PaulaSynth vs Pegboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PaulaSynth
Create music on the go with a portable synthesizer. Explore six distinct sounds and eleven scales to craft melodies and chords. Enjoy versatile sound options from 8-bit solos to deep bass tones.
- Six synthesizer sounds
- Eleven built-in scales
- Fast melody creation
- Polyphony for chords
- Versatile sound tuning
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PaulaSynth is a simple synthesizer in your pocket. With six synthesizer sounds and and eleven scales built in, make music any time, anywhere. Play super fast melodies, or turn on polyphony to play chords. Play a screaming 8-bit solo or tune the instrument way down to play growling bass.
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: PaulaSynth at none against Pegboard's 1. PaulaSynth also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 56%) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). Pegboard's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 23 months). On price, rating, 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
Both are free to download. Pegboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. PaulaSynth asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for PaulaSynth against 4.4 for Pegboard. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 10 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 82% of PaulaSynth's written reviews are positive against 56% of Pegboard's.
PaulaSynth ships an update every 23 months, Pegboard weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PaulaSynth | Pegboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (4 ratings) — better | 4.4 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better | 55.6% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 4 | 10 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 23 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 12 MB | 111 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Grant Damron | Brandon Murray |
Customer experience
PaulaSynth
Pegboard
In-app purchases
PaulaSynth
No in-app purchases
Pegboard
- Pegboard Pro$19.99
