Comparison

Retro Synth vs SUS4 DAW Help

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

SUS4 DAW Help

Features
Read full description

Type what you want to do and get the steps, with the key commands. Seven major desktop DAWs are covered, and it all works offline, so you can ask mid-session without opening a browser. Fully on-device: no cloud, no account. Search by the job, not by the menu it hides under: set the project tempo, change the sample rate, add a tempo change at bar 57, rescan plug-ins. Each answer gives numbered steps and the shortcut if there is one. • How-to answers for routing, mixing, automation, MIDI and project setup • Ask in plain English; an on-device language model writes the answer • Search the reference by keyword when you already know the term • Two DAW libraries included from the start For producers and engineers who switch between DAWs, and for anyone moving to a new one. Pro, or SUS4 All-Access across the whole range, adds the libraries for the other five DAWs and removes the daily limit on questions. Made in the UK by working musicians. Pro is an optional auto-renewable monthly subscription. It renews until cancelled in your App Store account settings, at least 24 hours before the period ends. Terms of Use: https://4chords.studio/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://4chords.studio/privacy/ Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Retro Synth4 screens
SUS4 DAW Help4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SUS4 DAW Help at every 3 weeks against Retro Synth's every 2 months. On price, 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

Both are free to download. Retro Synth sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and SUS4 DAW Help sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro Synth ships an update every 2 months, SUS4 DAW Help every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
Retro Synth versus SUS4 DAW Help: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro SynthSUS4 DAW Help
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (5 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings5 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB72 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKerem ERSUThePaulSmith

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Retro Synth

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$3.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Remove ads$2.99
2 purchases

SUS4 DAW Help

Subscriptions2
  • SUS4 DAW Help Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • SUS4 All-Access7 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Retro Synth free?
Retro Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SUS4 DAW Help free?
SUS4 DAW Help is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Retro Synth or SUS4 DAW Help have ads?
Neither Retro Synth nor SUS4 DAW Help shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro Synth or SUS4 DAW Help?
Retro Synth ships an update every 2 months, and SUS4 DAW Help every 3 weeks. Most recently, Retro Synth was updated on October 30, 2026 and SUS4 DAW Help on October 31, 2026.

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