Comparison

Factory vs Polywave

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

Head to head
About

Factory

Create complex and organic sounds with a powerful modular synthesizer. Explore a vast array of synthesis types, a deep modulation matrix, and dynamic signal flow. Easily find and morph between sounds with a built-in browser and crossfader.

Highlights
  • Modular synthesis with extensive modulation matrix
  • Multiple oscillator engines and synthesis types
  • Dynamic signal flow with 3-FX chain
  • Morph crossfader for sound transformation
  • Preset browser with tagging and rating
  • Sequencers, Arpeggiator, and Quantizer
Read full description

Made for complex and organic sounds, Factory sports a big modulation matrix with all kinds of features to create a wildlife of sounds. A vast array of DSP is ready to play: Analog style oscillators and filters, but also different flavors of wavetable synthesis, Wavetable driven Waveguide resonators and a 3-FX-Chain in a dynamic signal flow. With the Morph crossfader, sounds can be changed drastically, but always musically. The Preset Browser with tags and rating makes finding sounds easy and fun. Don´t miss out on super sonic modular mayhem and check Factory today! Key Features: • Poly Synth with Mod-Matrix and Sequencers • 2x10 Oscillator Engines • Sub-Oscillator with Ringmodulation • Noise Generator with 5 colors • 8-voice VA-Sync, Wavetable, Waveguide & Fractal Synthesis • 8x10 Mod Matrix with 36 targets • Morph Fader, 2 States & Copy/Paste • Envelopes and LFOs • Sample & Hold Modul • 4x Sequencers for all kinds of Gates and CV's, incl. 36 motion curves, uni/bipolar. • Arpeggiator, Intonation engine, Scale Quantizer • 11 Filter models & 3x Multi-Effect with drag 'n' drop signal flow • Audio Unit v3 & Standalone • Virtual, Network, External & Bluetooth MIDI • Ableton Link • MIDI Learn & Host Automation • Preset iCloud Sync • Preset Share

About

Polywave

Create unique, evolving sonic experiences with a novel wavetable sequencer inspired by vintage synths. Draw your own waveforms, explore a vast library, and connect to external keyboards or DAWs. Record your creations directly within the app.

Highlights
  • Wavetable sequencer
  • Custom waveform drawing
  • Expansive waveform library
  • 100+ factory presets
  • MIDI and Audio Unit support
  • Live recording module
  • 8-voice polyphony
Features
Read full description

From Fingerlab (multiple-time winner of Music App of the Week, 2012 Apple Design Award) and Jordan Rudess (keyboardist of Dream Theater), comes Polywave — a revolutionary wavetable sequencer synthesizer for iPhone, iPad & Mac. Inspired by the legendary Korg Wavestation, Polywave lets you draw your own waveforms with your finger and create unique, ever-evolving sounds that are truly yours. Draw your own waveforms directly on screen 100+ factory presets: leads, pads, loops & FX Connect any MIDI keyboard or load as AUv3 in your DAW Live recording built-in Free version includes 12 factory presets and a selection of core features. Get the Full Version IAP to unlock everything. Features: • 8-voice polyphony & 6 octaves • Wavetable & waveform sequencer • VCO & FM Oscillators • FM Modulation & Detune • ADSR Envelope editor • Moog Ladder filter with ADSR • 2 LFOs with custom modulation waveform • LFO Sync & Loop mode • Waveform drawing editor & library (100 waveforms) • Preset Randomizer & export/import • 5 FX: Tube Amp, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay & Reverb • Live recording & export • Full MIDI & MIDI Mapping support • AudioBus & Inter-App Audio (iOS) • Full AudioUnit AUv3 support • iCloud Family Sharing Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team

Screenshots

Polywave4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Factory at 487 against Polywave's 34. Factory also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Polywave's advantage is device support (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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. Factory sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Polywave 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

Factory holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Factory has 487 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Factory's written reviews are positive against 80% of Polywave's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on August 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Factory versus Polywave: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFactoryPolywave
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (487 ratings) — better4.7 (34 ratings)
Positive reviews81.4% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings487 — better34
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size347 MB44 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSugar Bytes GmbHFingerlab

Customer experience

Factory

All ratings487 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.0%
Negative1.6%
Written reviews97 reviews
Positive81.4%
Neutral5.2%
Negative13.4%

Polywave

All ratings34 ratings
Positive91.2%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral8.0%
Negative12.0%

Bugs and requests

Factory

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Presets not loading correctly in DAW projects
  • CC assignment issues causing controls to freeze

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to modulate morph slider
  • Option to modulate effects parameters individually
  • Arpeggiator with retrigger on key press
  • Better integration with GarageBand and other DAWs

Polywave

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Factory

One-time1
  • Factory Full Version$24.99
1 purchases

Polywave

One-time1
  • Full Version$7.99

Questions

Is Factory free?
Factory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Polywave free?
Polywave is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Factory or Polywave?
Factory is rated higher. Factory averages 4.9 out of 5 from 487 ratings, while Polywave averages 4.7 from 34 ratings.
Do Factory or Polywave have ads?
Neither Factory nor Polywave shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Factory or Polywave?
Factory ships an update every 4 months, and Polywave every 4 months. Most recently, Factory was updated on August 12, 2026 and Polywave on September 23, 2026.

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