Phase Monkey vs VAPolyMkII
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phase Monkey
Explore a versatile digital synthesizer inspired by 1980s phase distortion technology. Create a wide range of sounds from warm pads to aggressive basses with its unique engine and eight-stage envelopes. Optimized for touch interaction, it also supports MIDI controllers and runs across Apple devices.
- Phase distortion synth engine
- Eight-stage envelopes
- Touch-first interface
- AUv3 plugin support
- Universal Apple purchase
- MIDI controller support
- iCloud preset syncing
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Phase Monkey is a polyphonic synthesizer inspired by the classic phase distortion synthesizers of the mid-1980s. However, instead of being a direct copy, Phase Monkey presents a fresh take on the classic sound engine, including the rare eight-stage envelopes. The result is a surprisingly versatile digital instrument that can produce anything from warm pads to shimmering leads to snarling basses. Whatever you do, don’t have fun with it! Features: - Focused, fun, and characterful synth engine - Touch-first design, almost the entire screen is part of a control - Runs standalone or as AUv3 plug-in (in compatible host) - Universal purchase on Apple platforms: runs on iPhone, iPad, and Mac - Presets synced across your devices via iCloud - Hook up a MIDI controller to play with a keyboard (optional) Details: - Eight classic phase distortion waveforms - Dedicated modulation oscillator for ring or noise modulation - Three rare eight-stage envelopes - Complex modulation of pitch and timbre possible via envelopes - LFO with five waveforms for classic modulation sounds - Master controls: portamento, random voice pan, onboard chorus, gain - Key behavior modes: poly, monophonic retrig, monophonic legato - Additional MIDI modulation sources: mod wheel, pitch bend, velocity, aftertouch (channel), key follow - Includes 40 highly usable factory presets to get you started making music Check out our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@sketchaudio Read the manuals: https://sketchaudio.com/manuals/
VAPolyMkII
This virtual analog synthesizer offers a 16-voice bitimbral polyphonic sound engine with two distinct filter models and extensive modulation options. It includes a built-in sequencer, various effects, and supports AudioUnit Extension for integration with DAWs. Projects can be synced across iPhone, iPad, and Mac via iCloud.
- 16-voice bitimbral polyphonic synthesizer
- Two analog-modeled filter types
- Extensive modulation capabilities
- Built-in piano roll sequencer
- Multiple audio effects
- AudioUnit Extension (AUv3) support
- iCloud Drive project syncing
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VAPolyMkII 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 and cascaded OTA filter circuit for classic analog sound. The Effects include delay, chorus, flanger, reverb, eq and compressor. The sequencer features piano roll and parameter 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 Two type of Lowpass filter, cascaded OTA model and Sallen-key model. Patch points for modulation. Support MIDI 2.0 New User Interface built by SwiftUI for improved performance. Built-in Sequencer. 16 bar patterns per clip. Total 8 clips. Piano Roll and Parameter automation. Support Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) Works on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Support iCloud Drive to share project files between the platforms. Audio Export. Linear PCM format (AIFF, WAV and CAF) and compressed format (AAC) Support Ableton Link, Bluetooth MIDI, MIDI In / Out. - System Requirements - A13 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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Phase Monkey at 4.8 against VAPolyMkII's 4.5. VAPolyMkII's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $5.99). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence 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
Phase Monkey costs $5.99 and VAPolyMkII $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Phase Monkey holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 19 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Phase Monkey's written reviews are positive against 67% of VAPolyMkII's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phase Monkey | VAPolyMkII |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | $3.99 — better |
| Rating | 4.8 (19 ratings) — better | 4.5 (11 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19 — better | 11 |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 15 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sketch Audio, LLC | Ryo Togawa |
Customer experience
Phase Monkey
VAPolyMkII
In-app purchases
Phase Monkey
No in-app purchases
VAPolyMkII
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Phase Monkey free?
Is VAPolyMkII free?
Which has better reviews, Phase Monkey or VAPolyMkII?
Do Phase Monkey or VAPolyMkII have ads?
Which is updated more often, Phase Monkey or VAPolyMkII?
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