Scythe Synthesizer vs Audulus 4
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scythe Synthesizer
Design new sounds with an intuitive interface on your iPad. This synthesizer offers a wide range of sonic possibilities, from classic analog tones to unique digital effects. Record and export your creations easily.
- Intuitive sound design interface
- Versatile oscillators (analog & digital)
- Audio clip recording and export
- Extensive modulation
- Wide range of effects
- MIDI support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Scythe is a MIDI synthesizer for iPad and Mac built for fast, hands-on sound design. Shape analog and digital waveforms, explore deep modulation, save custom presets, and record and share clips without leaving the app. Scythe makes it easy to move from happy accidents to playable sounds fast. Features: • Fast, tactile sound design with the bend workflow • Analog and digital waveforms • Deep modulation and filter shaping • Delay, chorus, phaser, and bitcrusher effects • Factory presets plus your own saved presets • Record, copy, trim, and share audio clips • Core MIDI support as both controller and sound module • Designed for iPad, also available on Mac
Audulus 4
Create and shape sounds with a professional-grade modular synthesizer environment. Explore a vast library of modules for synthesis and sound design, with the option to expand your toolkit with premium instruments and effects. Available across Apple devices for seamless workflow.
- Modular synthesizer environment
- Sound design tools
- Real-time audio shaping
- Extensive module library
- Premium Pro Modules (in-app purchases)
- Cross-device iCloud sync
- AUv3 plugin support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Build synthesizers. Design sounds. Shape audio in real time. All with professional-grade, low-latency performance ready for live use — and it’s free. Audulus gives you a complete modular environment at no cost. Its clean, fluid interface stays out of the way so you can focus on what matters: exploring sound. A modular playground with room to grow — from first experiments to advanced designs. Looking for more? Discover the Pro Module series: premium instruments and effects that show what’s possible when world-class sound design meets true modular freedom. Each Pro Module is crafted specifically for Audulus, giving you new ways to expand your sonic toolkit. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac — your modular system travels with you. ▶ What People Are Saying: "gem for Apple platforms – gorgeous, fluid" — Peter Kirn, createdigitalmusic.com "stunning!" — Richard Devine, devinesound.net "Remarkable gesture control" — sequencer.de ▶ Join our forum and Discord community! ▶ What You Get: • Complete modular environment — free to download and explore • Pro Module series — premium modules available as in-app purchases • Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with iCloud sync • Standalone app or AUv3 plugin • Deep node library for building from scratch • Extensive module library for synthesis and sound design • Multi-channel signal flow for polyphony and complex routing • Next-gen multi-core audio processing • Smooth, high-performance graphics even with massive patches • MIDI I/O with MIDI learn • GLSL shader node for creating advanced visuals • Lua scripting for custom DSP and vector graphics Terms of Use: https://audulus.com/terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Audulus 4 at Free against Scythe Synthesizer's $4.99. Audulus 4 also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 4 months) and device support (3 vs 1). Scythe Synthesizer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). On ratings volume and ads 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
Audulus 4 is free to download; Scythe Synthesizer costs $4.99 up front. Audulus 4 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Scythe Synthesizer asks for nothing beyond the download.
Scythe Synthesizer holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 134 and 73 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 77% of Scythe Synthesizer's written reviews are positive against 69% of Audulus 4's.
Scythe Synthesizer ships an update every 4 months, Audulus 4 monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Scythe Synthesizer | Audulus 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.6 (134 ratings) — better | 4.3 (73 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 77.3% of reviews — better | 69.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 134 — better | 73 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Monthly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 18.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 9 MB | 103 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Miles Egan | Audulus LLC |
Customer experience
Scythe Synthesizer
Audulus 4
User reviews
Scythe Synthesizer
From 134 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 💡 Innovative bend feature
- 🎶 Great sound quality
- 🎛️ Intuitive interface
- 🎚️ Randomization function is a winner
- ✨ Unique and engaging sounds
Room to improve
- 🐛 Distortion on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Glitched artifacts
- 🐛 Unintended distortion
- 🐛 Crackles on iPad Pro
- 🐛 Keyboard issues (delay, sizing)
Audulus 4
From 73 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- ✨ Powerful modular environment
- 💡 Deep DSP programming capabilities
- 🎨 Intuitive and beautiful UI
- 🚀 Seamless workflow across devices
- 📚 Great for learning synthesis
Room to improve
- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases/subscriptions
- ⚠️ Steep learning curve for beginners
- 📱 UI issues on mobile (scrolling, view obstruction)
- 📉 High CPU usage
- ❓ Lack of comprehensive documentation
Bugs and requests
Scythe Synthesizer
Reported bugs
11 issues- Doesn't load AUM after update, crashes
- Crackle on iPad Pro
- Unintended distortion, glitched artifacts on iPad Pro
- Confirming distortion on every patch on iPad Pro 11 inch
- Bad digital distortion on iPad Pro 11 inch
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Weird delay on lower portion of keyboard keys
- Triggered keyboard sizing while playing with multiple fingers
- Presets don't save half the time
- Preset sounds nothing like when working on it
- Stopped sound output, dies permanently after switching apps
- Certain patches distort quite a bit after update
Requested features
14 requests- Ability to choose MIDI channel
- Controllable randomization range
- More presets
- Bend modulation to loop
- Bend to be tempo synced
Show 9 moreShow fewer
- Randomize effects section
- Backward compatibility with older iOS
- Ability to rename/save presets with custom names
- Key/note hold feature
- CoreMIDI support (historically)
- Preset sharing
- Continuum (scale) controller
- Bend feature to loop back into itself
- Bends to be voiced for each new key stroke
Audulus 4
Reported bugs
13 issues- iOS 18 compatibility issues (app not working)
- Save presets but no 'Load' button
- Undo command issues with DAWs
- CMD+Z causing data loss
- Opt+drag not duplicating modules
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Plugin window not resizable
- Menu filtering not functioning properly on iPhone
- Select and Import buttons not working
- Blank screen on open
- App freezes on iPad Pro
- Black screen on launch after update
- No modules appearing after iOS 18 update
- Patches not appearing after iOS 18 update
Requested features
7 requests- Add 'Load' button for presets
- Improve DAW integration (Undo, duplicate)
- Resizable plugin window
- More modules (FFT/IFFT, granular buffering)
- Add CC in module
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Sync to host as AUv3
- Make upgrade path clearer from Audulus 3
In-app purchases
Scythe Synthesizer
No in-app purchases
Audulus 4
- 1-shot Sample$1.99
- CG-1 Chord Generator$3.99
- J-23 Reverb$7.99
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- ARP-1$7.99
- CPR-3$7.99
- SynD-K1$7.99
- TRIKOR VCO$9.99
- CLK Tools Bundle$9.99
- Essential Synth Bundle$9.99
- VCF Bundle 1$9.99
