Comparison

Skym vs Phonolyth Cascade

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

Head to head
About

Skym

Control your Ableton devices with expressive touch gestures. This MIDI controller app lets you manipulate four parameters simultaneously, offering instant variability and interest to your sounds. It requires Ableton on macOS and does not generate sound on its own.

Highlights
  • Touch control for Ableton devices
  • Control 4 parameters simultaneously
  • X, Y, Speed, and Gate parameters
  • USB or Bluetooth connection
  • Free starter Ableton project included
  • Expressive sound design
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Touch control for your Ableton devices. Skym is a MIDI controller app that allows you to control 4 parameters of your Ableton devices at once. Simply download the app, and install our Ableton script on Mac, and you can connect over USB or Bluetooth to perform expressive sound design. Our free starter Ableton project has some sounds to get you up and running. Skym sends 4 parameters at once. X, Y, Speed (how fast your touch is moving), and Gate (flips on and off with touch). These parameters automatically map to macros 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Combining these layers of control on synths, samplers, effects, gives you access to instant variability and interest in your sounds. Note Skym is a controller and not a sound generator, so the app does not make sound on its own. We only support connection and integration with Ableton on Mac. Mac OS must be 10.11 or later Ableton must be 11.0.0 or later

About

Phonolyth Cascade

This app offers a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. It allows for the creation of expansive modulated spaces, stereo widening, and hybrid delay/reverb effects. Explore unique sonic territories with a wide range of controls and randomized modulation.

Highlights
  • Expansive modulated supernatural spaces
  • Stereo widening and transient smearing
  • Hybrid delay/reverb effects
  • Chorus, flanger, and resonator-like effects
  • Randomized modulation
  • Infinity and Freeze buttons
  • Mix Lock for preset switching
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Cascade is a versatile reverb and diffusion processor with an experimental edge. Designed first and foremost with expansive modulated supernatural spaces in mind, it features an extensive set of controls to explore other sonic territories such as stereo widening, transient smearing, hybrid delay/reverb and chorus/flanger/resonator-like effects. Features: - Wide range of diffusion textures spanning from subtle smearing and widening to otherworldly reverberation - Lush randomized modulation - Infinity and Freeze buttons for never-ending reverb bliss - Mix Lock for switching presets while keeping the dry/wet mix constant - Freely resizable UI with light and dark color schemes - Cross-platform preset format for sharing across plugin formats and OSes - 30 factory presets to get you started - Includes an AudioUnit v3 plugin for use in host apps such as GarageBand and AUM, and a standalone app

Screenshots

Skym4 screens
Phonolyth Cascade2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Phonolyth Cascade at 4.9 against Skym's 4.3. Phonolyth Cascade also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). Skym's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 7 months). On price, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Skym costs $7.99 and Phonolyth Cascade $7.99 up front. Skym sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Phonolyth Cascade asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Phonolyth Cascade holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Skym's written reviews are positive against 100% of Phonolyth Cascade's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Skym ships an update monthly, Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Skym versus Phonolyth Cascade: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSkymPhonolyth Cascade
Price$7.99$7.99
Rating4.3 (22 ratings)4.9 (30 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2230 — better
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#187#187
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperResGuide LLCYuri Turov

Customer experience

Skym

All ratings22 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

Phonolyth Cascade

All ratings30 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral3.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Skym

One-time4
  • Heat Map$4.99
  • Warp Speed$9.99
  • Pulse Cell$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Life Flower$9.99
None

Phonolyth Cascade

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Skym free?
Skym costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Phonolyth Cascade free?
Phonolyth Cascade costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Skym or Phonolyth Cascade?
Phonolyth Cascade is rated higher. Skym averages 4.3 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while Phonolyth Cascade averages 4.9 from 30 ratings.
Do Skym or Phonolyth Cascade have ads?
Neither Skym nor Phonolyth Cascade shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Skym or Phonolyth Cascade?
Skym ships an update monthly, and Phonolyth Cascade every 7 months. Most recently, Skym was updated on September 8, 2026 and Phonolyth Cascade on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Skym or Phonolyth Cascade?
Skym currently peaks at #187 in the App Store charts, and Phonolyth Cascade at #187. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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