# Vaporloop vs 1981 FM

The clearest difference is price: 1981 FM at Free against Vaporloop's $1.99. Vaporloop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#94 vs unranked). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

1981 FM is free to download; Vaporloop costs $1.99 up front. 1981 FM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Vaporloop asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Vaporloop against 5.0 for 1981 FM. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Vaporloop | 1981 FM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaporloop/id6798436327/reviews) | [5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1981-fm-80s-track-generator/id6805325447/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 3 | 3 |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#94** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scott Hsiung](https://appshunter.io/developer/6798436329) | [Soft Brew Mobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/561703410) |

## What reviewers say

### Vaporloop

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vaporloop/id6798436327)

**Currently charting:** #94 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Transform any audio into a unique generative instrument. Manipulate sound with granular time-stretching, independent pitch and tempo control, and a suite of character and mixing effects. Record and export your creations in various high-quality formats.

**Highlights:** Granular time-stretch engine, Independent pitch and tempo control, Tape wear and warble effects, Pitch and speed LFOs, Parametric EQ and reverb, Delay with tap tempo, Import various audio/video formats, Export WAV, MP3, AIFF

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### 1981 FM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/1981-fm-80s-track-generator/id6805325447)

This app generates complete, unique musical tracks using chaotic mathematical principles. It offers various styles, modes, and keys, with customizable FM synth sounds and effects. Tracks can be recreated using seeds and exported via MIDI.

**Highlights:** Chaos-driven track generation, Four-operator FM synth engine, Multiple musical styles and modes, MIDI export and input, Customizable effects (chorus, delay, reverb), Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| AUv3 Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Vaporloop free?

Vaporloop costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is 1981 FM free?

1981 FM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Vaporloop or 1981 FM?

Vaporloop and 1981 FM are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 3 and 3 ratings respectively.

### Do Vaporloop or 1981 FM have ads?

Neither Vaporloop nor 1981 FM shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Vaporloop or 1981 FM?

Vaporloop ships an update every 2 weeks, and 1981 FM every 2 weeks. Most recently, Vaporloop was updated on October 25, 2026 and 1981 FM on October 24, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*