike general-purpose synths, SynthDrum Kick is built specifically for drum synthesis: Fast workflow Focused controls No unnecessary parameters Everything is tuned for creating powerful, mix-ready kicks quickly. Features AUv3 (Audio Unit Extension) Lightweight and efficient Multiple instances supported Sound Engine Oscillator: Sine, 909-style clipped triangle Pitch Envelope (retriggered for percussive shaping) Amp Envelope (optimised for drums) LFO (with delay, AM/FM modulation) Noise generator Processing Dual parametric EQ Soft clipper Velocity sensitivity Preset system

About

FrobulatorAU

This audio effect plugin transforms sounds with spectral delay, adding unique character to music projects. It's a free and open-source tool designed for use in various audio applications, offering extensive creative possibilities.

Highlights
  • Spectral delay effect
  • AUv3 plugin
  • Use in GarageBand, AUM, and other DAWs
  • Multiple instances per project
  • Free and open-source
  • No ads or in-app purchases
Features
Read full description

Venerable inter-app audio effect Frobulator reborn — at long last — as an AUv3 plugin. Use it in GarageBand, AUM or your favourite audio application. Add multiple instances in the same project. Drag your frobulation kicking and screaming into the 21st century. Frobulator is a spectral delay effect. It makes your noises a little bit stranger. Twiddle the knobs to find something you like, or don't and throw it away. No-one will hold it against you. Frobulator is free as in beer and free as in speech. Freer, probably, given the state of both those things these days. No ads, no in-app purchases, no subscriptions, no surveillance, no nag screens. If you happen to be one of the 6 people who asked for this, rejoice! If you aren't, now's your chance to discover what you've been missing all this time. Or not. I'm not the boss of you.

Screenshots

SynthDrum Kick4 screens
FrobulatorAU1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FrobulatorAU at Free against SynthDrum Kick's $2.99. FrobulatorAU also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 9 months). SynthDrum Kick's advantage is iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On rating, ratings volume, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FrobulatorAU is free to download; SynthDrum Kick costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for SynthDrum Kick against 5.0 for FrobulatorAU. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 8 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SynthDrum Kick ships an update every 9 months, FrobulatorAU every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SynthDrum Kick versus FrobulatorAU: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSynthDrum KickFrobulatorAU
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.9 (19 ratings)5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews71.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings19 — better8
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaul BetowskiMatthew Caldwell

Customer experience

SynthDrum Kick

All ratings19 ratings
Positive94.7%
Neutral5.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive71.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative21.4%

FrobulatorAU

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

SynthDrum Kick

No in-app purchases

None

FrobulatorAU

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SynthDrum Kick free?
SynthDrum Kick costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FrobulatorAU free?
FrobulatorAU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SynthDrum Kick or FrobulatorAU?
FrobulatorAU is rated higher. SynthDrum Kick averages 4.9 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while FrobulatorAU averages 5.0 from 8 ratings.
Do SynthDrum Kick or FrobulatorAU have ads?
Neither SynthDrum Kick nor FrobulatorAU shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SynthDrum Kick or FrobulatorAU?
SynthDrum Kick ships an update every 9 months, and FrobulatorAU every 9 days. Most recently, SynthDrum Kick was updated on October 15, 2026 and FrobulatorAU on October 17, 2026.

Other comparisons