Comparison

STAELLA vs DroneSynth

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

Head to head
About

STAELLA

Create dynamic, real-time music visualizations with customizable effects. Import audio from various sources, record your creations, and share them on social media. Offers advanced control with MIDI integration and keyboard shortcuts.

Highlights
  • Real-time audio-reactive visuals
  • Customizable effects and colors
  • Import music from playlists, mic, or simulation
  • One-touch video recording
  • MIDI device integration
  • Keyboard shortcuts for control
  • Gesture controls
Features
Read full description

Real-time music visualization. 30 Visuals × 78 Shapes — every play, a different piece. ■ Design the visuals from a free combination 4 categories with 30 Visuals and 78 Shapes, Knobs, Text, backgrounds, 10 Screen Effects and 10 Wallpaper Blends. Layer them into anything from a club-style spectrum to an ambient nebula. Visuals and Shapes switch on the beat of the song. On HDR displays, glows and gradients render with brightness beyond SDR. ■ Preset sharing Save the look you made as a preset and share it with a code or a link. ■ Two recording modes for different intents Recording keeps every knob move and Visual switch you make. Export locks the UI so a stable, hands-off render finishes on its own. Before exporting, you can also edit the show along the flow of the song, like in a video editor. Both hide the UI, support up to 4K with HDR export, and can auto-record a full song in Playlist mode. ■ Four audio sources Files (music on device; iOS also imports from the iTunes library) Microphone (low-latency input) Simulation (visuals keep moving with no source) AUv3 (visualize plugin audio) ▸ Time-synced lyrics Songs available in a supported lyric database can display lyrics in time with the music. Song title and artist name too. You can also show lyrics you typed yourself. ▸ External display output (AirPlay / HDMI adapters) Connect a TV or projector via iOS Screen Mirroring (AirPlay) or an HDMI adapter. The visuals go full screen while the UI stays on your device. ■ Play with whatever's in your hand Touch and flick iPad + Magic Keyboard shortcuts MIDI controllers (long-press any knob to assign, BLE MIDI supported) Gamepad (D-pad, buttons, sticks) ■ Where to use it · VJ sets at clubs, live shows and streams · Music videos and lyric videos for social · Screen visuals for a room or a party ■ Notes · DRM-protected tracks (e.g. Apple Music) can't be played. · For issues or requests, reach out via in-app feedback or support. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

DroneSynth

Create ambient textures, evolving pads, and hypnotic soundscapes with an analog-style drone synthesizer. Shape your sound with multiple oscillators, envelopes, LFOs, and built-in effects like delay and reverb. Offers hands-on control without complex menus.

Highlights
  • Three independent oscillators
  • ADSR envelope and LFO modulation
  • Stereo-capable Moog Ladder filter
  • Tempo-syncable delay and reverb
  • Drone/sustain mode for hands-free use
  • On-screen keyboard with adjustable range
  • Save and recall unlimited presets
Features
Read full description

As both a musician and a software engineer, I've always found drones incredibly useful for my musical creativity, supporting my practice with singing, flute, didgeridoo, and other instruments like synthesiser and guitar. That passion for music and technology led me to bring DroneSynth to iOS, built from the ground up for the Apple ecosystem. Including AU support for supported DAWs DroneSynth turns your iPhone and iPad or Mac into a hands-on, analog-style drone synthesiser built for ambient textures, evolving pads, and hypnotic soundscapes — no menus to dig through, knobs you can hear. It now includes AU Support on all platforms. Layer three independent oscillators — sine, triangle, square, saw, and pink noise — each with its own volume, octave, semitone, and fine-tune. Shape the blend with a full ADSR envelope and two independent LFOs modulating filter cutoff and pitch, each with sine, triangle, or random shapes and drift. STEREO-CAPABLE MOOG LADDER FILTER Sculpt your tone with a classic Moog Ladder filter, featuring live cutoff and resonance. Upgrade to true stereo filtering — two independently detuned filters panned hard left and right — for a wider, richer, more three-dimensional drone. BUILT-IN EFFECTS • Tempo-syncable delay with tap-tempo and ping-pong stereo bouncing • Lush reverb across four distinct spaces — Room, Hall, Plate, and Cathedral — each with its own size, pre-delay, and decay character PERFORMANCE-READY • Drone/sustain mode for endless, hands-free evolving tones • On-screen keyboard with adjustable octave and range • Save and recall unlimited presets, so your favourite patches are always one tap away • Adaptive layout — a focused portrait view and a full landscape control surface with a persistent sidebar, so every parameter stays reachable Whether you're scoring a film, building a meditation soundscape, or want a synth that rewards knob-twisting over menu-diving, DroneSynth gives you real-time control over every stage of the signal path. Stereo Filters is available as an optional one-time in-app purchase.

Screenshots

STAELLA4 screens
DroneSynth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: DroneSynth at 5.0 against STAELLA's 3.9. DroneSynth also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). STAELLA's advantage is ratings volume (1.7K vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, 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

Both are free to download. STAELLA sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and DroneSynth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

DroneSynth holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: STAELLA has 1.7K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

STAELLA ships an update every 2 months, DroneSynth every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
STAELLA versus DroneSynth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSTAELLADroneSynth
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.7K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews44.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.7K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size256 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developermonocrofrederick bertram

Customer experience

STAELLA

All ratings1,689 ratings
Positive71.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative22.4%
Written reviews607 reviews
Positive44.8%
Neutral14.5%
Negative40.7%

DroneSynth

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

STAELLA

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Music playback issues and controls not working
  • Inability to import user's own music files
  • Exported videos have poor quality and audio sync issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for streaming services
  • Improve export and download options
  • Expand customization and control over visuals
  • Implement portrait mode and different aspect ratios
  • Add ability to layer and blend multiple visuals

DroneSynth

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

STAELLA

Subscriptions2
  • STAELLA Premium3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • STAELLA Premium$49.991 Year
One-time5
  • Toolkit pro$9.99
  • STELLA$9.99
  • TERRA$9.99
Show 2 more
  • MACHINA$9.99
  • NEX$9.99
1 purchases

DroneSynth

One-time1
  • Stereo Filters$0.99

Questions

Is STAELLA free?
STAELLA is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DroneSynth free?
DroneSynth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, STAELLA or DroneSynth?
DroneSynth is rated higher. STAELLA averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.7K ratings, while DroneSynth averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do STAELLA or DroneSynth have ads?
STAELLA shows ads; DroneSynth does not.
Which is updated more often, STAELLA or DroneSynth?
STAELLA ships an update every 2 months, and DroneSynth every 4 days. Most recently, STAELLA was updated on October 19, 2026 and DroneSynth on October 21, 2026.

Other comparisons