Thesys vs Relic Flow
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Thesys
This app is a powerful and intuitive MIDI step sequencer for creating complex musical patterns. It offers extensive control over MIDI devices, enabling organic bass lines, leads, and pads for studio or live performance. Advanced features allow for real-time pattern manipulation directly from a MIDI keyboard.
- MIDI Step Sequencer
- Pattern Creation
- Live Performance Options
- Real-time Pattern Manipulation
- Integrated Synth
- Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown)
- Ableton Link Support
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Thesys is an extremely powerful and intuitive MIDI Step Sequencer app, giving you control over just about all aspects of your favorite MIDI devices. Use Thesys to create varied and organic bass lines, screaming leads, pulsating chords, and organic pad sounds in the studio or on stage. For live musicians, Thesys provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard: you can transpose, manipulate, twist up, mutate, and mangle your patterns without even getting near your iPad. No other MIDI sequencer plugin offers you the ease and power of Thesys. It is 100% MIDI compliant and therefore provides the ultimate MIDI sequencing solution. iPad Edition Features: • Integrated Synth • Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown...) • Pattern Sequencer • Standalone & Audio Unit v3 • Ableton Link Support • MIDI file Export • MIDI Support (Virtual, Netzwerk, Extern, Bluetooth), MIDI Learn & Host Automation • MIDI Clock Sync (Master & Slave) • Preset iCloud Sync • Preset Share • Zoom
Relic Flow
Generate unique Lo-Fi rhythms, noise patterns, and drum loops using advanced synthesis algorithms. Explore billions of sound samples with intuitive controls and real-time audio recording. Perfect for musicians and sound designers seeking endless creative possibilities.
- Lo-Fi rhythm and drum loop generation
- Billions of unique sound samples
- Real-time audio recording to WAV
- Multiple input methods (on-screen, PC keyboard, MIDI)
- Export to WAV, SunVox, and text clipboard
- iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3) support
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Relic Flow is a generator of Lo-Fi rhythms, noise patterns and drum loops based on unique synthesis algorithms from NightRadio. More than 4 billion samples from the depths of the Mathematical Universe! Features: * search for new sounds with three buttons: next random set, edit code, previous set; each set of 12 sounds corresponds to a code of 8 characters; * three types of keyboards for live performing: on-screen buttons, PC keyboard, MIDI input; * several processing parameters + control via MIDI; * real-time audio recording to WAV (32-bit); * export to: WAV (one file or a set), SunVox (samples + effects in one file), text clipboard; * the LCK button freezes individual samples - they will not change during the search for new sets; * iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3). Double clicking on a parameter opens a window for setting the exact value. If you enable the Hold option, the notes will play endlessly, without reacting to key release (noteOff) events; turning the note on again works like turning it off; there are two ways to enable this option: 1) using the Hold parameter in the "MIDI Mapping" window; 2) by pressing the HOLD button, which appears in place of LCK while playing the musical keyboard: press HOLD, release the desired notes - then the released notes will continue to play.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Thesys at Free against Relic Flow's $1.99. Thesys also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (85 vs 26). Relic Flow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (93% vs 59%). On rating 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
Thesys is free to download; Relic Flow costs $1.99 up front. Thesys sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Relic Flow asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Thesys against 4.8 for Relic Flow. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 26 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 59% of Thesys's written reviews are positive against 93% of Relic Flow's.
Thesys ships an update every 3 months, Relic Flow every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on August 9, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thesys | Relic Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $1.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (85 ratings) | 4.8 (26 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | 93.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 85 — better | 26 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 17 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sugar Bytes GmbH | Alexander Zolotov |
Customer experience
Thesys
Relic Flow
In-app purchases
Thesys
- Thesys Full Version$19.99
Relic Flow
No in-app purchases









