# iVCS3 vs iOptigan

The clearest difference is price: iOptigan at $5.99 against iVCS3's $19.99. iOptigan also leads on chart position (#116 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

iVCS3 costs $19.99 and iOptigan $5.99 up front. iVCS3 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and iOptigan sells 16 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for iVCS3 against 4.8 for iOptigan. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 206 and 114 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of iVCS3's written reviews are positive against 92% of iOptigan's.

## The numbers

| Metric | iVCS3 | iOptigan |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$5.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivcs3/id665703927/reviews)** | [4.8 (114 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioptigan/id1143470101/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **206** | 114 |
| Positive reviews | 90.7% of reviews | **92.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | — |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#116** |
| Size | 107 MB | 179 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **8.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [apeSoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/464660782) | [Stefan Stenzel](https://appshunter.io/developer/1143470100) |

## What reviewers say

### iVCS3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivcs3/id665703927)

This application emulates the iconic EMS VCS3 synthesizer, a pioneering portable synthesizer from 1969. It recreates the original's unique sound generation capabilities, including its oscillators, filters, and patch matrix, allowing users to explore its distinctive sonic palette.

**Highlights:** Official EMS VCS3 emulation, Three oscillators (2 VCOs, 1 LFO), Noise generator, Voltage controlled low pass filter (VCF), Patch board matrix, Joy-stick controller, Voltage controlled spring reverb

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Red Sky Lullaby - 180 Presets | Free | one-time |
| Singe Difficile by RUST(i)K | Free | one-time |
| RUMBLE | Free | one-time |
| OLD GRIT - COLLECTION | Free | one-time |
| JEC 2018 Iconic PinkFloyd | Free | one-time |
| JEC EMS-50 | Free | one-time |
| SINAPSYA - Under The Dust | $2.99 | one-time |
| LALA - Sonic Pleasures | $3.99 | one-time |
| JEC Mega Bank | $4.99 | one-time |
| Essential EMS Modifications | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Faithful recreation of the original
- 👍 Powerful and versatile sound
- 🎨 Gorgeous vintage interface
- 💡 Additional features beyond the original
- 🎛️ Excellent integration with MIDI and other apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🤔 Steep learning curve
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate the matrix

**Reported bugs**

- Presets not loading
- Crashes on iOS 15.04
- Sampler not functioning properly

**Requested features**

- Mac compatibility
- Improved preset management
- Expanded sampling capabilities


### iOptigan

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ioptigan/id1143470101)

**Currently charting:** #116 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Experience the unique lo-fi sound of a vintage optical organ on your iOS device. This app faithfully recreates the original instrument's sound and functionality, allowing you to play chord patterns and explore different musical styles. It includes a virtual spring reverb, metronome, and MIDI capabilities for expanded creative control.

**Highlights:** Authentic lo-fi optical organ sound, Virtual spring reverb, Optical metronome, MIDI in/out and chord detection, Sequencer with record/playback, Audio and MIDI file sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (16)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Champagne Music | $0.99 | one-time |
| Country Waltz | $0.99 | one-time |
| Romantic Strings | $0.99 | one-time |
| Big Top Marching Band | $0.99 | one-time |
| Polynesian Village | $0.99 | one-time |
| Singing Rhythm | $0.99 | one-time |
| Rollin’ Easy | $0.99 | one-time |
| Movin' | $0.99 | one-time |
| Cathedral Organ | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vox Humana | $0.99 | one-time |
| Country Sunshine | $0.99 | one-time |
| Down Home | $0.99 | one-time |
| Gospel Rock | $0.99 | one-time |
| Guitar Boogie | $0.99 | one-time |
| New Orleans Blues | $0.99 | one-time |
| Complete Disc Pak | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🤩 Incredible sound quality
- 🎶 Unique musical instrument recreation
- ✨ Dream come true for musicians
- 🎹 Great for experimentalists
- 👍 Well-executed and fun

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Stuck/phantom keys
- 🐛 Audio clipping issues
- 🐛 Left-only headphone audio
- 🐛 Touch issues on bottom row
- 🐛 InterApp Audio broken in Garageband

**Reported bugs**

- Stuck/phantom keys on M1 iPad Pro
- E major plays D Diminished sample
- Bottom row of controls unresponsive
- Audio level clipping, especially when slowing playback
- Left-only headphone audio output

**Requested features**

- Update codebase with AudioKit Engine
- Allow app to run in background
- Add AudioUnit Extension support
- Include newly released sound packs
- Clarify chord identification methods


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iVCS3 free?

iVCS3 costs $19.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is iOptigan free?

iOptigan costs $5.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iVCS3 or iOptigan?

iVCS3 is rated higher. iVCS3 averages 4.9 out of 5 from 206 ratings, while iOptigan averages 4.8 from 114 ratings.

### Do iVCS3 or iOptigan have ads?

Neither iVCS3 nor iOptigan shows ads.

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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.*