# plugdata vs Solderbox

The clearest difference is price: plugdata at Free against Solderbox's $12.99. Solderbox's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (90% vs 67%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

plugdata is free to download; Solderbox costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Solderbox holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 27 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of plugdata's written reviews are positive against 90% of Solderbox's.

plugdata ships an update every 3 months, Solderbox every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | plugdata | Solderbox |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $12.99 |
| Rating | [4.4 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plugdata/id6473122351/reviews) | **[5.0 (27 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solderbox/id6502593345/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **27** |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#195** |
| Size | 147 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Timothy Schoen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1718448510) | [Bram Bos](https://appshunter.io/developer/325340444) |

## What reviewers say

### plugdata

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plugdata/id6473122351)

This app provides a visual programming environment for audio experimentation, prototyping, and education. It allows users to create and run audio patches on their mobile devices, enabling creative sound design on the go.

**Highlights:** Visual programming environment, Audio experimentation, Prototyping, Educational tool, Standalone application, Audio plugins

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Solderbox

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solderbox/id6502593345)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This app is a compact, semi-modular synthesizer designed for generative music creation. It offers a comprehensive set of modular functions, aiming for analog-like sound and behavior with unique digital effects and an 'Instability Engine' for organic fluctuations.

**Highlights:** Generative synthesis tools, Analog-like sound emulation, Instability Engine for organic fluctuations, Audio Unit (AUv3) compatibility, Built-in Pulsequencer melody generator, Multiple filter modes, Stackable patch cables

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is plugdata free?

plugdata is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Solderbox free?

Solderbox costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, plugdata or Solderbox?

Solderbox is rated higher. plugdata averages 4.4 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while Solderbox averages 5.0 from 27 ratings.

### Do plugdata or Solderbox have ads?

Neither plugdata nor Solderbox shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, plugdata or Solderbox?

plugdata ships an update every 3 months, and Solderbox every 6 weeks. Most recently, plugdata was updated on July 20, 2026 and Solderbox on September 23, 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.*