Comparison

Cycle vs Audulus 4

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

Head to head
About

Cycle

This app creates evolving musical textures by repeating notes that gradually fade. It offers a meditative experience and is ideal for ambient music creation. Users can record and export their creations in various formats.

Highlights
  • Time lag accumulation for sonic textures
  • Meditative and ambient music creation
  • Record and export to WAV/MIDI
  • Inter-App Audio and Audiobus support
  • 12 sound options
  • Controllable tempo and reverb
Features
Read full description

Cycle is a time lag accumulator - a musical system that repeats the notes you play over and over until they gradually fade into silence. It's a simple but very powerful idea, allowing you easily create fascinating and often unexpected sonic textures. Cycle can be a delightful meditative experience. The system naturally lends itself well to long and slowly evolving musical ideas, which encourages you to slow down and listen carefully as notes gradually fade in and out. Cycle can also be a great starting point for creating ambient music. Cycle features easy recording and exporting to both wav and midi files, as well as Inter-App Audio (IAA) and Audiobus support. Easily Airdrop or email recordings to your computer, and use them right away in your favorite DAW. Features: - 12 sound options. Samples by @electronisounds. - 3 octave MIDI keyboard - Inter-App Audio (IAA) and Audiobus support - Controllable tempo - Controllable reverb wet/dry mix - Built-in metronome - 5 colors Comments or suggestions? Send me an email at daniel@codalabs.io!

About

Audulus 4

Create and shape sounds with a professional-grade modular synthesizer environment. Explore a vast library of modules for synthesis and sound design, with the option to expand your toolkit with premium instruments and effects. Available across Apple devices for seamless workflow.

Highlights
  • Modular synthesizer environment
  • Sound design tools
  • Real-time audio shaping
  • Extensive module library
  • Premium Pro Modules (in-app purchases)
  • Cross-device iCloud sync
  • AUv3 plugin support
Features
Read full description

Build synthesizers. Design sounds. Shape audio in real time. All with professional-grade, low-latency performance ready for live use — and it’s free. Audulus gives you a complete modular environment at no cost. Its clean, fluid interface stays out of the way so you can focus on what matters: exploring sound. A modular playground with room to grow — from first experiments to advanced designs. Looking for more? Discover the Pro Module series: premium instruments and effects that show what’s possible when world-class sound design meets true modular freedom. Each Pro Module is crafted specifically for Audulus, giving you new ways to expand your sonic toolkit. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — your modular system travels with you. ▶ What People Are Saying: "gem for Apple platforms – gorgeous, fluid" — Peter Kirn, createdigitalmusic.com "stunning!" — Richard Devine, devinesound.net "Remarkable gesture control" — sequencer.de ▶ Join our forum and Discord community! ▶ What You Get: • Complete modular environment — free to download and explore • Pro Module series — premium modules available as in-app purchases • Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud sync • Standalone app or AUv3 plugin • Deep node library for building from scratch • Extensive module library for synthesis and sound design • Multi-channel signal flow for polyphony and complex routing • Next-gen multi-core audio processing • Smooth, high-performance graphics even with massive patches • MIDI I/O with MIDI learn • GLSL shader node for creating advanced visuals • Lua scripting for custom DSP and vector graphics Terms of Use: https://audulus.com/terms.html

Screenshots

Cycle4 screens
Audulus 44 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Cycle at none against Audulus 4's 27. Cycle also leads on update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and rating (4.5 vs 4.3). On price, review sentiment, ads 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. Audulus 4 sells 27 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Cycle asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Cycle holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cycle has 508 ratings behind it against 73, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 73% of Cycle's written reviews are positive against 69% of Audulus 4's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cycle ships an update weekly, Audulus 4 monthly. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Cycle versus Audulus 4: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCycleAudulus 4
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (508 ratings) — better4.3 (73 ratings)
Positive reviews73.5% of reviews — better69.2% of reviews
Number of ratings508 — better73
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS9.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB103 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCoda Labs IncorporatedAudulus LLC

Customer experience

Cycle

All ratings507 ratings
Positive90.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews49 reviews
Positive73.5%
Neutral10.2%
Negative16.3%

Audulus 4

All ratings74 ratings
Positive82.4%
Neutral4.1%
Negative13.5%
Written reviews78 reviews
Positive69.2%
Neutral10.3%
Negative20.5%

