# iVCS3 vs AUFX

The clearest difference is price: AUFX at $4.99 against iVCS3's $19.99. AUFX also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 10) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 17.0). iVCS3's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and ratings volume (208 vs 33). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

iVCS3 costs $19.99 and AUFX $4.99 up front. iVCS3 sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. AUFX asks for nothing beyond the download.

iVCS3 holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iVCS3 has 208 ratings behind it against 33, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of iVCS3's written reviews are positive against 90% of AUFX's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iVCS3 | AUFX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (208 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ivcs3/id665703927/reviews)** | [4.6 (33 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aufxdub/id678982701/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **208** | 33 |
| Positive reviews | **90.8% of reviews** | 89.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 107 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [apeSoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/464660782) | [Kymatica AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/522046659) |

## What reviewers say

### iVCS3

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

This app is an official emulator of a pioneering analog synthesizer from 1969. It faithfully recreates the original's sound-generating capabilities, including oscillators, filters, and a unique patch board matrix. Explore its vintage interface and powerful sonic potential for music creation and sound design.

**Highlights:** Official EMS VCS3 emulator, Faithful recreation of original hardware, Multiple oscillators and LFO, Voltage-controlled low-pass filter, Unique patch board matrix, Includes DK1 keyboard controller emulation

**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


### AUFX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aufxdub/id678982701)

This app offers a versatile stereo delay audio effect with extensive customization options. It can produce a wide range of sounds, from clean digital delays to gritty dub echoes and flangers. The app supports processing external audio and other applications, with features for saving and sharing presets.

**Highlights:** High quality 32-bit DSP engine, Tape simulation (noise and warble), Filters in the delay loop, Stereo delay, detune, and ping-pong, Dual LFO for modulation, Inter-App Audio and Audiobus support, Save, load, and share presets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great sound quality
- 👍 High-quality plugins
- 👍 Excellent effects
- 👍 Impressive quality
- 👍 Complete immersion

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Not AUv3 compliant
- 🐛 Unusable in current incarnation
- 🐛 Falling behind without AU3
- 🐛 Lacking AU support
- 🐛 Ironically lacks AU support

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when loading presets
- Loading presets causes crash
- Will NOT launch in AUM
- Workarounds don't work

**Requested features**

- AUv3 support
- Add creativity, functions, magic
- AUv3 would solve the only problem
- AUv3 compliance
- Add AU3


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iVCS3 free?

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

### Is AUFX free?

AUFX costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

iVCS3 is rated higher. iVCS3 averages 4.9 out of 5 from 208 ratings, while AUFX averages 4.6 from 33 ratings.

### Do iVCS3 or AUFX have ads?

Neither iVCS3 nor AUFX shows ads.

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

iVCS3 ships an update every 2 months, and AUFX every 2 months. Most recently, iVCS3 was updated on November 6, 2026 and AUFX on November 1, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*