Comparison

Clockworks vs Patchsynth

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

Head to head
About

Clockworks

Create complex polyrhythms visually by layering geometric shapes on a clockface. Explore diverse instruments, scales, and effects to generate intricate musical patterns without needing music theory knowledge. Export your creations as MIDI, audio, or sheet music.

Highlights
  • Visual polyrhythm creation
  • Layered shape system
  • 10 sampled instruments
  • Built-in drum kits
  • Dozens of scales
  • Scene-based arrangement
  • Export to MIDI, WAV, PDF
Features
Read full description

Clockworks turns rhythm into geometry. Build polyrhythms by layering rotating shapes on a clockface — each shape's sides become evenly-spaced beats, so a triangle and a pentagon played together weave intricate cross-rhythms with zero math. • Layer multiple shapes, each its own voice • 10 instruments — sampled piano, e-piano, guitars, plus synth keys, organ, marimba, vibes and more • Built-in drum kits with a step sequencer • Dozens of scales across many categories for instant melodic results • Scene-based arrangement to evolve your loop over time • Pro FX: 3-band EQ and BPM-synced echo • Export to MIDI, audio (WAV), or sheet music PDF No theory required — just add shapes and listen.

About

Patchsynth

Features
Read full description

Patchsynth is a Eurorack-style modular synthesizer for iPhone and iPad — and a place to actually learn how modular synthesis works, one patch cable at a time. Instead of a fixed synth engine with knobs, you build your own instrument by dragging cables between modules: oscillators into filters, envelopes into amplifiers, LFOs wobbling anything you point them at. If you've ever wanted to understand what a Eurorack rig actually does, this is the fastest way in. LEARN BY PATCHING, NOT BY READING 28 hands-on Lessons cover every module, from your first oscillator to full generative patches — some just explain, others build a real patch step-by-step in front of you as you tap "Next." No prior synthesis knowledge required. TRAIN YOUR EAR 15 Challenges hide a patch and play it for you — your job is to rebuild it by ear, with hints if you get stuck. A genuinely fun way to internalize how filters, envelopes, and modulation actually sound. 21 REAL MODULES Oscillator · Filter · VCA · ADSR Envelope · LFO · Noise · Delay · Reverb · Mixer · Sequencer · Arpeggiator · Clock · Attenuverter · Quantizer · Slew Limiter · Sample & Hold · Logic · Ring Modulator · Sampler · Keyboard · Output (with a live oscilloscope) Record your own sounds with the Sampler, or use the built-in factory drum kit. Quantize any CV to a musical scale. Chain multiple clocks for polyrhythms. It's a real modular rig, just without the cables costing $30 each. 70+ FACTORY PATCHES From simple bass and pad sounds to sprawling, 20+ module "flagship" patches — browse them, load them, take them apart to see how they're wired, then make them your own. PLAY IT WITH REAL GEAR Full MIDI support over Bluetooth or USB — plug in any MIDI keyboard or controller and play your patch's Keyboard module directly, no setup beyond pairing. BUILT FOR TOUCH, NOT PORTED FROM DESKTOP Every interaction — dragging cables, turning knobs, panning and zooming a big patch — is designed for a phone screen from the ground up. A dedicated Patch Bay view even gives you a spreadsheet-style matrix of every connection when patches get complex. Undo and redo everything. Save as many patches as you like. No ads, no in-app purchases, no internet connection required — just synthesis.

Screenshots

Clockworks4 screens
Patchsynth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Clockworks at Free against Patchsynth's $7.99. Clockworks also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). 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

Clockworks is free to download; Patchsynth costs $7.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Clockworks versus Patchsynth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterClockworksPatchsynth
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDylan CantorMartin Adler

In-app purchases

None

Clockworks

No in-app purchases

None

Patchsynth

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Clockworks free?
Clockworks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Patchsynth free?
Patchsynth costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Clockworks or Patchsynth have ads?
Neither Clockworks nor Patchsynth shows ads.

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