User reviews

Cycle

From 508 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎵 Unique generative looping concept with interesting fade effects
  • 👍 Intuitive and simple user interface
  • 💰 Free to use with no cost barrier
  • 📤 Export functionality (WAV and MIDI files)
  • 🎹 Keyboard layout for musical input

Room to improve

  • ⚙️ Lack of precise tempo/BPM control
  • 🎛️ Limited control over sound parameters
  • 🔊 Default sound samples can be grating
  • 📱 UI layout issues on some screen sizes
  • 🎹 Basic keyboard implementation

Audulus 4

From 73 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Powerful modular environment
  • 💡 Deep DSP programming capabilities
  • 🎨 Intuitive and beautiful UI
  • 🚀 Seamless workflow across devices
  • 📚 Great for learning synthesis

Room to improve

  • 💸 Expensive in-app purchases/subscriptions
  • ⚠️ Steep learning curve for beginners
  • 📱 UI issues on mobile (scrolling, view obstruction)
  • 📉 High CPU usage
  • ❓ Lack of comprehensive documentation

Bugs and requests

Cycle

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • No sound output on some devices
  • WAV export generates zero data files
  • UI extends beyond screen boundaries
  • Audio playback issues requiring hard reload

Requested features

15 requests
  • Ableton Link synchronization support
  • Precise BPM display and control
  • VST plugin version for DAW integration
  • AU (Audio Unit) support for iOS apps
  • MIDI input for keyboard triggering
Show 10 more
  • Real-time MIDI CC output control
  • Octave up/down controls
  • Scale/key limiting (major, minor, etc.)
  • More instrument sound options
  • Multiple simultaneous tracks
  • Loop recording functionality
  • Volume and filter control during playback
  • Variable fade rate control
  • Freeze individual loops while others fade
  • IAA (Inter-App Audio) support

Audulus 4

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • iOS 18 compatibility issues (app not working)
  • Save presets but no 'Load' button
  • Undo command issues with DAWs
  • CMD+Z causing data loss
  • Opt+drag not duplicating modules
Show 8 more
  • Plugin window not resizable
  • Menu filtering not functioning properly on iPhone
  • Select and Import buttons not working
  • Blank screen on open
  • App freezes on iPad Pro
  • Black screen on launch after update
  • No modules appearing after iOS 18 update
  • Patches not appearing after iOS 18 update

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add 'Load' button for presets
  • Improve DAW integration (Undo, duplicate)
  • Resizable plugin window
  • More modules (FFT/IFFT, granular buffering)
  • Add CC in module
Show 2 more
  • Sync to host as AUv3
  • Make upgrade path clearer from Audulus 3

In-app purchases

None

Cycle

No in-app purchases

27 purchases

Audulus 4

Subscriptions2
  • Audulus Pro (1 Month)7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Audulus Pro (1 Year)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time25
  • 1-shot Sample$1.99
  • P-Train$2.99
  • CLK RS-1$3.99
Show 22 more
  • CG-1 Chord Generator$3.99
  • CLK Clock Generator$4.99
  • MetaEnvelope$4.99
  • Modal Percussion$4.99
  • CLK: TimeWarp$4.99
  • CPR-1$4.99
  • LMT-1$4.99
  • MS-FUNC$5.99
  • CLK SS-516$7.99
  • J-23 Reverb$7.99
  • J-23 Effects$7.99
  • CLK GS-1$7.99
  • Chaos LFO Bundle$7.99
  • ARP-1$7.99
  • CPR-3$7.99
  • SynD-K1$7.99
  • TRIKOR VCO$9.99
  • CLK Tools Bundle$9.99
  • Essential Synth Bundle$9.99
  • VCF Bundle 1$9.99
  • J-23 Space Console$14.99
  • Patch Editing$29.99

Questions

Is Cycle free?
Cycle is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Audulus 4 free?
Audulus 4 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Cycle or Audulus 4?
Cycle is rated higher. Cycle averages 4.5 out of 5 from 508 ratings, while Audulus 4 averages 4.3 from 73 ratings.
Do Cycle or Audulus 4 have ads?
Neither Cycle nor Audulus 4 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cycle or Audulus 4?
Cycle ships an update weekly, and Audulus 4 monthly. Most recently, Cycle was updated on October 24, 2026 and Audulus 4 on October 24, 2026.

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