Comparison

Stria vs VAPoly16

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stria

This app is a multilevel interactive sound synthesizer that utilizes Frequency Modulation and Wavetable Additive techniques. It offers extensive control over oscillators, pitch grids, and effects, with support for various audio and MIDI connections.

Highlights
  • Multilevel interactive sound synthesizer
  • Up to 240 FM or Wavetable Additive Oscillators
  • Five Spectral Pitch Grid Generators
  • MIDI Pad With Scale Grid
  • Extensive effects chain (Doppler, Glitch Gen, Reverb, etc.)
  • Snapshots Presets Morphing Pad
  • Control Manager LFO for Parameters
Features
Read full description

Stria is rated as a Killer App by Apps4iDevices. Multilevel Interactive Sound Synthesizer Idea and Csound-Orchestra by Eugenio Giordani “Stria” is the title of a very important composition by John Chowning and I would like to say that this computer music piece represents the manifest of Frequency Modulation technique applied to audio synthesis, invented by Mr. Chowning himself. + Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support + Up to 240 Frequency Modulation Oscillators or simple Wavetable Additive + Five Spectral Pitch Grid Generators (Geometric, Harmonic, Fibonacci, Scalar, Temperated) + MIDI Pad With Scale Grid + Effects chain: Doppler, Chopper, Glitch Gen, Sync Grain, Spectral Arpeggiator, FDN Reverb, Dynamic Compressor/Expander + Snapshots Presets Morphing Pad + Control Manager LFO for Parameters + Midibus, Virtual Midi and Network: 14 bit NRPN controllers + Capture Master Audio Output + File Manager, sharing common audio files via iTunes, Dropbox and AudioCopy + Post Fx Chain: Doppler, Chopper, Out Of Range, Sync Granulator, Spectral Arpeggiator, Reverb FDN, Dynamisc Processor + Bluetooth A2DP High Quality + etc...

About

VAPoly16

This app is a virtual analog polyphonic synthesizer for iOS and Mac. It offers 16 voices, a sequencer, and various audio effects. It can be used as a standalone application or as an AudioUnit Extension.

Highlights
  • 16 voice virtual analog synthesizer
  • Bitimbral sound design
  • Sequencer with piano roll and automation
  • Multiple audio effects (delay, reverb, chorus, etc.)
  • Standalone and AUv3 extension support
  • Ableton Link and MIDI connectivity
  • Audio file export
Features
Read full description

VAPoly16 is a virtual analog bitimbral polyphonic synthesizer for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It features 16 voice synthesizer, effects, sequencer and audio visualization tools. It operates as a stand alone or as an AudioUnit Extension (AUv3). Stand Alone supports Ableton Link, MIDI and audio file export. The synthesizer consists of two 8 voice synthesizer, which features two oscillators, two ADSR envelopes, resonant high pass and low pass filter and an amplifier per voice. The oscillators features continuously variable wave shape and wide variety of modulation. The filters are modeled on the Sallen-Key filter circuit for classic analog sound. The Effects include delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, eq and compressor. The sequencer features piano roll and automation editor to program 16 bar pattern per clip. Project files can be saved in iCloud Drive, so that the project can be accessed from iPhone, iPad or Mac. Main Features Virtual analog 16 voice bitimbral polyphonic synthesizer Sequencer 16 bar patterns per clip. Total 16 clips. Parameter automation. Audio Export Linear PCM format (AIFF, WAV and CAF) and compressed format (AAC) Support Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Support iCloud Drive. Support Ableton Link, Bluetooth MIDI, MIDI In / Out. System Requirements For iOS Devices, A10 Fusion or above is recommended. AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) requires host application which support AudioUnit Extension. AudioUnit Extension is supported by Apple Logic and Apple Garage Band on iOS and macOS. For any other DAW, it depends on the application and some of them don’t support AudioUnit Extension.

Screenshots

Stria4 screens
VAPoly164 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Stria at $9.99 against VAPoly16's $14.99. VAPoly16's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Stria costs $9.99 and VAPoly16 $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Stria against 5.0 for VAPoly16. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 35 and 13 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of Stria's written reviews are positive against 100% of VAPoly16's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stria ships an update every 6 months, VAPoly16 every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Stria versus VAPoly16: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStriaVAPoly16
Price$9.99 — better$14.99
Rating5.0 (35 ratings)5.0 (13 ratings)
Positive reviews91.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings35 — better13
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperapeSoftRyo Togawa

Customer experience

Stria

All ratings35 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews47 reviews
Positive91.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.3%

VAPoly16

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Stria

No in-app purchases

None

VAPoly16

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stria free?
Stria costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is VAPoly16 free?
VAPoly16 costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Stria or VAPoly16?
Stria and VAPoly16 are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 35 and 13 ratings respectively.
Do Stria or VAPoly16 have ads?
Neither Stria nor VAPoly16 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stria or VAPoly16?
Stria ships an update every 6 months, and VAPoly16 every 2 months. Most recently, Stria was updated on October 14, 2026 and VAPoly16 on October 7, 2026.

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