Comparison

Koala FX vs OtherDesertCities

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

Head to head
About

Koala FX

This creative effects unit offers 16 intuitive, one-touch effects to easily transform your audio. Morph and twist tracks, sculpt synth sounds, or add lofi warmth. Save and crossfade between scenes for dynamic musical arrangements.

Highlights
  • 16 one-touch creative effects
  • Intuitive instrument-like playability
  • Save and crossfade between 8 scenes
  • Rearrangeable effect order
  • Automatable parameters
  • Resizable UI
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

*** IMPORTANT! Koala FX is an Audio Unit Effect plugin (AUv3) which requires a compatible host or DAW to work such as Garageband, Beat Maker 3, AUM etc *** *** Koala FX is the ultimate creative effects unit. It offers 16 one-touch effects that you can play intuitively like an instrument, allowing you to effortlessly morph and twist your track into something beautiful. It includes all your favourite mix effects from Koala Sampler, but refined and souped up to allow super smooth cuts and crossfades. Apply effects to your whole mix just to add some lofi warmth or to liven things up… or use it to sculpt synth sounds to blend in with the rest. * Save up to 8 scenes per preset, so you can cut between them in time with the music * Smoothly crossfade between scenes with a giant 8-way X-Y pad. * Rearrange the order of the effects by dragging them. * A togglable hold mode allows you to keep some effects engaged, and others off when you let go of them. * Fully automatable via your host (effects, volume, scene, XY pad) * UI is fully resizable, works great in any aspect ratio CRUSH Bitcrusher with transistor distortion PITCH Frequency domain pitch shifter COMB Super short smooth interpolating delay with gallons of feedback RING Modeled diode ring modulator REVERB Efficient schroeder topology reverb STUTTER Loops a fragment of sound coming into koala fx and loops it in time with the music GATE Noise gate with hysteresis FILTER Combined low and high pass analog modeled filter CUTTER Chops the signal to the beat REVERSE Delay effect that reverses parts of your sound in time to the music DUB Vari-speed analog style tape delay TEMPO DELAY Tempo synced delay TALKBOX Formant filter based on human vocal tract VIBROFLANGE Half-vibrato, half-flanger DIRTY Analog modeled valve distortion COMPRESSOR Hard knee opto-style compressor with a bit of If you’re having any issues with Koala FX please get in touch at https://www.elf-audio.com/contact.php

About

OtherDesertCities

Explore a versatile audio effect with six unique delay algorithms, offering everything from classic stereo delays to experimental granular pitch-shifting. Extensive modulation and I/O controls allow for deep sonic manipulation and creative sound design.

Highlights
  • Six unique delay algorithms
  • Extensive modulation capabilities
  • Tempo-synced LFOs
  • Envelope follower
  • Diffusor for feedback smearing
  • Advanced I/O control
  • Granular pitch-shifting
Features
Read full description

Other Desert Cities, named for a famous sign on the I-10 highway leaving Los Angeles, is a workshop for creativity. As its namesake implies, there are many strange and wonderful things lurking inside. With six delay algorithms, each with its own personality, and extensive modulation, Other Desert Cities covers everything from basic stereo dual delays to never-before-heard granular pitch-shifting chaos. ALGORITHMS 01 Desert Shores Stereo Delay. A standard dual delay, with basic EQ, saturation, crossfeed, and spread. 02 Mecca Reverse Delay. A normal dual delay, except the repeats play backwards, with smooth crossfading and an optional Reflect mode that alternates direction on each repeat. 03 Cactus Dual-Delta Delay. More like a pair of tape decks in use, with individual speed controls from zero to 2x in either direction, and pitch quantizing to octaves, fifths, or semitones. 04 Thermal Multi-Tap Delay. A dual multi-tap with sixteen taps per side, spread, crossfeed, and basic EQ. 05 Mirage Multi-Head Delay. Imagine a tape delay, but the head is the rotating head of a VCR. Experimental, strange, and wonderful. 06 Sky Valley Granular Delay. A pitch-shifting granular delay, with control over grain size and scatter, and EQ. TEMPO Sync to your host, or don't: set the sync source to Tap and everything synced follows the tap button instead. Tap on screen, or assign a MIDI note or CC and tap from your controller; the AUv3 accepts MIDI input directly. MODULATION Other Desert Cities includes a full suite of modulation. Two tempo-synced variable-waveshape LFOs and an envelope follower, sourced from the main input or a sidechain, can modulate nearly every control in the user interface. DIFFUSOR A built-in diffusor smears the feedback path, pushing Other Desert Cities toward reverb territory, especially with the Thermal algorithm. LEVELS The secret superpower is I/O control. Every aspect of the signal chain's gain structure can be controlled and modulated: ducked, panned, oscillated, and enveloped to your heart's content. Mute and Input Level feed only the delay block, not the dry signal, so you get natural tails and send-style behavior from an insert. PRESETS A full factory bank, plus designer presets from Matthew Lyon, Red Means Recording, and Time Rival. Presets are cross-platform (patches made on the desktop version work on iOS, and vice versa) and appear in your host's own preset list, so you can change sounds without opening the UI. FEATURES - AUv3 plugin and standalone app - Delay times up to 2 seconds free, 10 seconds tempo-synced - Tap tempo from the screen or MIDI - Resizable, scrolling user interface - Cross-platform XML preset manager Also available for macOS, Windows, and Linux in CLAP, VST3, AAX, AudioUnit, and LV2 formats at audiodamage.com.

Screenshots

Koala FX4 screens
OtherDesertCities4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OtherDesertCities at every 2 months against Koala FX's every 34 months. OtherDesertCities also leads on review sentiment (86% vs 66%). Koala FX's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $6.99) and chart position (#163 vs unranked). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Koala FX costs $3.99 and OtherDesertCities $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

OtherDesertCities holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 76 and 59 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 66% of Koala FX's written reviews are positive against 86% of OtherDesertCities's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Koala FX ships an update every 34 months, OtherDesertCities every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 27, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Koala FX versus OtherDesertCities: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKoala FXOtherDesertCities
Price$3.99 — better$6.99
Rating4.6 (76 ratings)4.8 (59 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.8% of reviews86.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings76 — better59
Update frequencyEvery 34 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#163 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMazbox LimitedAudio Damage, Inc.

Customer experience

Koala FX

All ratings76 ratings
Positive86.8%
Neutral6.6%
Negative6.6%
Written reviews38 reviews
Positive65.8%
Neutral13.2%
Negative21.1%

OtherDesertCities

All ratings59 ratings
Positive94.9%
Neutral1.7%
Negative3.4%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive86.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.8%

In-app purchases

None

Koala FX

No in-app purchases

None

OtherDesertCities

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Koala FX free?
Koala FX costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is OtherDesertCities free?
OtherDesertCities costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Koala FX or OtherDesertCities?
OtherDesertCities is rated higher. Koala FX averages 4.6 out of 5 from 76 ratings, while OtherDesertCities averages 4.8 from 59 ratings.
Do Koala FX or OtherDesertCities have ads?
Neither Koala FX nor OtherDesertCities shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Koala FX or OtherDesertCities?
Koala FX ships an update every 34 months, and OtherDesertCities every 2 months. Most recently, Koala FX was updated on October 27, 2026 and OtherDesertCities on October 27, 2026.

Other comparisons