# Pentaholic Synth vs PocketTone

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pentaholic Synth at 57% against PocketTone's 0%. Pentaholic Synth also leads on rating (3.8 vs 2.0) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pentaholic Synth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PocketTone sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Pentaholic Synth holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pentaholic Synth has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of Pentaholic Synth's written reviews are positive against 0% of PocketTone's.

Pentaholic Synth ships an update every 6 days, PocketTone every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pentaholic Synth | PocketTone |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentaholic-synth/id6762106586/reviews)** | [2.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pockettone-retro-synth/id6777734137/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **57.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 days** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 21 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Andrew Strickland](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892938530) | [Chih Han Lin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1800248325) |

## What reviewers say

### Pentaholic Synth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentaholic-synth/id6762106586)

This app digitally recreates a classic polyphonic synthesizer, offering authentic sound design and songwriting inspiration. It features a 300-note sequencer, multiple oscillators per voice, and performance controls like a joystick and expression pedal inputs.

**Highlights:** Authentic 5-voice polyphony, 3 oscillators per voice with 8 waveforms, Component-level circuit modeling, Dual ADSR envelopes, 300-note polyphonic sequencer, Joystick and expression pedal support

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Features | $28.00 | one-time |


### PocketTone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pockettone-retro-synth/id6777734137)

This app recreates the experience of a hand-drawn, retro pocket synthesizer. It features a vintage LCD display, slide switches, and chunky buttons, allowing users to play various retro voices, program custom sounds, and jam along to built-in rhythms. Users can also record and share their musical creations.

**Highlights:** Five retro voices (Piano, Flute, Violin, Fantasy, Guitar), Program custom synth voices, Ten built-in rhythms, Sound shaping controls (octave, volume, balance), Tape-style Delay and lo-fi Crush effects, Record and share audio, Melody memory (Auto-Play, One-Key play)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PocketTone Pro | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pentaholic Synth free?

Pentaholic Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PocketTone free?

PocketTone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pentaholic Synth or PocketTone?

Pentaholic Synth is rated higher. Pentaholic Synth averages 3.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while PocketTone averages 2.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Pentaholic Synth or PocketTone have ads?

Neither Pentaholic Synth nor PocketTone shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Pentaholic Synth or PocketTone?

Pentaholic Synth ships an update every 6 days, and PocketTone every 2 months. Most recently, Pentaholic Synth was updated on October 31, 2026 and PocketTone on October 31, 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.*