# iVCS3 vs OB

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OB at none against iVCS3's 10. OB also leads on price ($14.99 vs $19.99) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). iVCS3's advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 57%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.4). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

iVCS3 costs $19.99 and OB $14.99 up front. iVCS3 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. OB asks for nothing beyond the download.

iVCS3 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 206 and 65 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of iVCS3's written reviews are positive against 57% of OB's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iVCS3 | OB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$14.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (206 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivcs3/id665703927/reviews)** | [4.4 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ob-xd-auv3-synth/id1465262829/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **206** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | **90.7% of reviews** | 57.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 107 MB | 25 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [apeSoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/464660782) | [DiscoDSP LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465262828) |

## 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


### OB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ob-xd-auv3-synth/id1465262829)

This app emulates the classic Oberheim OB-X synthesizer, offering its rich sound and behavior with added enhancements. It focuses on sonic quality and includes micro random detuning for authentic analog warmth. External effects are recommended to further shape its versatile soundscapes.

**Highlights:** Oberheim OB-X emulation, Recreates original sound and behavior, Added enhancements to original design, Micro random detuning, Rich and good sound quality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎶 Incredible sound quality
- ✨ Inspiring creative tool
- 🎹 Faithful emulation of classic synth
- 🎛️ Great for programming
- 🎚️ Useful presets

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Unusable UI on older devices
- 💻 Poor GUI scaling on iPad Pro
- 🎛️ Controls unresponsive or misaligned
- 📉 Limited functionality without updates
- 🤷‍♂️ No clear upgrade path

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes in Audiobus
- Cannot use in MIDI section of Audiobus
- Preset browser issues (scrolling, cut off banks)
- Automation bug with cutoff freq
- UI issues on iPad Pro (buttons misaligned, text cut off)

**Requested features**

- Add last/high priority for mono patches
- Increase polyphony to 8 voices
- MIDI Learn functionality
- Preset browser improvements (categories, scrolling)
- Adjustable keyboard size


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iVCS3 free?

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

### Is OB free?

OB costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

iVCS3 is rated higher. iVCS3 averages 4.9 out of 5 from 206 ratings, while OB averages 4.4 from 65 ratings.

### Do iVCS3 or OB have ads?

Neither iVCS3 nor OB shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iVCS3 or OB?

iVCS3 ships an update every 2 months, and OB every 2 months. Most recently, iVCS3 was updated on October 21, 2026 and OB on October 15, 2026.

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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.*