Comparison

Ephemeral vs Dexed Synth

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

Head to head
About

Ephemeral

Explore a collection of digital musical instruments playable in augmented reality. Unleash your creativity anytime and anywhere with immersive sound experiences.

Highlights
  • Augmented Reality instruments
  • Digital music creation
  • Playable anywhere
  • Creative sound experiences
Features
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Ephemeral is a playful music maker for iPhone and iPad. Tap out a beat, record your own samples, build a melody, and turn a small idea into a song!

About

Dexed Synth

This app brings a powerful FM synthesizer to your mobile device, offering a vast library of sounds. It integrates with popular DAWs and supports external MIDI controllers for enhanced control and performance.

Highlights
  • FM Synthesizer port
  • Over 20,000 cartridges with 32 patches each
  • AudioUnit AUv3 plugin support
  • MIDI controller input via USB
  • Lock scroll and parameter locking
  • MIDI CC mapping
Features
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A port of Dexed, a FM Synthesizer. Features over 20,000 Cartridges with 32 patches each. Comes with AudioUnit AUv3 plugin for use inside AUM and other DAW apps like GarageBand. Get a camera kit and plug in a midi controller through USB, or get a 5-PIN DIN 1/in 1/out, to: USB and use the camera kit through USB MIDI Spec, NOTE: some devices handle SysEx differently and therefore we cannot promise support for SysEx, so invest in connectors and cables wisely. If you have questions involving making MIDI-USB work the best for your situation, email support. This iOS app was designed especially with small interfaces in mind. Example: an iPhone 5S or a resizable window inside AUM. If one clicks the menu eye, a feature LOCK SCROLL can be –very– important to set knobs, sliders, et cetera: if screen size is limited. LOCK PARAMs in the eye menu locks the parameters for scrolling without knocking loose the preset. In the CARTs menu double tap a cartridge to load a series of patches, the files will have a .syx extension. To use MIDI CC, in the menu eye you must first turn on MIDI CC. When MIDI CC is on it makes the tap events react like a right mouse button click. NOTE: MIDI CC, in eye menu, doesn't have to be on after CC controls are mapped. MIDI CC touch modifier will also turn off after you have successfully mapped a CC control, or when you delete the current mappings. You can turn it on again later to turn off mappings or create new CC mappings. I would suggest setting CC knobs in the bottom section of the screen – above keyboard (if visible). Currently you must save patch in DAW – for instance: GarageBand or AUM. Once we can determine unity and saving/loading between the AUv3 plugin and the StandAlone app, external save will be eventually developed. There is a pathway set to transfer .syx files through iTunes to the StandAlone app, only. Other plans include fixing pixelated images, a quick zoom to set CC mode and updating GUI to a higher degree, make sure midi CC knobs update.

Screenshots

Ephemeral4 screens
Dexed Synth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ephemeral at Free against Dexed Synth's $3.99. Ephemeral also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs every 2 months) and rating (3.5 vs 3.1). Dexed Synth's advantage is ratings volume (43 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Ephemeral is free to download; Dexed Synth costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ephemeral holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Dexed Synth has 43 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Ephemeral's written reviews are positive against 29% of Dexed Synth's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ephemeral ships an update every 5 days, Dexed Synth every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Ephemeral versus Dexed Synth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEphemeralDexed Synth
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating3.5 (2 ratings) — better3.1 (43 ratings)
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews — better28.8% of reviews
Number of ratings243 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB105 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperphelgoGeorge Rosar

Customer experience

Ephemeral

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

Dexed Synth

All ratings43 ratings
Positive39.5%
Neutral27.9%
Negative32.6%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive28.8%
Neutral23.7%
Negative47.5%

In-app purchases

None

Ephemeral

No in-app purchases

None

Dexed Synth

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ephemeral free?
Ephemeral is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dexed Synth free?
Dexed Synth costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ephemeral or Dexed Synth?
Ephemeral is rated higher. Ephemeral averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Dexed Synth averages 3.1 from 43 ratings.
Do Ephemeral or Dexed Synth have ads?
Neither Ephemeral nor Dexed Synth shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ephemeral or Dexed Synth?
Ephemeral ships an update every 5 days, and Dexed Synth every 2 months. Most recently, Ephemeral was updated on November 6, 2026 and Dexed Synth on November 3, 2026.

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