Comparison

EG WaveSHAPER vs bitcrust

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

Head to head
About

EG WaveSHAPER

Create unique sounds by drawing waveforms or shaping built-in ones. Blend them with analog and sub oscillators, and automate parameters with drawable LFOs and envelopes. Explore a hybrid waveshaping and wavetable engine for complex sonic textures.

Highlights
  • Hybrid Wavetable/Waveshaping engine
  • Draw custom wavetables
  • Assignable LFOs and Envelopes
  • Built-in Reverb, Delay, and EG Crush FX
  • Core MIDI support
  • AUv3 plugin compatibility
Features
Read full description

EG WaveSHAPER is the first synthesizer that lets you create your sound with a finger. Draw the waveform on the screen or shape a builtin one, mix it with a classic analog oscillator and a sub oscillator and automate all the knobs with 2 drawable LFOs and 2 ENVs HYBRID WAVESHAPING ENGINE 'Waveshaping is a synthesis-and-transformation technique that turns simple sounds into complex sounds' 2 wavetables can be designed and morphed to create unique and dynamic sounds under your finger, choosing the morph attack and release; complex spectra can be created waveshaping the oscillator and introducing non linear distortion, rich harmonics and a tube-vacuum behaviour. The hybrid Waveshaping/Wavetable engine lets you combine a wavetable oscillator with a classic oscillator and a sub oscillator, to add additional sound layers and depth. LFOs & ENVs 2 Lfo and 2 Envelopes with indipendent time can be assigned to virtually any of the synth parameters. They can also be graphically designed with the touch of your finger or you can choose among the builtin envelopes. OTHER FEATURES - Hybrid Wavetable/Waveshaping engine - Draw your wavetable oscillator with your finger - 100+ presets (Pad, Lead, Bass and Fx) - 30+ builtin waveforms to use and modify - 2 LFOs and 2 ENVs assignable to any parameter - FX: Reverb, Delay and EG Crush - Detune osc to create huge unison sounds - FM and Noise with configurble FM Ratio and Noise eq - VCF and Reso filters - Complete presets management with export and share - Core MIDI: MIDI in, MIDI CC, MIDI channel pressure control - AU3 with full knobs parameters automation - Universal for iPad & iPhone

About

bitcrust

This application offers a polyphonic synthesizer with a SID-style voice architecture, featuring multiple oscillators, ring modulation, and hard sync. It provides extensive modulation capabilities and a post-synthesis effects rack, extending its sonic range beyond traditional chip synths.

Highlights
  • 12-voice polyphony
  • 3 oscillators per voice with SID-style behavior
  • Extensive modulation matrix
  • 6-slot post-SID FX rack
  • 16-step sequencer and arpeggiator
  • AUv3 and Standalone support
Features
Read full description

bitcrust is a polyphonic synthesizer built around a SID-style voice architecture: three oscillators per voice, up to twelve voices, with ring mod, hard sync, and the pulse-width behaviour that defined a generation of 8-bit sound. The DSP is an in-house, clean-room implementation written from the public MOS 6581 register map and general DSP literature. It's not an emulator port, so bitcrust sounds SID-adjacent without inheriting the license constraints that keep most SID-inspired tools off the major app stores. Sonically it sits between a chip synth and a modern subtractive. The voice core still does gritty arp basses, zap leads and 8-bit percussion, but the architecture around it (three LFOs, a per-voice mod envelope, an 8-slot modulation matrix, and a 6-slot post-SID FX rack with drive, bitcrusher, tempo-synced delay, chorus, reverb, compressor and limiter) pushes it into pad, keys and texture territory. WHAT THIS PURCHASE INCLUDES Universal Purchase: one price buys the Mac app plus the iPad version (Standalone and AUv3). On the Mac, the App Store build is the Standalone app only. No AU, no VST3: the Mac App Store doesn't distribute plugin formats. AU and VST3 versions are available separately; details at anode-labs.com/bitcrust. The iPad build is a co-equal target, not a downscale. The full 179-preset factory library, all 14 themes, and the complete mod matrix and FX rack ship on both platforms. • Voice core: 12-voice polyphony, 3 oscillators per voice, SID-style triangle / saw / pulse / noise with hard sync and ring mod, per-VCO ADSR • Filter: global VCF (LP / BP / HP) with live curve, selectable 6581 / 8580 chip model, Vintage vs. Modern oscillator mode • Modulation: 3 global LFOs (7 shapes, host-sync or Hz), per-voice mod envelope, 8-slot matrix, MIDI sources (velocity, poly AT, channel AT, mod wheel, pitch bend) • FX rack: 6 slots, drag-to-reorder, per-slot bypass / mix; Drive (5 modes), Bitcrusher, Delay (tempo-sync), Chorus, Reverb, Compressor, Limiter. Every FX parameter is a modulation destination. • MIDI: 16-step sequencer, arpeggiator (Up / Down / UpDown / Random, 6 rate divisions, octave range), MIDI Learn on every knob, note Hold • Presets: 179 factory patches across 10 groups, full-metadata save (author, description, tags), Preset Preview audition without committing, A/B snapshot compare, XML import / export • UI: 6-tab navigation, 14 themes with optional phosphor / CRT overlays, monitor strip (oscilloscope, vectorscope, FFT spectrum, 3D spectrogram, stereo field), QWERTY note typing from any tab Mac: Standalone app, universal binary (Apple Silicon + Intel), macOS 12 (Monterey) or later. iPad: AUv3 extension plus a Standalone for headphone jamming. In-DAW use on iPad needs an AUv3 host (GarageBand, Logic Pro for iPad, AUM, Cubasis and so on). Support: https://anode-labs.com/bitcrust · support@anode-labs.com Privacy policy: https://anode-labs.com/privacy

Screenshots

EG WaveSHAPER3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: bitcrust at $1.99 against EG WaveSHAPER's $8.99. bitcrust also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly). EG WaveSHAPER's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (23 vs 7). 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

EG WaveSHAPER costs $8.99 and bitcrust $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

EG WaveSHAPER holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 23 and 7 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

EG WaveSHAPER ships an update fortnightly, bitcrust every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
EG WaveSHAPER versus bitcrust: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEG WaveSHAPERbitcrust
Price$8.99$1.99 — better
Rating4.8 (23 ratings) — better4.4 (7 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings23 — better7
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad, Mac
Requires iOS9.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size25 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperElliott GarageMichele Caserta

Customer experience

EG WaveSHAPER

All ratings23 ratings
Positive95.7%
Neutral4.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral15.4%
Negative0.0%

bitcrust

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

In-app purchases

None

EG WaveSHAPER

No in-app purchases

None

bitcrust

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EG WaveSHAPER free?
EG WaveSHAPER costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is bitcrust free?
bitcrust costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, EG WaveSHAPER or bitcrust?
EG WaveSHAPER is rated higher. EG WaveSHAPER averages 4.8 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while bitcrust averages 4.4 from 7 ratings.
Do EG WaveSHAPER or bitcrust have ads?
Neither EG WaveSHAPER nor bitcrust shows ads.
Which is updated more often, EG WaveSHAPER or bitcrust?
EG WaveSHAPER ships an update fortnightly, and bitcrust every 3 days. Most recently, EG WaveSHAPER was updated on October 16, 2026 and bitcrust on October 17, 2026.

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