# Peter Vogel CMI vs The Phil

The clearest difference is review sentiment: The Phil at 100% against Peter Vogel CMI's 35%. The Phil also leads on price ($0.99 vs $9.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Peter Vogel CMI's advantage is iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Peter Vogel CMI costs $9.99 and The Phil $0.99 up front. Peter Vogel CMI sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Phil asks for nothing beyond the download.

Peter Vogel CMI ships an update every 3 weeks, The Phil every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Peter Vogel CMI | The Phil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[2.5 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/peter-vogel-cmi/id420212505/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **36** | — |
| Positive reviews | 34.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 83 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Peter Vogel Instruments Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/415596514) | [Philip Vincent](https://appshunter.io/developer/1890469991) |

## What reviewers say

### Peter Vogel CMI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/peter-vogel-cmi/id420212505)

Experience the legendary sounds of the 1980s Computer Musical Instrument (CMI) with this retro MIDI player. It offers a byte-perfect re-issue of classic CMI voices and includes a play-only demo of the pioneering 'Page R' rhythm sequencer.

**Highlights:** 500+ legendary CMI sounds, Byte-perfect re-issue of 80s CMI sounds, Play-only demo of Page R sequencer, Browse and play CMI IIX Sounds floppy disk library, Play CMI voices via external MIDI input, On-screen keyboard, Authentic CMI user interface

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| CMI Pro Upgrade | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎨 Authentic Fairlight sounds
- 🕰️ Nostalgic retro experience
- 🎹 Great for composing and sampling
- 💰 Affordable compared to original hardware

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive for a limited feature set
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs on newer iOS versions
- 📺 Clunky and outdated user interface
- 🔒 Lack of export and sharing options

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on startup for some users
- Keyboard issues and unresponsive controls
- Incompatibility with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add more Fairlight Series III sounds
- Improve MIDI and Audiobus integration
- Implement a more modern and intuitive UI
- Add support for odd time signatures


### The Phil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-phil/id6762276492)

This app offers a physical modeling synthesizer for creating string-like instrument sounds within your DAW. It features a built-in arpeggiator and real-time controls for shaping decay, brightness, and character, allowing for a range of acoustic to synthetic textures.

**Highlights:** Physical modeling synthesis, Built-in arpeggiator, Real-time decay, brightness, and character controls, AUv3 plugin support, Low CPU usage, Compatible with major DAWs

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Peter Vogel CMI free?

Peter Vogel CMI costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is The Phil free?

The Phil costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Peter Vogel CMI or The Phil have ads?

Neither Peter Vogel CMI nor The Phil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Peter Vogel CMI or The Phil?

Peter Vogel CMI ships an update every 3 weeks, and The Phil every 9 days. Most recently, Peter Vogel CMI was updated on November 6, 2026 and The Phil on November 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*