ab Phaser X vs SimplComp
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
Read full descriptionHide full description
'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.
SimplComp
Read full descriptionHide full description
Introduction SimpleComp is very simple general purpose compressor that’s easy to use and very light on CPU. Sometimes you just need some basic dynamics processing that doesn’t add “character”, or that relies on sophisticated techniques or performance expensive DSP. SimplComp was designed for those times! SimpleComp is an AUv3 effects plugin that can run standalone, or in any AUv3 compatible host such as Logic Pro, GarageBand or AUM. SimpleComp currently runs on iPadOS / iOS (iPad & iPhone) and macOS (Intel & Silicon) and is available as a Universal Purchase from the Apple App Store. If you’re planning on using SimpleComp on Mac / desktop, please ensure that your favourite DAW / host supports AUv3 (not just AU). Parameters ACTIVE - toggles the effect on or off. IN - sets the level of the incoming signal. Typically you would leave this as 0dB, i.e unity gain. The meters to the left of the panel show the level of the incoming signal. COMP - sets the compression threshold. Note that unlike many compressor plugins, the threshold is reduced as you turn up the control, so as you turn it up, you get more compression effect. The bar meter below this control will give an indication of how much over the threshold the input signal is. RATIO - sets the compression ratio. A higher ratio results in a more noticeable “squashing” effect on the signal. OUT - sets the level of the output signal. You may need to adjust this is you wish to manually make up the gain lost by the compression effect, e.g. when AUTO is off (see below). ATK - sets the attack time of the compressor. REL - sets the release time of the compressor. AUTO - toggles automatic makeup gain. When switched on, SimplComp will automatically adjust the gain to compensate for the gain reduction that occurs when compression is applied. This is calculated using the compression threshold and ratio. MIX - sets the balance between the compressed and original / dry signal. This allows SimplComp to be used for parallel compression. Factory Presets There are a few factory presets included to get you going. The overall compression will be dependent on the level of the input signal so you will need to select an appropriate factory preset as a starting point, then adjust the COMP parameter up or down for more or less compression indicated by the bar meter below the control.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: SimplComp at every 2 months against ab Phaser X's every 11 months. SimplComp also leads on price ($1.99 vs $5.99). ab Phaser X's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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
ab Phaser X costs $5.99 and SimplComp $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ab Phaser X ships an update every 11 months, SimplComp every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ab Phaser X | SimplComp |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alejandro Cabrera Zuniga | Rob Jackson |
In-app purchases
ab Phaser X
No in-app purchases
SimplComp
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ab Phaser X free?
Is SimplComp free?
Do ab Phaser X or SimplComp have ads?
Which is updated more often, ab Phaser X or SimplComp?
Other comparisons















