CrushStation vs Dead Kitty
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CrushStation
This audio effect plugin offers a wide range of overdrive and distortion, from subtle saturation to extreme fuzz. Experiment with octaves, sag, and EQ to shape your sound for guitars, vocals, drums, or synths. It functions as both a standalone app and an Audio Units AUv3 plugin.
- Wide drive range (saturation to fuzz)
- Unique sag control for broken sounds
- Mixable pitch-shifted octaves
- Grit control for low-end distortion
- Three-band EQ for tone shaping
- Performance ribbon for real-time control
- HotSwitch for instant setting changes
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CrushStation is an overdrive/distortion effects plug-in with controls that drive your tone anywhere from a creamy saturation to a brutal sonic assault, with everything in between. Originally from the Eventide H9 Harmonizer pedal, CrushStation has been refined for experimentation on numerous sound sources from your iPhone or iPad. Crush some octaves into the mix, or turn up the Sag to bring the whole sound to its knees. An added bonus, CrushStation is a true stereo distortion. CrushStation is an extremely versatile plugin, capable of adding spice and flair to a variety of production styles. Perfect for drum dirt, the Grit control adds preamp-style distortion that can help bring out kicks in the mix. Vocals benefit from the subtle distortion along with lower octaves for unique pitch blending effects. Further fine tune your sound using the three-band EQ which can help tame cymbals and vocal sibilance. Sure it rips for guitars and basses, but when you need a little warmth and saturation, add gusto to any synth. Features: - DRIVE ranges from subtle boost/overdrive to full on distortion with GRIT and SUSTAIN controls to push it into fuzz territory. - Unique SAG control - inspired by the result of power rail sag of dying analog gear - produces sputtering, crushed, and broken sounds. - Mix in lower and higher pitch-shifted OCTAVES, pre-distortion and compression. - GRIT creates low-end, gritty, chugging sounds. - Individual EQ controls to perfectly craft your tone, emphasize harmonics, or punch through the mix. - GATE your signal for taming the output of the distortion OR combine high threshold gating with MIX for parallel gated crunch. - The performance RIBBON provides real time, dynamic and fluid control to morph back and forth between the settings of your choice. - HOTSWITCH allows you to switch between two different distinct settings within the same preset at the push of a button. - Mixlock keeps the MIX constant so you can easily audition presets. - Available as an Audio Units AUv3 plug-in and Standalone App.
Dead Kitty
This app provides high-gain British guitar tones with a modern edge, excelling in low tunings. It features two channels, a noise gate, and advanced tone shaping for clean riffs and heavy leads.
- High-gain British tones
- Low tuning support
- Clean and Lead channels
- Built-in noise gate
- Two high-quality IRs
- 4-knob tone stack with Air knob
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Get ready to rock with Dead Kitty! This app delivers high-gain classic British tones with a modern twist, handling low tunings effortlessly. Featuring two channels—clean and lead—Dead Kitty was developed in collaboration with Poland's premier guitar YouTube channel, FOG. Twist the Kitty Skull gain knob to dial in the perfect amount of purr or roar. With a built-in noise gate, two high-quality IRs, and a 4-knob tone stack including a unique Air knob for added clarity and brightness, Dead Kitty ensures ultimate control over your sound. Whether you're purring through clean riffs or shredding with ferocious leads, this app keeps your tone always on point. Download now and let your guitar roar!
Screenshots
Verdict
CrushStation and Dead Kitty both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of CrushStation's written reviews are positive against 50% of Dead Kitty's. Dead Kitty's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $14.99) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 3 months). 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
CrushStation costs $14.99 and Dead Kitty $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for CrushStation against 4.8 for Dead Kitty. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 8 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 100% of CrushStation's written reviews are positive against 50% of Dead Kitty's.
CrushStation ships an update every 3 months, Dead Kitty every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | CrushStation | Dead Kitty |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (11 ratings) | 4.8 (8 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 50.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 8 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 24 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Eventide | Aurora DSP |
Customer experience
CrushStation
Dead Kitty
In-app purchases
CrushStation
No in-app purchases
Dead Kitty
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is CrushStation free?
Is Dead Kitty free?
Which has better reviews, CrushStation or Dead Kitty?
Do CrushStation or Dead Kitty have ads?
Which is updated more often, CrushStation or Dead Kitty?
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