Agonizer vs WoodSynth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Agonizer
This app is a monophonic synthesizer focused on bass sounds, developed with a synth bass expert. It features dual wavetable oscillators, a mangle section, and built-in stereo effects. It supports MPE controllers and various audio/MIDI connectivity options for standalone or app-to-app use.
- Monophonic synth engine for bass
- Dual wavetable oscillators
- Built-in stereo effects
- MPE controller support
- Standalone and AUv3 operation
- 140+ factory presets
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Agonizer is a monophonic synthesizer designed in collaboration with YouTuber and synth bass expert Jakob Haq of haQ attaQ Overview: * Monophonic Synth Engine with focus on Bass * Built-in stereo effects * 140+ fine tuned factory presets designed by Jakob Haq * Supports ROLI Seaboard and other MPE controllers out of the box * Standalone operation with support for USB audio interfaces, wired, network & bluetooth MIDI * Audio Unit v3 Extension * Inter App Audio support * Audiobus support * Ableton Link Synth Voice: * Dual Wavetable Oscillators with 40+ Wavetables, Morphing & X-Mod * Dedicated sub osc & noise source * Mangle Section with pre-filter Drive, Bitcrush, Lift and Push controls * VA Ladder filter * Wobulator (Highly tweak-able Sequenced LFO) * LFO with Key and BPM Sync * Variable Slope AD & ADSR Envelopes * Tube based master drive Effects: * 2x stereo effect units * Vintage Chorus * Digital Delay Presets: * Factory bank including 140+ presets designed by Jakob Haq * Preset Management with Templates & Categories * Shared User Presets between Standalone and AUv3 versions * Preset Export & Import Connectivity: * Standalone * AUv3 Instrument * Inter-App Audio Instrument * Audiobus Instrument Requirements: * iOS12+ * iPad Air 2 or newer
WoodSynth
This powerful synthesizer app offers four independent layers, each with its own sound engine, filters, and envelopes. Create complex sounds using VCOs, samples, or wavetables, and control them with a polyphonic touch bar and MPE support. It functions as a standalone app or a plugin within a DAW.
- Four independent synthesizer layers
- VCOs, samples, and wavetable sources
- Polyphonic touch bar with pitch bending
- MPE and MIDI V2 support
- AUv3 plugin and standalone app
- 16-step sequencers per layer
- Advanced modulation options
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WoodSynth is a synthesizer with 4 independent layers. Each layer is in fact a synthesizer on its own. Each layer has 3 VCO’s plus a samples or wavetable based source, coming from a file or from recording the audio track. Up to 16 voices can be set per layer. Layers can be used in parallel, assigned to a region of the keyboard or used in a sequential mode where the first note(s) on are played by layer 1 and the next note(s) by layer 2 and so on. This last mode allows to have a different sound per note played (and independent from a keyboard region). WoodSynth has a polyphonic pitch-bending touch bar which also displays notes received from a keyboard. Each layer has its own filter and envelope with ADSR per voice, a pitch shifting envelope per VCO, a delay, a basic reverb, a modulator LFO per VCO, 2 general LFO’s and a 16 steps sequencer. Key tracking can be applied on the ADSR attack and release, on the filter cutoff and on the VCO modulation. The app can be used stand-alone (device audio input and output) or as a plugin in a DAW. - IOS plugin type : AUv3 and stand-alone app. - Has 4 independent synthesizers, each with up to 16 voices. - Supports MPE and Midi V2. - Has a polyphonic touch bar with polyphonic pitch bending. - Velocity, channel pressure, (polyphonic) aftertouch, CC74 can be used to modulate several synth parameters. - VCO’s have the usual waveforms (sine, saw, square, triangle, pulse and noise) and can be modulated in various ways (FM, AM, Pulse Width, Slew rate) - Samples can be recorded from the audio input/track or loaded from file (sample files should be in the WoodSynth iCloud folder) - Wavetables can be loaded from file or converted from loaded or recorded samples. - Each voice has a 4-pole Moog Lowpass filter with resonance and ADSR envelope. - An offset can be set in the Filter cutoff for the R channel to create a stereo effect. - Each voice has a pitch shifting ADSR envelope which can be independently enabled for each VCO. - Has Key tracking for VCO pan, Filter cutoff, ADSR Envelope Attack and Release. - Each layer has a delay unit (which can be separately panned) and a basic reverb. - Each layer has a 16 steps sequencer which can run on multiple voices (poly mode). - Each layer can set the midi channel and range of receiving midi notes (which allows for up to 4 split keyboard regions). - Layers can be set in sequential mode : first note(s) played on layer1, next note(s) on layer2, etc. - Layers have an additional high-pass filter saturation and crush control. - Synth audio and delay can be panned independently. - The 2 general LFO’s can have their source from the samples or wavetables (or track input). - Supports Ableton Link to sync tempo and start-stop. - Has 4 User Control rotaries which can be freely assigned. - The User Controls can be controlled by a midi CC which can be set or learned. - Presets can be stored in iCloud Drive (makes them available on all your devices). - Supports CV out and Sequencer Midi out.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Agonizer at 4.8 against WoodSynth's 4.1. Agonizer also leads on price ($7.99 vs $15.99) and review sentiment (78% vs 60%). WoodSynth's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On 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
Agonizer costs $7.99 and WoodSynth $15.99 up front. Agonizer sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. WoodSynth asks for nothing beyond the download.
Agonizer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Agonizer has 203 ratings behind it against 28, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Agonizer's written reviews are positive against 60% of WoodSynth's.
Agonizer ships an update every 5 months, WoodSynth every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 3, 2026.
| Parameter | Agonizer | WoodSynth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $7.99 — better | $15.99 |
| Rating | 4.8 (203 ratings) — better | 4.1 (28 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews — better | 60.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 203 — better | 28 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #189 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 362 MB | 203 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kai Aras | Woodman's Immaculate Maple Syrup Studio |
Customer experience
Agonizer
WoodSynth
Bugs and requests
Agonizer
Reported bugs
16 issues- Keyboard does not properly handle legato/mono-synth note priority
- Crashes in Audiobus, AUM, and Cubasis host applications
- No sound output when used as AUv3 plugin in hosts
- No sound in GarageBand integration
- App freezes on splash screen with iOS 18.3
Show 11 moreShow fewer
- Stuck notes and failed note triggering
- Scream button malfunction when switching presets
- Cutoff knob lag in AUv3 scenarios
- UI jitter and text cutoff on iPhone
- Favorite preset feature not working on iPhone
- Program change not working properly in hosts
- Always opens with init preset in host applications
- Modulation matrix sensitivity too high (2% movement = large range)
- Audio output peaks in red with no sound
- Permanent clipping/damaged audio output
- Misleading IAP pricing display (showing 'FREE' for paid content)
Requested features
10 requests- Polyphony mode or toggle between mono and poly
- Envelope drawing capability instead of preset selection
- Menu-based waveform selection instead of cycling
- Arpeggiator function
- Preset browser search and favorites filter
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Extended automation control for all knobs
- Keytracking for filter
- Reverb effect
- Accelerometer/gyroscopic velocity sensitivity
- Customizable number of keyboard keys
WoodSynth
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Agonizer
- Neon Nightmare Pack$1.99
- Chrome Oasis Pack$1.99
- Circuit Bender Pack$1.99
WoodSynth
No in-app purchases









