Comparison

Thesys vs Syntorial

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • MIDI Step Sequencer
  • Pattern Creation
  • Live Performance Options
  • Real-time Pattern Manipulation
  • Integrated Synth
  • Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown)
  • Ableton Link Support
Read full description

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

About

Syntorial

Learn to program synthesizer patches by ear with interactive challenges and video demonstrations. This app focuses on practical sound design, teaching you how each control affects sound and how to recreate sounds you hear.

Highlights
  • Interactive programming challenges
  • Video demonstrations
  • Built-in soft synth
  • Ear training for sound recognition
  • Practical application of synth controls
  • Quizzes for retention
Read full description

* WE'VE RELEASED A NEW & IMPROVED VERSION OF SYNTORIAL IN THE APP STORE. JUST SEARCH "SYNTORIAL 2" * Syntorial is a synthesizer training app, that will teach you how to program synth patches by ear. By combining video demonstrations with interactive challenges, you’ll get hands on experience programming patches on a built-in soft synth, and learn everything you need to know to start making your own sounds with ease. "Syntorial is the most direct route between hearing a sound in your head and knowing how to bring it to life." - Electronic Musician Magazine "The most comprehensive and fun tool for learning synthesizer programming, hands down." - Keyboard Magazine “The best training in synth sound-design we’ve come across. A unique and fun way to train your ears in re-creating synth sounds.” - MusicTech Magazine * Electronic Musician Editor's Choice 2014 * HIGHLIGHTS • Interactive Learning: Syntorial doesn’t just show you how synth programming works. It engages you in Interactive Challenges in which you program patches on a built-in synth. You aren’t just learning how to design sound, you are becoming a sound designer. • For Musicians, Not Physicists: Instead of talking about the science and physics behind synthesizers, Syntorial will show you how each control effects sound, as well as when, why and how you would use them when designing sounds. This is information that you can immediately apply to real-life situations. • It's All About The Ear: One step at a time, Syntorial trains your ear to recognize how each control shapes and manipulates sound. By the end of the program you’ll be able to take the sounds you hear and re-create them, completely by ear. LESSON SPECS • Challenges: Learn by doing! Complete challenges by programming patches with Syntorial’s built-in synth. • Videos: Everything is taught through video demonstrations using the same synth that you’ll use in the challenges. • Patches: Program, program, program. After all, that’s what it’s all about, right? By the end you will have programmed tons of patches, from simple to complex, familiar to strange. • Quizzes: Multiple choice questions to help you retain and remember everything you learn. • On Your Own: Syntorial will give you periodic tasks to be carried out on your own with whatever synth(s) you use. SYNTH SPECS • Subtractive synthesis • Three Oscillators (Two with Waveform, Pitch, Pulse Width, and Mix controls, and a Sub oscillator with Waveform and Volume controls) • Saw, Pulse, Triangle and Sine waveforms • FM knob • Noise Oscillator • Oscillator Sync • Filter (Low, Band and High Pass) with Resonance and Key Tracking • ADSR Filter Envelope • ADSR Amp Envelope • AD Modulation Envelope • LFO with four waveforms, seven destinations, rate, amount, trigger, and mono/poly modes • Mono and Poly Voice Modes • Portamento • Unison with Voice, Detune and Spread controls • Ring Modulation • Distortion, Chorus, Phaser, Delay, and Reverb effects • Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel and Velocity controls FREE VS UPGRADE The free app comes with the first 22 Lessons, additional Lesson Pack samples, as well as Syntorial's fully featured synth. Upgrade to get: • All 199 Lessons, including 129 Challenges, 147 Videos, and 706 Patches covering the most common synthesis parameters. • Additional Lesson Packs covering Massive, Sylenth1, Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2 and Minimoog Voyager, each containing 30+ videos. More Lesson Packs planned for the future. • Pay once and get access to all of the above on iPad, Mac and PC. Sync your progress across all 3 platforms. Train where you want, when you want, and how you want. • Plugin version of Syntorial's synth, Primer. Program, record and play Primer in your favorite desktop recording software. VST (Mac/PC) and AU (Mac). Syntorial: A New Way To Learn Synthesis

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Syntorial at 95% against Thesys's 59%. Syntorial also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and ratings volume (273 vs 85). Thesys's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Thesys sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Syntorial sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Syntorial holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 85 and 273 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Thesys's written reviews are positive against 95% of Syntorial's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Thesys ships an update every 2 months, Syntorial every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Thesys versus Syntorial: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterThesysSyntorial
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (85 ratings)4.9 (273 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.3% of reviews95.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings85273 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS17.611.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB213 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSugar Bytes GmbHAudible Genius

Customer experience

Thesys

All ratings85 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews54 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral11.1%
Negative29.6%

Syntorial

All ratings273 ratings
Positive97.8%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.8%
Negative4.2%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Thesys

One-time1
  • Thesys Full Version$19.99
1 purchases

Syntorial

One-time1
  • Upgrade To Full Version$129.99

Questions

Is Thesys free?
Thesys is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Syntorial free?
Syntorial is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Thesys or Syntorial?
Syntorial is rated higher. Thesys averages 4.7 out of 5 from 85 ratings, while Syntorial averages 4.9 from 273 ratings.
Do Thesys or Syntorial have ads?
Neither Thesys nor Syntorial shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Thesys or Syntorial?
Thesys ships an update every 2 months, and Syntorial every 5 months. Most recently, Thesys was updated on October 29, 2026 and Syntorial on October 24, 2026.

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