# Nave vs ButterSynth

The clearest difference is rating: Nave at 4.5 against ButterSynth's 4.0. Nave also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 60%) and iOS requirement (10.3 vs 14.0). ButterSynth's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Nave costs $19.99 and ButterSynth $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Nave holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 77 and 62 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 87% of Nave's written reviews are positive against 60% of ButterSynth's.

Nave ships an update every 3 months, ButterSynth every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Nave | ButterSynth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (77 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nave/id596036905/reviews)** | [4.0 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buttersynth/id1497419006/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **77** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | **87.2% of reviews** | 59.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 198 MB | 468 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.3** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Waldorf Music](https://appshunter.io/developer/516565566) | [Arto Vaarala](https://appshunter.io/developer/890886114) |

## What reviewers say

### Nave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nave/id596036905)

This app is a powerful wavetable synthesizer for creating complex and evolving sounds. It features advanced oscillators, a versatile filter, and extensive modulation options. Users can craft unique wavetables from audio files or speech synthesis, and record their musical ideas.

**Highlights:** Advanced Wavetable Oscillators, Überwave Oscillator Module, Multimode Filter, Extensive Modulation Matrix, Speech and Audio File Wavetable Creation, 4-Track Recorder, Blades for Polyphonic Modulation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful sound engine
- 👍 Intuitive and visually appealing interface
- 🎨 Vast sound design capabilities
- 💯 High-quality presets
- 🎹 Excellent on-screen keyboard

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stability issues and crashes
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🔀 Preset navigation could be improved
- 🔒 Lack of AUv3 support
- 🔇 Some presets rely heavily on built-in effects

**Reported bugs**

- Audio dropouts and glitches when used with other apps
- Presets not saving correctly
- Keyboard issues like lack of lock function

**Requested features**

- Add AUv3 support for better integration with other apps
- Improve preset management and organization
- Implement a basic sequencer or MIDI recording
- Add more modulation options and deeper sound design capabilities


### ButterSynth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buttersynth/id1497419006)

This powerful synthesizer app offers a hybrid approach, combining wavetable, FM, and sample-based synthesis. Create unique sounds with a vast sonic range, advanced modulation, and a built-in effects rack. It caters to both experienced sound designers and beginners with extensive presets.

**Highlights:** Hybrid 6-oscillator synthesis (wavetable, FM, sample), Built-in wavetable editor, FM engine with 4 operators, Sample and Granulator engines, 32-slot modulation matrix, Internal FX rack with 16 modules, Extensive preset library

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Deep sound design capabilities
- 🎛️ Versatile modulation matrix
- 🔊 Great sound quality
- 💡 Innovative wavetable generator
- 🌟 Serum-like experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Fiddly on small screens
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Disappears in Cubasis
- 🐛 Spikes CPU usage
- 🐛 Crashes on patch change

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing with AUM
- Disappears in Cubasis randomly
- Crashes all the time inside Logic
- Changing a patch spikes CPU to 99%
- Crashes on every patch change

**Requested features**

- MPE popup possible on top of the auv3
- Button to hide built-in keyboard
- Buffer size option
- Additional MIDI mappings (e.g., arpeggiator toggle)
- Sustain pedal support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Nave free?

Nave costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is ButterSynth free?

ButterSynth costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Nave or ButterSynth?

Nave is rated higher. Nave averages 4.5 out of 5 from 77 ratings, while ButterSynth averages 4.0 from 62 ratings.

### Do Nave or ButterSynth have ads?

Neither Nave nor ButterSynth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Nave or ButterSynth?

Nave ships an update every 3 months, and ButterSynth every 2 months. Most recently, Nave was updated on October 1, 2026 and ButterSynth on October 3, 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.*