Comparison

Progressions vs Dark Park

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

Head to head
About

Progressions

Generate unique chord progressions beyond traditional scales using mathematical algorithms. Control complexity and freedom to explore new harmonic territories. Features include arpeggiators, strumming patterns, and humanization for expressive musical output.

Highlights
  • Generate unique chord progressions
  • Adjust complexity and freedom levels
  • Block Chord, Arpeggiator, and Strummer modes
  • Supports open and closed chords with selectable voicings
  • Humanize chord and note timings
  • Integrated ARP and STRUM pattern editor
  • Sync multiple instances
Features
Read full description

Progressions is an AUv3 MIDI plugin for your favourite DAW. It can be used to generate a unique set of chords that are unrelated to traditional scales, which become predictable and repetative over time. Instead, Progressions uses a unique way of mathermaically generating a series of related chords using only a root note and mode (major or minor). Chord sequences are limited by the selected complexity and freedom levels, which mimic the way traditional composers of old would wander away from tonality and back again. The complexity level start off at Basic, which uses only the most common chords (I, IV, V and relative minor ii, iii, and vi triads). As you progress through the levels, you can add parallel majors and minors, sus and dom chords etc. At level 3 we start to introduce 6th and 7th chords, and then 9ths chords, all the way to 11ths, 13ths, Quartals and all their variations. The freedom level allows us to specify how far to drift away from tonality (the root), even allowing you to create never ending randomized soundscapes. Progressions allows you to quickly randomize a toolbox of chords, that can be played in a variety of modes (block chords, arpeggiated, or strummed). These can be synced to a host application, triggered remotely or pieced together into a song. Song mode allow you to change play modes on the fly as well as being able to control many features of the app in real time. Progressions supports open and closed chords with selectable voicings. It has an intelligent algorithm that attempts to align top notes of chords, add additional bass, and open chord padding to give equal weight to chords with only 3 notes. You can even play with rootless voicings. The Humanize section allows you to control chord and note timings, as well as set velocity variations to ensure things don't get too robitic. Progressions also features an integrated arpeggiator and strummming pattern editor. You can load up to 6 arp and 6 strum patterns at the same time and seemlessly switch between them manually, remotely, or using song mode. If you run multiple instances, Progressions allows you to sync your chord pads, song chain, arpeggiator / strum patterns between instances. Progressions can be loaded as a MIDI plugin or as an Instrument for those programs that don't support MIDI plugins (such as GB). Additionally when loaded as an instrument, you can use either internal sounds (soundfonts) or send MIDI directly to other MIDI instruments. Features • Block Chord, Arpeggiator and Strummer modes. • Supports open and closed Chords. • Varying complexity levels of chords. • Freedom levels control how far from the root key you can go. • Rootless voicing mode. • Open chord padding support. • Additional bass note mode. • Supports all common chord types. • Edit the preferred chord list to exclude certain chord types. • Input MIDI control for chords and play modes. • Automatic top note alignment of chords. • Hold Pedal support. • Built in ARP and STRUM editor. • Humanize options for chord and note velocity and timings. • Comprehensive Song Mode with 256 steps and looping. • Randomize chord progressions, arps and strumming patterns. • Route Chord/Arp/Strum modes & MIDI thru to any of 4 output ports. • Supports soundfonts when loaded as an Instrument plugin. • Sync multiple instances of Progressions. • AUv3 compatible MIDI plugin supporting Sync to Host.

About

Dark Park

This app generates unique, atmospheric synth patches for cinematic music and dark ambient soundscapes. Explore decaying, collapsing, and breathing sounds through intuitive controls and musical constraints for instant inspiration.

Highlights
  • Cinematic synth engine for dark ambient and scoring
  • Instant scene generation for new sounds
  • Macro controls for shaping mood and character
  • Fog, Halation, and Sodium controls for atmosphere
  • Full ADSR envelope control
  • On-screen keyboard with octave shifting
  • AUv3 and DAW support
Features
Read full description

It's broken. Dusty. Hazy. But from those imperfections, something beautiful emerges. Dark Park is a generator of cinematic pads and drones, sounds that feel like they're decaying, collapsing, breathing. It's designed for exploration and instant inspiration. When you enter the park, you're given a navigation device. Tap "Scan", and the world beneath the surface generates a new synth patch. Every result is guided by musical constraints, so even the broken ones remain beautiful. If you find a sound you like, you can save it as a preset. There are two paths through the park. Take the Clear Path for delicate, melancholic textures. Or wander down the Obscured Path, and discover sounds that ache. The interface gives you a curated set of controls: Fog. Halation. Sodium. Spray. Pressure. And of course, the familiar ADSR controls to shape the sound further. Play Dark Park as a standalone instrument, or combine it with your favourite effects to create dark ambient music or arthouse cinematic scores. Feature list: - Cinematic synth engine designed for dark ambient, tension beds, drones, pads and atmospheric scoring. - Instant scene generation for fast discovery of new sounds. - Carefully voiced macro controls for shaping mood, depth, motion and character. - Fog control for darker or clearer overall tone shaping. - Halation and Sodium controls for analogue glow, slow evolution and atmosphere. - Spray and Pressure controls for texture and low-end weight. - Full ADSR envelope control. - Hold mode for sustaining evolving drones hands-free. - Built-in on-screen keyboard with octave shifting. - Scene browser for loading, saving and managing custom scenes (presets). - AUv3 support for use inside iPhone and iPad hosts. - Also compatible with Mac devices and supporting DAWs. - Standalone app for direct play without a host. - Designed to produce inspiring sounds quickly without menu diving. Important Information: • Device Layouts The standalone iPhone version and iPhone AUv3 versions are fully optimised for the iPhone screen. The iPad standalone app, desktop version, and AUv3 plugin use a fixed 1:1 interface layout. • Focused Sound Design Dark Park is intentionally designed with a specific sonic identity: cinematic, dark ambient pads and drones. It is not a general-purpose synthesiser and does not aim to recreate every type of synth sound. • Instrument Philosophy Think of Dark Park as a dedicated hardware instrument or soundbox. It excels within its intended palette rather than covering all synthesis styles. • Effects & Processing Dark Park contains no built-in effects. For best results, especially within ambient genres, use external processing such as reverb and delay.

Screenshots

Progressions4 screens
Dark Park4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Dark Park at $3.99 against Progressions's $14.99. Dark Park also leads on rating (4.5 vs 4.1). Progressions's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Progressions costs $14.99 and Dark Park $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Dark Park holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 34 and 24 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Progressions's written reviews are positive against 63% of Dark Park's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Progressions versus Dark Park: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProgressionsDark Park
Price$14.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.1 (34 ratings)4.5 (24 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings34 — better24
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size117 MB67 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer4Pockets.comLEWIS GARETH K LE VAL

Customer experience

Progressions

All ratings34 ratings
Positive79.4%
Neutral2.9%
Negative17.6%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative29.6%

Dark Park

All ratings24 ratings
Positive87.5%
Neutral4.2%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative25.0%

In-app purchases

None

Progressions

No in-app purchases

None

Dark Park

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Progressions free?
Progressions costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dark Park free?
Dark Park costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Progressions or Dark Park?
Dark Park is rated higher. Progressions averages 4.1 out of 5 from 34 ratings, while Dark Park averages 4.5 from 24 ratings.
Do Progressions or Dark Park have ads?
Neither Progressions nor Dark Park shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Progressions or Dark Park?
Progressions ships an update every 2 weeks, and Dark Park every 2 weeks. Most recently, Progressions was updated on October 16, 2026 and Dark Park on October 15, 2026.

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