Comparison

ShadowPlayKA vs Saucillator

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

Head to head
About

ShadowPlayKA

This app transforms light and shadow patterns into music as you cycle through outdoor spaces. It uses your smartphone's brightness sensor and a Bluetooth speaker to create a unique auditory experience based on your surroundings.

Highlights
  • Light and shadow as musical score
  • Bicycle-mounted smartphone sensor
  • Bluetooth speaker integration
  • Exploration of urban architecture
  • Unique soundscape generation
Read full description

ShadowPlay is an exploration of the architecture and light in outdoor spaces through sound. Using a bicycle-mounted smartphone as a brightness sensor and a bluetooth speaker, the mottled patterns of light and shadow become the musical score as one rides along city streets. Supported through the UNESCO City of Media Arts Karlsruhe as well as through the City of Karlsruhe. Scene contributions by Sofy Yuditskaya and Damian Stewart.

About

Saucillator

Create and play custom synthesizers and instruments on your mobile device. Manipulate oscillators and effects with touch, record live loops, and design unique sounds with a variety of timbres and customizable effects. Supports AUv3 for use in other music production apps.

Highlights
  • Custom synthesizer creation
  • Touchscreen oscillator manipulation
  • Live looping and recording
  • AUv3 instrument support
  • Multi-track looper and beat generator
  • Parametric EQ and filters
  • MIDI controller support
Features
Read full description

Musical inspiration at the touch of your fingertips - from doodle to zen in seconds. Inspired by the Korg Kaossilator and Moog synthesizers, Saucillator transforms mobile devices into a platform for creating, playing, and sharing digital synthesizers. Users use the touchscreen to manipulate oscillators and effects, and can also do live-looping and recording. Our goal is to be beginner friendly while at the same time offering all the deep, complex features traditional synth users love. Saucillator also now supports AUv3 so you can use many of its features in AUv3-supported host applications (tested with AUM, Loopy Pro, Garageband. Note that some host applications only support some output). A multi track looper and beat generator are available to create synth loops and synchronize a beat/click track alongside it. Loops can be modified, toggled, and added as you're playing. Users are able to play custom modular synthesizers using the x-y axes of the touchscreen. The x-axis corresponds to amplitude (volume) and the y-axis corresponds to frequency (pitch). Playback can also be looped, recorded, and EQed using a Parametric EQ. An Arpeggiator play mode also allows the touched notes to be arpeggiated, with customizable rate, pattern, gate, etc. On top of performing, users are able to create their own custom synthesizers, which consist of a custom timbre and user-defined effects. A variety of timbres are included: Sine, Square, Saw, Pulse, Noise, Theremin, "Singing Saw", "Electric Eel", and "Starslide" (among many more). These, as well as any user-created synths, can be mixed and matched at different harmonics, amplitudes, and phases to create custom sounds. Each synth has customizable fx parameters as well, including Envelope (ADSR - attack & release), Vibrato LFO (rate & depth), Tremolo, Reverb, Delay, Chorus, Distortion, Parametric EQ, and Note Lag (Portamento). We also include a Filter (low-pass, highpass, bandpass) that can be modulated using an Envelope or LFO. Custom synths can also be shared with the Saucillator community via an easy built-in sharing tool. Download other users' synths or upload your own, all from in app! Other abilities: -Choose scale: Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Blues, or Chromatic (among others). -Choose the base note for the pad. -Control the grid size. -Record to disk. -Live visualization of waveforms. -Play synths with external midi controllers -AUv3 instrument support Saucillator. I think it's the sauce, boss!

Screenshots

ShadowPlayKA4 screens
Saucillator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Saucillator at every 8 days against ShadowPlayKA's every 25 months. Saucillator also leads on ratings volume (35 vs 1). ShadowPlayKA's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, rating, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ShadowPlayKA against 4.9 for Saucillator. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Saucillator has 35 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShadowPlayKA ships an update every 25 months, Saucillator every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ShadowPlayKA versus Saucillator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShadowPlayKASaucillator
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.9 (35 ratings)
Positive reviews—92.3% of reviews
Number of ratings135 — better
Update frequencyEvery 25 monthsEvery 8 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB96 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel WilcoxGreen Noise LLC

Customer experience

ShadowPlayKA

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Saucillator

All ratings35 ratings
Positive97.1%
Neutral2.9%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive92.3%
Neutral7.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ShadowPlayKA

No in-app purchases

None

Saucillator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShadowPlayKA free?
ShadowPlayKA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Saucillator free?
Saucillator is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ShadowPlayKA or Saucillator?
ShadowPlayKA is rated higher. ShadowPlayKA averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Saucillator averages 4.9 from 35 ratings.
Do ShadowPlayKA or Saucillator have ads?
Neither ShadowPlayKA nor Saucillator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShadowPlayKA or Saucillator?
ShadowPlayKA ships an update every 25 months, and Saucillator every 8 days. Most recently, ShadowPlayKA was updated on September 29, 2026 and Saucillator on October 13, 2026.

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