RISCy vs Pegboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
RISCy
Create unique electronic music and generative patterns with a visual synthesizer. Drag and drop tokens to build sound graphs, exploring sonic possibilities and hidden relationships. Ideal for experimental sound design.
- Drag and drop synthesizer interface
- Live coding with limited instruction set
- Build and manipulate synth graphs
- Create noisy sounds and generative patterns
- Discover hidden graph relationships
- Reset and random start options
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RISCy is a drag and drop synthesizer puzzle full of sonic perturbation. You live code via the limited instruction set in the lower part of the interface; drag out tokens to the top area to build your synth graph, drag a token back off the top area to remove it. Each token has an aural consequence, and some special tokens also change the nature of the hidden graph connecting active tokens; puzzling out these relationships is part of the fun. You'll be able to make lots of noisy sounds as well as generative sequenced patterns. Press ! to clear the graph and reset; press ? to get a random starting point. Download RISCy if you are open to stranger computer music sounds, and avoid it if you just want diatonic melodies and piano sounds!
Pegboard
This app offers an intuitive mobile wavetable synthesizer with a virtual analog filter. It features a harmonic table keyboard layout that highlights scales for easy improvisation and chord playing. The free version provides extensive sound design capabilities, while a pro upgrade unlocks MIDI controller functionality.
- Harmonic table keyboard layout
- Scale highlighting for improvisation
- Virtual analog filter
- 8-voice polyphony
- 7 effect modules
- 16-row modulation matrix
- MIDI over USB (Pro)
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Pegboard is a mobile synth designed to make playing music more intuitive. The app is a full-featured mobile subtractive synthesizer with a virtual analog filter. Use it as a melody writing app, music scale finder, or just as a MIDI keyboard controller. How you use it is completely up to you. The keyboard is arranged in a harmonic table layout. Scales you choose are highlighted for easy improvisation. Each chord has a simple shape that is the same in every key. This layout greatly simplifies playing chords, borrowing chords, and modulating between keys. Music theory apps tend to impose constraints and can be uninspiring. Pegboard will give you an intuitive feel for harmony and allow you to come up with your own amazing riffs all through improvisation. Most of the app features are free. The synth is fully playable and programmable in the free version. Included in the free version: • Over 400 unique scales. • 70 factory presets. • 16-voice polyphony. • 4 oscillators. • 7 effect modules. • 16-row modulation matrix. • Unlimited use, no ads. Included in the pro version: • Unlimited saved presets. • MIDI over USB. The pro version is available as an in-app purchase. It will allow you to use the app as a MIDI controller. You can then connect the app to your DAW or another synthesizer.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RISCy at none against Pegboard's 1. RISCy also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 56%) and rating (4.7 vs 4.3). Pegboard's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 39 months) and ratings volume (9 vs 3). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Pegboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. RISCy asks for nothing beyond the download.
RISCy holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 9 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of RISCy's written reviews are positive against 56% of Pegboard's.
RISCy ships an update every 39 months, Pegboard weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 17, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | RISCy | Pegboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (3 ratings) — better | 4.3 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 88.2% of reviews — better | 55.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 39 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 109 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joshua Parmenter | Brandon Murray |
Customer experience
RISCy
Pegboard
In-app purchases
RISCy
No in-app purchases
Pegboard
- Pegboard Pro$19.99
