# VS vs Neon

The clearest difference is price: Neon at $4.99 against VS's $24.99. Neon also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 6) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). VS's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 6 months) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). On review sentiment and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

VS costs $24.99 and Neon $4.99 up front. VS sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Neon asks for nothing beyond the download.

Neon holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 125 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of VS's written reviews are positive against 88% of Neon's.

VS ships an update every 6 weeks, Neon every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VS | Neon |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | [4.6 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vs-visual-synthesizer/id1560330289/reviews) | **[4.8 (30 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon/id6471043963/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **125** | 30 |
| Positive reviews | 80.4% of reviews | **87.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | — |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 weeks** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#168** | — |
| Size | 787 MB | 12 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad** | — |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Imaginando Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/895445015) | [Aaron Meyers](https://appshunter.io/developer/401260336) |

## What reviewers say

### VS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vs-visual-synthesizer/id1560330289)

**Currently charting:** #168 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Generate dynamic, audio-reactive visuals for your music projects. This app offers extensive customization with layers, shaders, images, and video, allowing you to perform visuals live or record them for your tracks. Integrate seamlessly with DAWs and external displays.

**Highlights:** 8 polyphonic visual layers, Shader, image, and video materials, Modulation matrix, AUv3 plugin support, Live performance output, Built-in video recorder, Custom shader editor

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retina Refill Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Textural Memories Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Cyber Spells Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Retro Riot Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Raw Reflections Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Noir Cuts Preset Packs | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Awesome audiovisual workflow
- 💡 Powerful yet easy to use
- 🎨 Great for getting vibes out
- 🌟 Expands musical aspirations visually
- 🎛️ Easy to work with (Imaginando apps)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 No elegant way for live synchronized video out
- 🔌 Popout to external displays only in standalone app
- 🚫 Standalone app can't run in background
- 🎛️ Doesn't work well plugged into looper or DAW
- ❌ Not fun at all

**Reported bugs**

- No elegant way to get live synchronized video out
- Popout to external displays only in standalone app, which can’t run in background
- Video record export issue: videos are 30+ minutes when recorded for shorter duration
- NDI stream not working
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Integrate an audio tool for Spotify/other audio sources
- Allow using any graphic or photo content as a layer
- Hope for Metal rendering for super performance shaders
- More ways to interact between layers (displacement, feedback)
- Post-processing effects (luma key, feedback, kaleidoscope, mirror)


### Neon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/neon/id6471043963)

This app is a powerful MIDI step sequencer offering extensive generative features. It allows for complex sequence chaining and external state switching via MIDI. It functions as a standalone application or an AUv3 plugin.

**Highlights:** Generative capabilities, Modifier system, Metasequencer for pattern chaining, MIDI Program Change support, Standalone and AUv3 plugin, Built-in scales and order modes

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VS free?

VS costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Neon free?

Neon costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, VS or Neon?

Neon is rated higher. VS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 125 ratings, while Neon averages 4.8 from 30 ratings.

### Which is updated more often, VS or Neon?

VS ships an update every 6 weeks, and Neon every 6 months. Most recently, VS was updated on October 27, 2026 and Neon on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*