Comparison

JAX ESSENTIALS vs GORILLA SYNTH

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

Head to head
About

JAX ESSENTIALS

This audio effect plugin offers a multi-stage phaser with adjustable depth and speed for dynamic sound nuances. Create unique vocal effects or sweeping soundscapes with numerous presets and custom options.

Highlights
  • Multi-stage phaser effect
  • Low frequency oscillator modulation
  • Adjustable depth and speed
  • Cross-device preset sharing
  • 200+ factory presets
  • Custom preset export/import
  • Universal build for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, visionOS
Features
Read full description

( THIS IS AN AUDIOUNIT. AudioUnits are app extensions, requiring any audio host application to perform. ) Use the same AudioUnits across all modern Apple devices, including the iPhone and the Mac (Apple Silicon). Native MacOS apps like GarageBand, MainStage 3 and Logic Pro X are fully supported. Any 3rd-party AUv3 supporting host should be able to host the plugin too. The JAX ESSENTIAL SERIES Phaser is a multi stage phaser modulation effect that uses multiple allpass filters, to produce all kinds of the famous phaser effect. A low frequency oscillator modulates depth and speed of the filter modulation on both stereo channels for various living and moving sound nuances. Make static sounding voices more interesting or create sweaping special effects. You may share the presets for this effect across all your supported devices. Around 200 factory presets are included, you can make and export/import your own. The complete manual is included and can be previewed on our support website. For advanced usage (i.e. mastering and exciting), we recommend to select the phaser from our SELECTIVE RANGE SERIES, which allows to limit the frequency range for processing. This build is truly 'universal', meaning, the audio unit is available for: - iOS (all actual iPhones) - iPadOS (all actual iPads) - macOS (Apple Silicon) - visionOS (Apple Vision Pro) Requirements: MacOS 10.15++ iOS 14.0++ Behaviour on all devices is identical. The parametric interface is resizeble and adopts to any screen size and orientation. This especially applies to Logic Pro X and all hosts with adjustable window sizes on all platforms. Display contrast can be adjusted freely and is now saved with each preset.

About

GORILLA SYNTH

This app offers a punchy, analog-style subtractive synthesizer for iOS, designed for fast sound design and expressive musical performance. It provides studio-quality sound with a clean interface, ideal for sketching ideas, producing tracks, or live playing.

Highlights
  • Dual oscillators with sub and noise
  • Classic ladder filter
  • Dual ADSR envelopes
  • Duophonic mode with glide
  • LFO modulation
  • Touch-optimized controls
  • AUv3 instrument support
Features
Read full description

GORILLA - Analog-Style Subtractive Synth GORILLA is a focused, punchy analog-style subtractive synthesizer designed for fast sound design and expressive play on iOS. Built for musicians, producers, and sound designers, Gorilla delivers studio-quality sound in a clean, performance-ready interface — whether you’re sketching ideas, producing tracks, or playing live. Key Features: - Dual oscillators with sub and noise - Classic ladder filter - Dual ADSR envelopes (Filter + Amp) - Duophonic mode with glide - LFO for pitch, filter, and PWM modulation - Touch-optimized performance controls - Built-in spectrum / EQ visualizer - AUv3 instrument support - CoreMIDI & Bluetooth MIDI - Designed for iPhone and iPad Gorilla is intentionally focused — no clutter, no distractions. Just fast access to powerful sound shaping and expressive control. Designed for mobility. Built for creation.

Screenshots

JAX ESSENTIALS4 screens
GORILLA SYNTH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: GORILLA SYNTH at 4.9 against JAX ESSENTIALS's 2.7. GORILLA SYNTH also leads on ratings volume (21 vs 3). On price, update cadence, 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

JAX ESSENTIALS costs $4.99 and GORILLA SYNTH $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

GORILLA SYNTH holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GORILLA SYNTH has 21 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JAX ESSENTIALS ships an update fortnightly, GORILLA SYNTH every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
JAX ESSENTIALS versus GORILLA SYNTH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJAX ESSENTIALSGORILLA SYNTH
Price$4.99$4.99
Rating2.7 (3 ratings)4.9 (21 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—87.5% of reviews
Number of ratings321 — better
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.2
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJens GuellSteffen Mølgaard Larsen

Customer experience

JAX ESSENTIALS

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

GORILLA SYNTH

All ratings21 ratings
Positive95.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

JAX ESSENTIALS

No in-app purchases

None

GORILLA SYNTH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is JAX ESSENTIALS free?
JAX ESSENTIALS costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is GORILLA SYNTH free?
GORILLA SYNTH costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, JAX ESSENTIALS or GORILLA SYNTH?
GORILLA SYNTH is rated higher. JAX ESSENTIALS averages 2.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while GORILLA SYNTH averages 4.9 from 21 ratings.
Do JAX ESSENTIALS or GORILLA SYNTH have ads?
Neither JAX ESSENTIALS nor GORILLA SYNTH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JAX ESSENTIALS or GORILLA SYNTH?
JAX ESSENTIALS ships an update fortnightly, and GORILLA SYNTH every 3 weeks. Most recently, JAX ESSENTIALS was updated on September 23, 2026 and GORILLA SYNTH on August 15, 2026.

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