# Melthaven vs Retromulator

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Retromulator at none against Melthaven's 1. Retromulator also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Melthaven's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $9.99). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Melthaven costs $2.99 and Retromulator $9.99 up front. Melthaven sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Retromulator asks for nothing beyond the download.

Melthaven ships an update every 6 weeks, Retromulator every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Melthaven | Retromulator |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melthaven/id6761633340/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **4** | — |
| Positive reviews | — | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 23 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [quantovox](https://appshunter.io/developer/484686124) | [DiscoDSP LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1465262828) |

## What reviewers say

### Melthaven

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melthaven/id6761633340)

This app provides a note-triggered phase shifter for guitarists, bassists, and synthesizers. It offers organic, rhythmic movement that syncs to your playing, with analog-modeled filters for diverse sonic textures. Enhance loops or create experimental sounds with its input-dependent modulation.

**Highlights:** Note-triggered phase shifting, Analog-modeled OTA filters, Responds to guitar and bass transients, Enhances pre-recorded loops, Input-dependent synth modulation, Low-latency engine

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Melthaven Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


### Retromulator

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retromulator/id6764767449)

This app recreates legendary vintage synthesizers, samplers, and keyboards through accurate emulation. It functions as a standalone application or an AUv3 plugin, offering classic electronic music hardware sounds on iOS devices.

**Highlights:** Cycle-accurate hardware emulation, AUv3 plugin support, Standalone app functionality, Full MIDI control, ROM firmware loading, Background audio support

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Melthaven free?

Melthaven costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Retromulator free?

Retromulator costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Melthaven or Retromulator have ads?

Neither Melthaven nor Retromulator shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Melthaven or Retromulator?

Melthaven ships an update every 6 weeks, and Retromulator every 3 days. Most recently, Melthaven was updated on September 15, 2026 and Retromulator on September 20, 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.*