Comparison

Degenson vs Aria

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

Head to head
About

Degenson

Create distorted percussion, hypnotic sequences, and aggressive sounds with this raw virtual analog drum machine. It offers six voices, dual LFOs, and fast hands-on control for electronic music production.

Highlights
  • Virtual analog drum machine
  • Distorted percussion
  • Hypnotic sequences
  • Aggressive sound design
  • Six voices
  • Dual LFOs
  • Hands-on control
Features
Read full description

Degenson is a raw virtual analog drum machine built for distorted percussion, hypnotic sequences and aggressive sound design. Six voices, dual LFOs and fast hands-on control for techno, EBM and experimental production. Now it's also an AUv3 plugin: run Degenson inside your favorite iOS host — GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, Drambo and more — perfectly in sync with your project tempo. • Six punchy virtual-analog voices with analogue-style decay — percussive across most of the knob, opening into an infinite drone at the top • Full MIDI: notes trigger the voices, every knob responds to a fixed MIDI CC, and the sequencer can be bypassed to play live from any controller • Melodic mode: each octave maps the six voices and transposes them, so you can play the drums tuned across the keyboard • Fast, tactile step sequencer with per-step control and dual LFOs for evolving, hypnotic patterns • Crunch Verb: a gritty master reverb with Mix, Decay and Crunch — the tail degrades as it fades Free to play. The optional Pro upgrade unlocks the AUv3 plugin for use in your DAW and WAV export for bouncing your patterns.

About

Aria

Create, edit, and play back musical scores on your iPhone or iPad. This app supports MuseScore and MusicXML files, offering intuitive touch controls for note entry and playback. Organize your library, manage parts, and export your compositions in various formats.

Highlights
  • Create and edit music scores
  • Play back compositions
  • Support for MuseScore and MusicXML
  • Intuitive touch controls
  • Manage individual parts
  • Export in multiple formats
Features
Read full description

Aria is a notation editor for iPhone and iPad that lets you create, edit, and play back MuseScore files on the go. Open existing MuseScore and MusicXML files, make changes with intuitive touch-based notation controls, play back your score, organize your library, manage individual parts, and export your music when you’re ready to share. Built for musicians who want a lightweight, mobile-friendly way to review, create, and revise scores wherever they are. Features: * Open mcz and MusicXML score files * Create new scores from templates * Edit notes enter notes with touch controls, Apple Pencil, or Midi controller * Play back scores locally * View and manage individual parts * Export and share your work, as Mscz, Pdf, MusiXML, audio, and more.. Aria is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by MuseScore, Muse Group, or any related project. Aria is open-source software licensed under the GNU GPLv3. Source code, license notices, and build instructions are available here: https://github.com/hdi200/aria

Screenshots

Degenson3 screens
Aria4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Aria at every 2 days against Degenson's every 2 weeks. Aria also leads on ratings volume (30 vs 8). Degenson's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Degenson sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Aria sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Degenson holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Degenson's written reviews are positive against 86% of Aria's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Degenson ships an update every 2 weeks, Aria every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Degenson versus Aria: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDegensonAria
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (8 ratings) — better4.8 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better85.7% of reviews
Number of ratings830 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB278 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFabrizio AlvitiJack Gruber

Customer experience

Degenson

All ratings8 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Aria

All ratings30 ratings
Positive96.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative3.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Degenson

One-time1
  • Degenson Pro Upgrade$7.99
1 purchases

Aria

One-time1
  • Aria Full Access$9.99

Questions

Is Degenson free?
Degenson is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Aria free?
Aria is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Degenson or Aria?
Degenson is rated higher. Degenson averages 5.0 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Aria averages 4.8 from 30 ratings.
Do Degenson or Aria have ads?
Neither Degenson nor Aria shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Degenson or Aria?
Degenson ships an update every 2 weeks, and Aria every 2 days. Most recently, Degenson was updated on October 24, 2026 and Aria on October 25, 2026.

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