Retro Synth vs PocketMonitor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Retro Synth
Create authentic retro music with this vintage-inspired synthesizer app. Explore sound design with tone controls and vibrato, or upgrade for premium waveforms and studio effects. Designed for instant musical creativity, it offers a portable music-making experience.
- Authentic vintage sound recreation
- Tone control for sound shaping
- Vibrato effect for musical expression
- Zero latency real-time response
- Premium waveforms (Sine, Sawtooth, Triangle)
- Studio effects (Reverb, Delay)
- MIDI export
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Play a real pocket stylophone — then plug it straight into GarageBand. Retro Synth · Syntophone turns your device into a vintage touch-keyboard synthesizer, and now works as an AUv3 instrument inside GarageBand, Logic Pro, and AUM. Slide your finger across the keys and a warm, authentic square-wave synth comes to life. Learn built-in songs with light-up "follow the key" tutorials, record your ideas, and drop the instrument into your favorite music app — all from one tiny synth. Like the original, it plays one note at a time: one stylus, one note. Curious about Pro? Tap any locked sound and hear it free for 30 seconds. FREE FEATURES (Included at no cost): • Authentic Vintage Sound: faithfully recreates that iconic square-wave tone with modern precision. • Song Mode: learn songs with light-up "follow the key" tutorials, hold-to-repeat for repeated notes, and a star rating when you finish (2 songs free). • My Recordings: a full library to play back, rename, share, and delete your takes. • Metronome: a sample-accurate click with adjustable BPM and an accented downbeat to keep you in time. • AUv3 Instrument: use Syntophone as a plug-in inside GarageBand, Logic Pro, AUM and other AUv3 hosts. • Sound Controls: shape your tone from thin and bright to thick and warm, and add expression with vibrato. • Real-time Response: instant, zero-latency audio as you play. • Clean, minimalist design inspired by vintage hardware. SYNTOPHONE PRO (subscription): Upgrade to unlock the full studio: • Premium Waveforms: Sine, Sawtooth, and Triangle. • Studio Effects: high-quality Reverb and Delay. • Pro Sound Panel: a second detuned oscillator for a fatter analog tone, hands-on delay time & feedback controls, and live MIDI output — play GarageBand and other synth apps as a virtual MIDI keyboard. • 12 more built-in songs to learn. • MIDI Export: save and share your recordings as .mid files. WHY SYNTOPHONE? No setup, no menus to fight — open the app and make music immediately. Then, when you're ready, it becomes a plug-in in your studio. Note: The app includes an auto-renewable subscription (Syntophone Pro) for premium features. For Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
PocketMonitor
Stream your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) audio to your phone in real-time over Wi-Fi. Monitor your mix on a mobile device while you work, adjust output volume, and switch between audio sources with ease. Requires a companion sender plugin for your computer.
- Real-time audio streaming
- Wi-Fi connection to desktop sender
- Monitor signal activity
- Adjust output volume
- Switch between audio sources
- Requires desktop sender plugin
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PocketMonitor lets you stream your DAW audio to your phone over local Wi-Fi, so you can quickly check your mix on a real mobile device while you work. Use PocketMonitor to: • Listen to your mix on your phone in real time • Connect to your desktop sender plugin over the same Wi-Fi network • Monitor signal activity and adjust output volume • Switch between available desktop sources with a simple tap To use PocketMonitor, you’ll also need the PocketMonitor sender plugin on your computer. Download the PocketMonitor sender plugin from SHFTDAudio.com Available for: • macOS: VST3, AU • Windows: VST3 How it works: 1. Install the PocketMonitor sender plugin on your Mac or Windows computer 2. Put your computer and phone on the same Wi-Fi network 3. Load the plugin on your DAW master/output channel 4. Open the PocketMonitor app and connect PocketMonitor is built for fast, practical mix checking on the device your audience uses every day. Website: SHFTDAudio.com Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: PocketMonitor at 5.0 against Retro Synth's 4.2. PocketMonitor also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Retro Synth's advantage is ratings volume (5 vs 1). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Retro Synth sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and PocketMonitor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
PocketMonitor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Retro Synth has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Retro Synth ships an update every 2 months, PocketMonitor every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Retro Synth | PocketMonitor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 6 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 14 MB | 61 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kerem ERSU | Jake Phillips |
Customer experience
Retro Synth
PocketMonitor
In-app purchases
Retro Synth
- Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
- Annual Subscription$24.991 Year
- Remove ads$2.99
PocketMonitor
- PocketMonitor Pro3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- PocketMonitor Pro$29.99
Questions
Is Retro Synth free?
Is PocketMonitor free?
Which has better reviews, Retro Synth or PocketMonitor?
Do Retro Synth or PocketMonitor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Retro Synth or PocketMonitor?
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