WoodSynth vs BrainBud
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
BrainBud
This app acts as a central controller for other music creation applications, allowing you to manage keys and scales simultaneously. It integrates with a variety of Bud apps via MIDI, enabling synchronized changes and broadcasting of musical parameters. Experiment with randomization and automate settings through its AUv3 plugin.
- Centralized key and scale control
- MIDI out to multiple Bud apps
- Budcast for parameter broadcasting
- Randomize musical parameters
- AUv3 plugin for automation
- Requires other Bud apps to function
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BrainBud controls the keys and scales of the Bud apps all at once. Connect BrainBud’s MIDI out to MIDI inputs of: - SnakeBud - PolyBud - MelodyBud - ShiftBud - ScaleBud 2 - In Theory - Textquencer - Binarhythmic - Auto Bass - BounceBud - MuseBud - Kebarp - FuncBud - Note to Be You can also broadcast the current key/scale to the newly connected apps with Budcast button. If you’d like to experiment, you can try the randomise button. With the AUv3 plugin, you can change the BrainBud's parameters or even automate them with AU parameters. For using the AUv3 plugin make sure you have an AUv3 host app such as AUM, Cubasis, Nanostudio, apeMatrix. BrainBud is a MIDI based app and requires other Bud apps present in order to work right. If you don't have any other Bud apps mentioned above, you can't make a use of BrainBud. BrainBud doesn't produce any kind of sound on its own.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: BrainBud at $2.99 against WoodSynth's $15.99. BrainBud also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.1) and review sentiment (100% vs 60%). WoodSynth's advantage is ratings volume (28 vs 2). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
WoodSynth costs $15.99 and BrainBud $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
BrainBud holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: WoodSynth has 28 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of WoodSynth's written reviews are positive against 100% of BrainBud's.
WoodSynth ships an update every 5 weeks, BrainBud every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | WoodSynth | BrainBud |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $15.99 | $2.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.1 (28 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 28 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 203 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Woodman's Immaculate Maple Syrup Studio | Cem Olcay |
Customer experience
WoodSynth
BrainBud
In-app purchases
WoodSynth
No in-app purchases
BrainBud
No in-app purchases









