Comparison

Saws All vs 4Comp

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

Head to head
About

Saws All

Features
Read full description

It started as an amusing idea: an 8-channel drone engine that only uses sawtooth waves called the Saws All. With trigger lengths, timing controls, and extended LFOs, the drone engine quickly became a canvas for ambient soundscapes, arps, and chords. That inspired a new challenge: create an 8-channel drum synth that uses sawtooths instead of sine waves, powered by beat probability for manageable randomness instead of a standard step sequencer. Finally, a fuzzy mono-synth was born and split into two faces—bass and lead—to fill in the gaps. The project officially evolved into something beyond expectation. Saws All is a beautiful-sounding sawtooth groovebox with a quirky workflow and a massive amount of character. Spend hours playing with drones and exploring melodic polyrhythms and percussive chaos. -The Engine & Features- • Sawtooth Drone Engine: 8 independent channels that can drone endlessly or trigger for set lengths and rests. Set different waiting periods across channels to generate lush, complex polyrhythms. Shape your sound with bitcrushing, delay, and 6 LFOs per channel (pitch, panning, filter, plus 2 customizable slots) to craft gliding drones, arps, chords, and wild effect rhythms. • Probability Drum Synth: 8 channels of physical drum modeling driven by beat probability for the perfect blend of groove and evolving randomness, replacing the rigid loops of a standard step sequencer. • Dual Fuzz Synths: Dedicated Bass and Lead mono-synths with virtual keybeds and dynamic pitch ribbons to fill out your low-end and melodies. • Performance Mode: Customize macro pads on the fly to trigger live FX, tape stops, stutters, and more using the universal recorder. • Song Mode: Save scenes, arrange full songs, and bounce your tracks directly to high-quality audio files. • Share Your Sounds: Export and share individual scenes, drum models, or entire projects with friends using lightweight JSON files. • Pro Mode: Turn off the guardrails. Take parameters deeper and bypass factory limits with manual value inputs. -Interactive Audio-Worlds- Kick back, close your eyes, and listen to your creation—or dive into our unique, interactive visualizers designed specifically for this app. Play games, watch dance-offs and slug-hunting ant colonies, or launch fireworks. Every world reacts and syncs perfectly to your music's tempo, frequencies, and individual channels. No ads. No subscriptions. All local. All private. Get lost in saws.

About

4Comp

This audio plugin offers four distinct analog-style compressor models (FET, VCA, Optical, Vari-Mu), each with its own sound and interface. It provides advanced features like stereo linking, sidechain filtering, and real-time transfer curve visualization.

Highlights
  • Four analog compressor models (FET, VCA, Optical, Vari-Mu)
  • Unique DSP engine and interface for each model
  • Live transfer curve visualization
  • Stereo link and sidechain high-pass filter
  • Dry/wet mix and auto make-up gain
  • 17 presets included
  • 0-sample latency
Features
Read full description

Four analog-style compressors in one AUv3 plugin: FET, VCA, Optical and Vari-Mu. Each is its own DSP engine with its own sound, and the whole interface — face, knobs, meters — changes to match the one you pick. New in 1.1: tap ? for a quick start and a guide to each model, and watch the live transfer curve on VCA. FET Fast gain reduction from a feedback detector, with an all-buttons mode. Hi-hats, drum buses, spiky guitars. Ice-blue face. VCA Bus glue with program-dependent AUTO release. Tames transients and spikes without grabbing. Crimson face. Optical Smooth, level-dependent release from a modelled photocell — the cell's light memory. Vocals, brass, strings. Electroluminescent-green face. Vari-Mu A ratio that rises with level, plus harmonic colour that thickens thin tracks. Mix bus and mastering. Brass face. Four separate DSP paths Each model is its own compressor engine rather than a preset over one circuit: feedback FET, two-stage VCA, photocell release, rising-ratio tube. Switch faceplates mid-session and the plugin animates to the new model's look. Complement it Stereo link (Linked or Dual Mono), sidechain high-pass, dry/wet mix, input/output and auto make-up gain, a gain-reduction meter styled for each model and 17 presets. Real-time-safe DSP, 0-sample latency by default. Works in GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Loopy Pro and other AUv3 hosts on iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

Saws All4 screens
4Comp4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: 4Comp at $4.99 against Saws All's $9.99. Saws All's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). On 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

Saws All costs $9.99 and 4Comp $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Saws All versus 4Comp: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSaws All4Comp
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperANCIENT APPARATUS LLCNATHAN THOMAS MATHIS

In-app purchases

None

Saws All

No in-app purchases

None

4Comp

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Saws All free?
Saws All costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 4Comp free?
4Comp costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Saws All or 4Comp have ads?
Neither Saws All nor 4Comp shows ads.

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