Comparison

Air vs Stria

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

Head to head
About

Air

This app creates a unique, ever-changing audio-visual experience using vocal and piano samples. Users can influence the composition through different modes and even spread the sound across multiple devices.

Highlights
  • Generative audio-visual composition
  • Vocal and piano sample assembly
  • Four 'Conduct' modes for user control
  • Three 'Listen' modes for arrangement choice
  • Multi-device sound spreading option
Features
Read full description

Air is a generative audio-visual work created by musician / software designer Peter Chilvers and Irish vocalist Sandra O’Neill.  Based on concepts developed by Brian Eno, with whom Chilvers created Bloom, Air assembles vocal and piano samples into a beautiful, still and ever changing composition, which is always familiar, but never the same. Air features four ‘Conduct’ modes, which let the user control the composition by tapping different areas on the display, and three ‘Listen’ modes, which provide a choice of arrangement.  For those fortunate enough to have access to multiple iPhones and speakers, an option has been provided to spread the composition over several players. Recommended for headphones and external speakers. "Air is like 'Music for Airports' made endless - which is how I always wanted it to be" - Brian Eno

About

Stria

This app is a multilevel interactive sound synthesizer that utilizes Frequency Modulation and Wavetable Additive techniques. It offers extensive control over oscillators, pitch grids, and effects, with support for various audio and MIDI connections.

Highlights
  • Multilevel interactive sound synthesizer
  • Up to 240 FM or Wavetable Additive Oscillators
  • Five Spectral Pitch Grid Generators
  • MIDI Pad With Scale Grid
  • Extensive effects chain (Doppler, Glitch Gen, Reverb, etc.)
  • Snapshots Presets Morphing Pad
  • Control Manager LFO for Parameters
Features
Read full description

Stria is rated as a Killer App by Apps4iDevices. Multilevel Interactive Sound Synthesizer Idea and Csound-Orchestra by Eugenio Giordani “Stria” is the title of a very important composition by John Chowning and I would like to say that this computer music piece represents the manifest of Frequency Modulation technique applied to audio synthesis, invented by Mr. Chowning himself. + Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support + Up to 240 Frequency Modulation Oscillators or simple Wavetable Additive + Five Spectral Pitch Grid Generators (Geometric, Harmonic, Fibonacci, Scalar, Temperated) + MIDI Pad With Scale Grid + Effects chain: Doppler, Chopper, Glitch Gen, Sync Grain, Spectral Arpeggiator, FDN Reverb, Dynamic Compressor/Expander + Snapshots Presets Morphing Pad + Control Manager LFO for Parameters + Midibus, Virtual Midi and Network: 14 bit NRPN controllers + Capture Master Audio Output + File Manager, sharing common audio files via iTunes, Dropbox and AudioCopy + Post Fx Chain: Doppler, Chopper, Out Of Range, Sync Granulator, Spectral Arpeggiator, Reverb FDN, Dynamisc Processor + Bluetooth A2DP High Quality + etc...

Screenshots

Air4 screens
Stria4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Air at $1.99 against Stria's $9.99. Air also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.6). Stria's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 55%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.5). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

Air costs $1.99 and Stria $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Stria holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of Air's written reviews are positive against 91% of Stria's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Air ships an update every 12 months, Stria every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and August 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Air versus Stria: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirStria
Price$1.99 — better$9.99
Rating4.5 (10 ratings)5.0 (35 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.3% of reviews91.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1035 — better
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 5 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOpal LimitedapeSoft

Customer experience

Air

All ratings10 ratings
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews141 reviews
Positive55.3%
Neutral14.9%
Negative29.8%

Stria

All ratings35 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive91.1%
Neutral4.4%
Negative4.4%

In-app purchases

None

Air

No in-app purchases

None

Stria

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Air free?
Air costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stria free?
Stria costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Air or Stria?
Stria is rated higher. Air averages 4.5 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Stria averages 5.0 from 35 ratings.
Do Air or Stria have ads?
Neither Air nor Stria shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Air or Stria?
Air ships an update every 12 months, and Stria every 5 months. Most recently, Air was updated on September 27, 2026 and Stria on August 31, 2026.

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