VAPolyQuad vs Hexapad
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
VAPolyQuad
Create rich, analog-style music with this powerful polyphonic synthesizer. Explore a vast array of sound-shaping tools, including multiple oscillators, filters, and effects. Program intricate melodies and rhythms with the built-in sequencer, and seamlessly share projects across your Apple devices.
- Virtual analog polyphonic synthesizer
- Up to 8 voice polyphony
- Four oscillators per voice
- Multiple resonant filters
- Built-in effects suite
- 16-bar sequencer with piano roll
- Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) support
Read full descriptionHide full description
VAPolyQuad is a virtual analog polyphonic synthesizer for iPhone, iPad and Mac. It features 8 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. Single voice of the synthesizer features four oscillators, two mixers, two resonant high pass filters, two resonant low pass filters, two amplifiers, four ADSR envelopes and four LFOs. 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 polyphonic synthesizer. Maximum 8 voice polyphony. it depends on performance of the device it is running. Four oscillators per voice. Flexible audio signal and control signal routing. Keyboard Control Routing Two type of Lowpass filter, cascaded OTA model and Sallen-key model. 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. 370 Factory Presets - 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. Sound may be distorted if CPU of the device doesn't have enough power. If it happens reduce number of voices.
Hexapad
Create music with a unique hexagonal pad interface. Explore built-in synths for various genres, record your own sounds, and easily switch between beat, melody, and bass modes. Save, layer, and export your creations.
- Hexagonal honeycomb pad interface
- Built-in synths for multiple genres
- Mic recording kit for custom sounds
- Dedicated modes for beat, melody, and bass
- Kit-specific effects (reverb, echo, flanger)
- Auto-generate beats, melodies, and basslines
- Export to WAV format
Read full descriptionHide full description
Hexapad is a beatmaker and step sequencer with a fresh, intuitive feel — hexagonal pads laid out in a honeycomb grid that let your fingers move naturally. No extra samples needed. The built-in synths alone cover a wide range of genres — Techno, House, Hip-Hop, Ambient, Lo-Fi, Minimal, IDM, Alternative, and Contemporary. With the dedicated mic-recording kit, you can capture your own sounds and drop them straight onto the pads. Recorded audio is auto-leveled, so it sits naturally alongside everything else. Each pad displays the waveform of its sound, giving you the shape of the tone at a glance. Every kit plays as more than just beats — it works for melodies and basslines too. A single mode switch in the header takes you from rhythm to melody to bass, all at your fingertips. The melody and bass tones and keys are crafted per kit — in Contemporary, for example, a felt piano resonates with a sound and key suited to the genre. Modes are color-coded for intuitive switching (beat = green, melody = blue, bass = orange). Each kit comes with its own effects setup — reverb, echo, flanger, and more — so you can shape the texture of every kit. Sound plays even in silent mode, so you can create anywhere, with or without headphones. Tap to lay down a beat, save it, and layer your loops. Hit the Demo or Band button to auto-generate a full set of beat, melody, and bass in a single tap, then layer them on the spot. Save the loops you like, combine your saved sounds, add fade-in/out, and export to WAV. Enjoy the experience of making music — intuitively, right in the palm of your hand.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Hexapad at 100% against VAPolyQuad's 0%. Hexapad also leads on price (Free vs $14.99) and update cadence (every 5 days vs every 22 months). VAPolyQuad's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.5) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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
Hexapad is free to download; VAPolyQuad costs $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
VAPolyQuad holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 2 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 0% of VAPolyQuad's written reviews are positive against 100% of Hexapad's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
VAPolyQuad ships an update every 22 months, Hexapad every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | VAPolyQuad | Hexapad |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $14.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.0 (5 ratings) — better | 3.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Ad-supported — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 16 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ryo Togawa | ONTRAILS |
Customer experience
VAPolyQuad
Hexapad
In-app purchases
VAPolyQuad
No in-app purchases
Hexapad
No in-app purchases









