Comparison

Waveguide Flute vs Gelato Synth

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

Head to head
About

Waveguide Flute

Features
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Waveguide Flute turns your iPad or iPhone into a physically modeled wind instrument — a Cook/STK-style waveguide flute you play from an on-screen piano roll or a MIDI wind controller (EWI). FEATURES • Authentic waveguide physical modeling — not a sample library • Deep Sound page: shape jet ratio, reflection, loop damping, noise, and more • Expression controls for live performance: blow intensity, breathiness, pitch bend, auto-vibrato • Built-in reverb with 7 factory spaces • On-screen piano roll with velocity and breath control • Full MIDI support — notes, breath (CC#2), pitch bend • Compatible with Akai EWI and other MIDI wind controllers that send breath and pitch bend • Remembers your last settings, with one-tap reset to defaults • Bluetooth MIDI support, plus a configurable Breath Control input (Mod Wheel or custom CC) for keyboard players without a wind controller Play it like a real wind instrument: breathe into the sound, bend pitch, add vibrato — all rendered by a genuine physical model, not recordings.

About

Gelato Synth

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Gelato Synth is a chunky, friendly synthesizer for iPhone. Pick a sound, tap the big pads, and it sounds good straight away, because every note is already in key. NEVER PLAY A WRONG NOTE Choose a key and a scale and the pads rebuild themselves. Every button is a note that fits. Slide across them, hold them, stack them. You cannot hit a clunker. MAKE A SOUND THAT IS YOURS Real FM synthesis with two oscillators, noise, an envelope, a filter, an LFO and effects, all on big sliders you can understand. Watch the wave change on the scope as you move them. Start from one of 52 sounds or from a blank slate. PLAY CHORDS WITH A BUTTON Switch to Chords and the pads become the chords of your key: triads, sevenths, ninths, sus and power chords. Whole chords under every finger. RECORD YOUR IDEA Tap record for a quick take, or set a tempo and a beat and loop it. Add another layer on top with +1, up to eight, each with its own sound. Mute, balance and share the mix. BUILD YOUR LIBRARY Save the sounds you make into My Sounds and they are there next time. Drop your own drum hits into the Files app and the beats use them. WHAT IS FREE Notes mode with every scale, a handful of sounds in each category with all the sliders, and quick record. THE FULL LIBRARY One purchase, yours forever: chord buttons, every sound, the loop recorder with beats and layers, and saving your own sounds. No subscription, no ads, no account. Gelato Synth is made by a tiny team who wanted a synth their friends could pick up without a manual. Questions and ideas: hello@gelatoaudio.com

Screenshots

Waveguide Flute2 screens
Gelato Synth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Waveguide Flute at none against Gelato Synth's 1. Gelato Synth's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Gelato Synth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Waveguide Flute asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Waveguide Flute ships an update every 3 days, Gelato Synth daily. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
Waveguide Flute versus Gelato Synth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWaveguide FluteGelato Synth
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTomonori YamasakiCerrone LLC

In-app purchases

None

Waveguide Flute

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Gelato Synth

One-time1
  • Full Gelato Synth$4.99

Questions

Is Waveguide Flute free?
Waveguide Flute is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Gelato Synth free?
Gelato Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Waveguide Flute or Gelato Synth have ads?
Neither Waveguide Flute nor Gelato Synth shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Waveguide Flute or Gelato Synth?
Waveguide Flute ships an update every 3 days, and Gelato Synth daily. Most recently, Waveguide Flute was updated on October 6, 2026 and Gelato Synth on October 3, 2026.

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