Polywave vs Overdrive Synth
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Polywave
Create unique, evolving sonic experiences with a novel wavetable sequencer inspired by vintage synths. Draw your own waveforms, explore a vast library, and connect to external keyboards or DAWs. Record your creations directly within the app.
- Wavetable sequencer
- Custom waveform drawing
- Expansive waveform library
- 100+ factory presets
- MIDI and Audio Unit support
- Live recording module
- 8-voice polyphony
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From Fingerlab (multiple-time winner of Music App of the Week, 2012 Apple Design Award) and Jordan Rudess (keyboardist of Dream Theater), comes Polywave — a revolutionary wavetable sequencer synthesizer for iPhone, iPad & Mac. Inspired by the legendary Korg Wavestation, Polywave lets you draw your own waveforms with your finger and create unique, ever-evolving sounds that are truly yours. Draw your own waveforms directly on screen 100+ factory presets: leads, pads, loops & FX Connect any MIDI keyboard or load as AUv3 in your DAW Live recording built-in Free version includes 12 factory presets and a selection of core features. Get the Full Version IAP to unlock everything. Features: • 8-voice polyphony & 6 octaves • Wavetable & waveform sequencer • VCO & FM Oscillators • FM Modulation & Detune • ADSR Envelope editor • Moog Ladder filter with ADSR • 2 LFOs with custom modulation waveform • LFO Sync & Loop mode • Waveform drawing editor & library (100 waveforms) • Preset Randomizer & export/import • 5 FX: Tube Amp, Vibrato, Chorus, Delay & Reverb • Live recording & export • Full MIDI & MIDI Mapping support • AudioBus & Inter-App Audio (iOS) • Full AudioUnit AUv3 support • iCloud Family Sharing Questions or feedback? We'd love to hear from you: contact@fingerlab.net Stay tuned! The Fingerlab Team
Overdrive Synth
Explore unique synth sounds processed through classic guitar overdrive pedals. This app offers professionally recorded samples with multiple keyboard layouts and AUv3/MIDI support. Unlock over 100 additional instruments to expand your sonic palette.
- Vintage synths re-amped through guitar pedals
- Multiple keyboard layouts
- AUv3 and MIDI support
- Professionally recorded samples
- Expandable instrument library via IAP
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What does a synthesizer sound like through an overdrive pedal? To answer this great mystery, I visited NightSound Studio to re-amp a plethora of synth tones through various classic guitar pedals. The results are now available for your ears in Overdrive Synth! FEATURES: • Vintage Synths Re-amped Through Guitar Pedals • 3 Keyboard Layouts (Piano, Guitar & Scaled) • AUv3 & MIDI Support • Professionally Recorded Samples • 10 Instruments (+100 more with IAP) • Proudly Built With AudioKit The app comes with 10 default instruments, and If you like the starting sounds, unlock the full version (+100 instruments) and become a turbo-powered crunch synth master! I'm also EXTREMELY excited to bring you the full video development story on how this app was made! If you're curious to see what all went into making this app including the recording process, follow the behind-the-scenes link in the app! Special thanks to Nightsound Studios where the samples were recorded, AudioKit for providing the tools to build this app, the amazing open source synth community, and you for supporting indie developers. Thank You & Enjoy! Nick Culbertson MobyPixel.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Overdrive Synth at monthly against Polywave's every 3 months. Overdrive Synth also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Polywave sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Overdrive Synth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Overdrive Synth holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 34 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 80% and 79% positive.
Polywave ships an update every 3 months, Overdrive Synth monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Polywave | Overdrive Synth |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (34 ratings) | 4.9 (34 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better | 79.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 34 | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 44 MB | 247 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fingerlab | Moby Pixel |
Customer experience
Polywave
Overdrive Synth
In-app purchases
Polywave
- Full Version$7.99
Overdrive Synth
- Unlock Full Version$4.99
