Comparison

LuSID Synthesizer vs TinyTone

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

Head to head
About

LuSID Synthesizer

Create synthwave music with a powerful, intuitive synthesizer. Features a multi-voice engine, versatile filter, built-in sequencer, and a range of effects. Record and share your creations easily.

Highlights
  • Eight-voice polyphony with unison
  • Audio-rate filter envelope
  • Built-in 4-64 step sequencer
  • Tape-style delay, chorus, distortion, reverb
  • Neon Liquid-Glass interface
  • Record and share WAV files
Features
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LuSID Synthesizer — a SID-inspired SwiftUI synth with a synthwave heart. Eight-voice polyphony with detune-and-spread unison, audio-rate filter envelope, classic SID-flavoured ring modulation and pulse-width modulation, plus a built-in 4 to 64-step sequencer and tape-style delay, chorus, distortion, and lush reverb. Wrapped in a neon Liquid-Glass interface that matches what's playing — magenta sequencer steps that bloom lime when active, a gradient cyan oscilloscope that traces your output in real time, and a synthwave horizon that rolls under the step grid. FOUR TABS SYNTH — oscillator (triangle, sawtooth, square, noise) with PolyBLEP anti-aliasing. Custom Cytomic state-variable filter (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, notch) with drive and self-oscillating resonance. Audio-rate filter envelope. LFO with pitch, cutoff, PWM, and pan destinations. Ring modulation. Distortion (lo-fi, broken, cubed, bitcrush, mangled). Chorus. Delay. Reverb (plate, room, hall, cathedral). Big rotary knobs, all the modulation routing visible. SEQUENCER — 4 to 64 steps. Tap-to-place notes with the chromatic note picker. Per-step ratchets (1x, 2x, 3x) and held-legato notes for gate-length variation. Tempo from 60 to 440 BPM, gate length 5 to 150 percent of step. KEYBOARD — two-octave touch piano with multi-touch chords and slide-to-play, velocity slider, octave switcher (C2 to C6). RECORD — capture everything you hear (filter, drive, delay, reverb, the full chain) to a WAV file in the app's Documents folder, then share via the iOS share sheet. 5 to 60 seconds per take. LuSID is built for the moments when you want to make sound, not learn software. No menus, no preset hunting, no tutorials. Tap a step, sweep a knob, hold a key. The app treats every parameter as performance. NO ACCOUNTS. NO ANALYTICS. NO TRACKING. NO ADS. LuSID does not collect any data, make any network requests, or contain any third-party SDKs. Recordings stay on your device until you choose to share them.

About

TinyTone

Create professional synth patches for music production and live performance. Design sounds in real-time with a powerful synthesizer engine, dual oscillators, and extensive modulation options. Export and import patches, and use it as an AUv3 plugin in DAWs.

Highlights
  • Powerful synthesizer engine
  • Dual oscillators with FM synthesis
  • Real-time audition with touch pads
  • External MIDI keyboard support
  • Unlimited user patch storage
  • AUv3 Audio Unit support
  • JSON export/import for patches
Features
Read full description

TinyTone is a full-featured synthesizer sound source for iPhone sound design, stage performance, and recording. Using the on-screen controllers and a MIDI keyboard, you can design and monitor professional synth patches in real time. In addition to standalone app use, ToneEditor can also be loaded as an AUv3 Audio Unit into DAWs such as GarageBand and used as a sound source. It also works as a sound editor for its sister app, TinyTone, allowing you to reproduce consistent sounds with the same sound engine. <Features> ・Powerful Synthesizer Engine Equipped with dual oscillators, envelopes, filters, modulation, delay, limiter, and more. Enables complex sound design. Dual Oscillators with FM Synthesis, switch between Mix and Chain modes for rich tonal possibilities. ・Real-Time Audition Play single notes, chords, and transposition using touch pads. Hear sound changes instantly as you adjust sliders. External input via MIDI keyboard is also supported. ・Preset Management Unlimited user patch storage. ・JSON Export / Import Export patches as JSON. Share via Files app or clipboard. ・AUv3 Support Can be embedded as an AU instrument in DAWs like GarageBand. Reproduces consistent sounds with the same synthesis engine. <How to Use> 【Standalone】 1. Select a preset or start creating from a new patch. 2. Play sounds using the test pad at the bottom of the screen; adjust parameters with sliders to confirm real-time sound changes. 3. Save your created patch to a user slot. 【Using with DAWs (GarageBand, etc.)】 1. Add TinyTone (AU) to a track. 2. Select a factory preset or saved patch from the AU preset selection screen. 3. Play the DAW keyboard to output sound. <Important> ・When using simultaneously with camera or audio apps, noise may occur depending on your environment. Please be careful with output volume. ・Listening to loud audio for extended periods can affect your hearing. When using headphones or speakers, always check your surroundings and volume level. ・Some DAWs (e.g. Ableton Live 11) may not detect iOS-app AUv3 plug-ins. Logic Pro, MainStage, and GarageBand are recommended. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://flicker-jp.com/privacy

Screenshots

LuSID Synthesizer4 screens
TinyTone3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TinyTone at weekly against LuSID Synthesizer's every 2 months. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for LuSID Synthesizer against 5.0 for TinyTone. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LuSID Synthesizer ships an update every 2 months, TinyTone weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
LuSID Synthesizer versus TinyTone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLuSID SynthesizerTinyTone
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.417.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLukasz PomianekKEISUKE TONE

Customer experience

LuSID Synthesizer

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

TinyTone

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

LuSID Synthesizer

No in-app purchases

None

TinyTone

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LuSID Synthesizer free?
LuSID Synthesizer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is TinyTone free?
TinyTone is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LuSID Synthesizer or TinyTone?
LuSID Synthesizer and TinyTone are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do LuSID Synthesizer or TinyTone have ads?
Neither LuSID Synthesizer nor TinyTone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LuSID Synthesizer or TinyTone?
LuSID Synthesizer ships an update every 2 months, and TinyTone weekly. Most recently, LuSID Synthesizer was updated on October 9, 2026 and TinyTone on October 10, 2026.

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