Comparison

Doris by dgApps vs ab Phaser X

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

Head to head
About

Doris by dgApps

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Doris by dgApps is the app to send and receive MIDI commands from your iPhone or iPad via fully configurable touch buttons. Each Doris Project can have multiple Screens. Each Doris Screen can have multiple Buttons. Each Button can be one of nine different sizes, and each Button can be one of six different types: Note On Note Off A Button that sends Note On and Note Off MIDI commands, with the same channel and note for each command. These Buttons send a Note On command on touch and a Note Off command on the next touch, or they can be momentary, sending a Note On command on touch and a Note Off command on release. Control Change A Button that sends a Control Change MIDI command using a slider for a specific channel and specific control change number. Program Change A Button that sends a Program Change MIDI command on touch, with a configurable channel and program number. Multiple MIDI This Button type can have any number of on MIDI commands and any number of off MIDI commands. The on MIDI commands are sent on touch and the off MIDI commands are sent on a second touch, or on release if the Button is momentary. The MIDI commands can be sent all at once, or one after the other sequentially, both for the on MIDI commands and the off MIDI commands. Each MIDI command can be a Note On, Note Off, Program Change, or a Control Change command with a specified value. Flash All Buttons will flash when they receive their MIDI command, whether the command comes from another Button or from outside Doris. Flash Buttons go further in that they can be configured to flash for a specific MIDI command on a specific channel, or all MIDI commands on all channels, or any combination of commands and channels in between those two extremes. Blank Blank buttons are only visible in Edit mode. They are used to help with the layout of Buttons across the Screen. Each MIDI command is fully configurable visually: text, font, text size, text weight, text alignment, text colour, symbol, symbol colour, and background colour All configuration of Doris Projects, Screens, and Buttons is accomplished directly in the app. There’s no requirement for any other software. There is an always available MIDI screen that logs incoming MIDI commands and can send specific MIDI commands. The screen also enables MIDI using Bluetooth connections. Copious Help is available throughout Doris to explain things as you go. Doris can share DORIS files using all the usual share options, and import saved DORIS files into new Projects. Doris was successfully used with Blur at Coachella 2024, with The Script during 2024, and with Little Simz at Glastonbury 2024.

About

ab Phaser X

This music app offers a versatile phase modulator with 2 to 12 stages. Customize sweeps with controls for rate, depth, frequency, and feedback. Adjust loudness and blend for your final sound.

Highlights
  • 2 to 12 stage phase modulation
  • Rate control (DAW sync or 0.001Hz-10Hz)
  • Depth, Frequency, and Feedback controls
  • Gain and Mix controls for loudness and blend
Features
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'ab Phaser X' is a phase modulator featuring from 2 to 12 stages. With 'ab Phaser X' you can control the rate of your phase, whether it's synced to your DAW's BPM or freely from 0,001Hz all the way to 10Hz. Depth, Frequency and Feedback controls help you customise your phase sweeps further and finally, a Gain and Mix control will allow you to control the loudness and the blend of the final Phaser.

Screenshots

Doris by dgApps4 screens
ab Phaser X1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Doris by dgApps at Free against ab Phaser X's $5.99. Doris by dgApps also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 11 months). ab Phaser X's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Doris by dgApps is free to download; ab Phaser X costs $5.99 up front. Doris by dgApps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. ab Phaser X asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Doris by dgApps ships an update every 3 weeks, ab Phaser X every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Doris by dgApps versus ab Phaser X: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDoris by dgAppsab Phaser X
PriceFree — better$5.99
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.512.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperdgAppsAlejandro Cabrera Zuniga

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Doris by dgApps

Subscriptions2
  • Doris Monthly Subscription$8.991 Month
  • Doris Annual Subscription$89.991 Year
None

ab Phaser X

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Doris by dgApps free?
Doris by dgApps is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ab Phaser X free?
ab Phaser X costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Doris by dgApps or ab Phaser X have ads?
Neither Doris by dgApps nor ab Phaser X shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Doris by dgApps or ab Phaser X?
Doris by dgApps ships an update every 3 weeks, and ab Phaser X every 11 months. Most recently, Doris by dgApps was updated on September 29, 2026 and ab Phaser X on October 10, 2026.

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