Comparison

Patterning vs EffectDeck

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

Head to head
About

Patterning

This music creation app offers a circular drum machine with a powerful sequencer. It's free to download and includes a vast library of drum kits and effects. Unlock advanced production and sync tools through an in-app purchase or a monthly subscription.

Highlights
  • Circular drum machine interface
  • Powerful sequencer engine
  • Extensive drum kit library
  • Built-in effects and mixing
  • Song mode for arrangement
  • Audio and MIDI export options
  • Ableton Link and MIDI sync
Read full description

Patterning is a circular drum machine that is both intuitive and deep. Built on the powerful sequencer engine of "Patterning 3: Drum Machine," this new iPhone version bottles the energy and excitement of our flagship instrument for the small screen. Free to download and make music with. The full sequencer, drum kits and sampler, effects and mixing, project saving, and access to nearly 800 drum kits are all included. "Patterning Studio" is an in-app purchase that unlocks production and sync tools for life : - AUv3 : Run Patterning as an instrument plugin. - Song Mode : chain patterns into full songs - Unlimited access to over 800 free drumkits. - Audio export as stereo or multitrack stems (WAV or AIFF) - Ableton Live Set export, with a free Ableton Live 12 Lite license - MIDI file export - MIDI output to hardware and your DAW - Ableton Link - Link Audio : send stereo or multitrack audio wirelessly to Ableton Live. - MIDI clock send/receive Patterning Studio is offered at a discounted price for existing owners of "Patterning for iPhone." Alternately, you can subscribe to Patterning+ and unlock all current and any future features on a monthly basis.

About

EffectDeck

Process audio from any app with a customizable chain of effects. Add built-in, AUv3, or custom JSFX plugins. Share your audio chains and scripts easily.

Highlights
  • 100+ built-in audio effects
  • JSFX script support
  • AUv3 plugin integration
  • Custom impulse responses
  • Audio analysis tools
  • Preset management
  • Chain and script sharing
Features
Read full description

EffectDeck puts an effect chain on the audio other apps are already playing, and the effects you can put in it are not limited to the ones it ships with. Pick EffectDeck as the output in Control Center, then open the app and build a chain. No virtual cable, no routing to set up, nothing to configure first. Start from over 100 of EffeTune's effects, running unmodified: the same DSP code EffeTune runs on the desktop and on the web. Add the AUv3 plug-ins already on your device and your own impulse responses. When the effect you want does not exist, write it as a JSFX script, and it goes into the chain like any other effect. WHAT YOU GET - Over 100 built-in effects: EQ, dynamics, saturation, modulation, reverb, delay, spatial, lo-fi and restoration - JSFX effects: import a script from Files, a link or the clipboard. Each gets its own sliders and, if it draws, its own display - AUv3 effect plug-ins installed on your iPhone or iPad - Convolution reverb with your own impulse responses, and AutoEQ profiles for the 15-band EQ - Analyzers you can drop into the chain: spectrum, spectrogram, oscilloscope, level and stereo meters - Presets from EffeTune, plus your own presets in folders - Share a chain or a JSFX script as a link, and open the links others send you - A two-column layout on iPad - Oversampling at 48, 96 or 192 kHz, with latency and CPU shown while it runs HOW IT WORKS iOS 27 lets an app present itself as an audio output device. EffectDeck appears in Control Center next to your speaker and headphones. Choose it, and the audio from the player you are using is handed over, processed, and played back on the same device. Apps that never report themselves as playing, most games among them, keep going straight to the speaker. The audio never leaves the device, and nothing is collected. If you are signed in to iCloud, your presets and chain follow you to your other devices. The effects are EffeTune by Yoshiyuki Kobayashi (MIT). This app is a separate project and is not affiliated with EffeTune. The name was changed at the upstream author's request.

Screenshots

Patterning4 screens
EffectDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: EffectDeck at none against Patterning's 3. EffectDeck also leads on review sentiment (75% vs 67%). Patterning's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (17.6 vs 27.0). On price, ratings volume, update cadence 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. Patterning sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. EffectDeck asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Patterning holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 10 and 9 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Patterning's written reviews are positive against 75% of EffectDeck's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Patterning ships an update every 3 days, EffectDeck every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Patterning versus EffectDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPatterningEffectDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (10 ratings) — better4.8 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings10 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS17.6 — better27.0
Further details — not scored
Size94 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOlympia Noise Co.Masahiro Sato

Customer experience

Patterning

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

EffectDeck

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Patterning

Subscriptions1
  • Patterning+$1.991 Month
One-time2
  • Patterning Studio Upgrade$7.99
  • Studio Pack (Lifetime)$12.99
None

EffectDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Patterning free?
Patterning is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is EffectDeck free?
EffectDeck is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Patterning or EffectDeck?
Patterning is rated higher. Patterning averages 5.0 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while EffectDeck averages 4.8 from 9 ratings.
Do Patterning or EffectDeck have ads?
Neither Patterning nor EffectDeck shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Patterning or EffectDeck?
Patterning ships an update every 3 days, and EffectDeck every 2 days. Most recently, Patterning was updated on October 13, 2026 and EffectDeck on October 10, 2026.

Other comparisons