iSyn Poly vs Thesys
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iSyn Poly
Create electronic music with three virtual analog synthesizers and a drum machine. Features a full sequencer for arranging songs and live editing capabilities. Supports external MIDI keyboards for enhanced control.
- Three programmable virtual analog synthesizers
- Sample playback drum machine with 17 kits
- Full-featured four-track sequencer
- Gesture-oriented user interface for live editing
- Support for CoreMIDI compatible hardware keyboards
- Global effects unit with phaser, flanger, chorus, and delay
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iSyn Poly is an electronic music studio for use with Apple iPad. iSyn Poly places an unbelievable number of features including three studio-quality, fully programmable virtual analog synthesizers and a drum machine packed in just three different screens on your iPad ! Each synthesizer is a full-featured analog modeling synth with three oscillators, a classic 24 db/oct ladder-style lowpass filter, independent filter and amp envelope generators, and full modulation routings. With our 10+ years of experience with analog simulations you can expect some serious sound easily covering all those fat frequencies so prevalent in modern production. iSyn Poly also includes a sample playback-based drum machine with seventeen kits, each containing eight samples. Drum samples include 808, 909, modular synth drums and numerous 80's drum machines. Volume, pan and decay time are individually adjustable and pitches are tunable over a wide range for crazy effects. The full fledged sequencer let you arrange complete songs and can record the notes and controller movements of your performance. The unique gesture oriented user interface makes it ideal for live editing of notes and automations. With the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit you can use a CoreMIDI compatible MIDI Keyboard to control iSyn Poly. iSyn Poly is developed by VirSyn with content from audioMIDI.com. Features: Three Independent Synthesizers One polyphonic synth with eight voices and two monophonic synths with: • Three oscillators with sawtooth, pulse, triangle and sine waves. Modulations routings: LFO->pitch, filter ADSR->cutoff, LFO->pulse width. • White/Pink noise generator. • Classic 24 dB/oct ladder-style lowpass filter with drive parameter. Modulations routings: LFO->Cutoff, Filter ADSR->Cutoff. • Amp section includes distortion with drive, asymmetry and crusher. • Control matrix allows real time control of five parameters using the X/Y touch pad, the modulation wheel and the tilt sensors of the iPad. • Arpeggiator for automated sequences. • 64 factory presets, unlimited user presets can be shared. Drum Machine • Eight simultaneous instruments arranged into eight user-selectable drum kits. • Editor page allows tuning, panning, level and decay time for individual instruments. Effects Section • iSyn Poly features one global effects unit with phaser, flanger, chorus and stereo/cross delay. Live • Play melodies live with onscreen keyboard/drum pads. Drag fingers for slides and vibrato. • Optionally use CoreMIDI compatible hardware keyboard. Full featured Sequencer • Four track sequencer with piano roll and automation editor. • Real time recording with quantize function and metronome. • Arrange your songs with variable length patterns. Move and copy/paste patterns. • Recording and playback of X/Y Pad movements, mod wheel, pitch bend and key velocity. • Full set of editing functions with unlimited undo. Global • Manage unlimited number of songs. • Render song or patterns to audio and midi files. • Audio pasteboard. • Audiobus 2 support (requires iOS 7 or newer). • Exchange songs and user presets with File Sharing in iTunes.
Thesys
This app is a powerful and intuitive MIDI step sequencer for creating complex musical patterns. It offers extensive control over MIDI devices, enabling organic bass lines, leads, and pads for studio or live performance. Advanced features allow for real-time pattern manipulation directly from a MIDI keyboard.
- MIDI Step Sequencer
- Pattern Creation
- Live Performance Options
- Real-time Pattern Manipulation
- Integrated Synth
- Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown)
- Ableton Link Support
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Thesys is an extremely powerful and intuitive MIDI Step Sequencer app, giving you control over just about all aspects of your favorite MIDI devices. Use Thesys to create varied and organic bass lines, screaming leads, pulsating chords, and organic pad sounds in the studio or on stage. For live musicians, Thesys provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard: you can transpose, manipulate, twist up, mutate, and mangle your patterns without even getting near your iPad. No other MIDI sequencer plugin offers you the ease and power of Thesys. It is 100% MIDI compliant and therefore provides the ultimate MIDI sequencing solution. iPad Edition Features: • Integrated Synth • Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown...) • Pattern Sequencer • Standalone & Audio Unit v3 • Ableton Link Support • MIDI file Export • MIDI Support (Virtual, Netzwerk, Extern, Bluetooth), MIDI Learn & Host Automation • MIDI Clock Sync (Master & Slave) • Preset iCloud Sync • Preset Share • Zoom
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Thesys at Free against iSyn Poly's $0.99. Thesys also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and ratings volume (85 vs 4). iSyn Poly's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.6). On review sentiment, 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
Thesys is free to download; iSyn Poly costs $0.99 up front. Thesys sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iSyn Poly asks for nothing beyond the download.
Thesys holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thesys has 85 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of iSyn Poly's written reviews are positive against 59% of Thesys's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iSyn Poly ships an update every 6 months, Thesys every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iSyn Poly | Thesys |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.3 (4 ratings) | 4.7 (85 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 64.0% of reviews — better | 59.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 85 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Harry Gohs | Sugar Bytes GmbH |
Customer experience
iSyn Poly
Thesys
In-app purchases
iSyn Poly
No in-app purchases
Thesys
- Thesys Full Version$19.99








