Mix Bus Compressor vs LevLr
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Mix Bus Compressor
This audio plugin offers ultra-transparent compression with exceptionally low harmonic distortion. Its unique design provides immediate response without adding latency or phase distortion, making it ideal for real-time audio processing. The scalable interface ensures a clear visual experience on all iOS devices.
- Ultra-low harmonic distortion
- Unique envelope follower
- Immediate response time
- No added latency
- No phase distortion
- Scalable user interface
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This compressor has the lowest total harmonic distortion of any plugin we have seen, including desktop units. At the heart of it is a unique envelope follower design that makes it possible to compress the signal without creating distortion harmonics. On the spectrum of compressor tone that ranges from "vintage analog" to "pristine digital", this plugin sits at the extreme end of low-noise digital clarity, but it is different from other low-noise digital designs because it doesn't use digital look-ahead. Therefore its response time is immediate, it adds no extra delay to the signal chain, and it works great for processing real-time performance effects. It uses no oversampling so there is no phase distortion or loss of high-frequency energy from anti-aliasing filters. It also uses no digital-style filters (FIR filters) and no digital look-ahead, so it adds no additional latency to the signal chain. Although it is not a model of an existing piece analog hardware, every component of its signal path is realizable in the analog domain. We think of it as a digital model of our ideal analog compressor: it could exist as an analog circuit but would be very expensive to build with physical analog electronic parts. The user interface is 100% scalable, designed specifically for iOS, so it looks beautiful at any screen size or orientation, from tiny portrait views in AUM on iPhone to the largest full-screen views on iPad Pro.
LevLr
This audio effect plugin offers simple compression and limiting for music production. It features two modes and two intuitive controls, making it easy to achieve desired dynamics without complex settings. Presets are included for quick adjustments.
- Compressor and Limiter modes
- Two intuitive controls (In/Out)
- Simple presets
- AUv3 compatible
- Standalone operation
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LevLr Compressor / limiter Plugin (AUv3) LevLr is an audio effect plugin that can run standalone, or in any AU compatible host application such as Logic or GarageBand. Overview The LevLr "leveller" is a super simple dynamics processor with just two modes and two controls. If you find tinkering with compression ratios, makeup gain and attack / decay times, confusing or time-consuming, you might like to give LevLr a try, especially as it's free! Parameters Active - Toggles the effect On or Off. Mode - Changes between Comp (compressor) and Limit (limiter) mode. Typically you would use Comp on an individual track, and Limit on a master output. In - Determines how hard you drive the compression "circuit". As you increase the gain, the compression effect will become more obvious, with an overall increase in perceived volume and "weight". Out - Allows you to reduce the output in cases where you have the desired amount of compression, but the track is now too dominant in your mix. You generally don't need to adjust this unless your In setting is more than about 6dB. With so few controls, it's pretty easy to dial-in LevLr to taste, but it also has three very simple presets to get you going: Default - a general-purpose Comp setting that can help a track sit in the mix a bit better. Track Compressor - this is heavier / more obvious compression, with a little gain compensation. Master Limiter - this can work well on a master bus and makes everything seem LOUDER! That's pretty much all there is to it, but for the technically minded... The In value is basically the compression threshold, so for example 6dB means compression will kick-in somewhere around the -6dB level. The compression ratios used are 4:1 and 12:1 for Comp and Limit mode respectively. Automatic gain compensation is applied internally depending on the threshold and ratio. The attack time is extremely fast (close to 0ms) meaning that LevLr should handle just about anything you can throw at it without exceeding 0dB at its output. Please do take a look at my other AudioUnits on the App Store if you can spare the time. Supporting paid apps allows me to release free ones as a little thankyou from time to time. For more info and support please visit: www.waverley-instruments.com/robjackson
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: LevLr at Free against Mix Bus Compressor's $5.99. LevLr also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.9) and update cadence (daily vs every 6 weeks). Mix Bus Compressor's advantage is chart position (#194 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (10.2 vs 12.0). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases 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
LevLr is free to download; Mix Bus Compressor costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
LevLr holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 5 respectively.
Mix Bus Compressor ships an update every 6 weeks, LevLr daily. The most recent releases landed on September 11, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Mix Bus Compressor | LevLr |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.9 (8 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 8 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #194 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 10.2 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 25 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Blue Mangoo Consulting Company Limited | Rob Jackson |
Customer experience
Mix Bus Compressor
LevLr
In-app purchases
Mix Bus Compressor
No in-app purchases
LevLr
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Mix Bus Compressor free?
Is LevLr free?
Which has better reviews, Mix Bus Compressor or LevLr?
Do Mix Bus Compressor or LevLr have ads?
Which is updated more often, Mix Bus Compressor or LevLr?
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