Phawuo vs Dub Filter
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Phawuo
Create unique bass sounds and effects with this virtual analog synthesizer. It offers "dirty" oscillators, a versatile filter, and a range of modulation and effects options for experimental sound design.
- Monophonic virtual-analog synth
- "Dirty" oscillators with two modes
- Distortion and feedback ring modulation
- 24 dB/octave state-variable filter
- Dual ADSR envelopes
- LFO modulation
- Delay, frequency shifter, and reverb effects
- Audiobus and Inter-App Audio support
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Phawuo is an experimental monophonic virtual-analog synth with "dirty" oscillators. Good for bass sound and effects. New in version 3: - OSC support - AUv3 - Available for macOS (as a separate version); presets can be shared across devices It features: - Two special oscillators. Each one has two modes playing more rough (though antialiased waveforms with inharmonicity in higher pitches) or "cheezy" sound. Plays sawtooth / square waveform and is capable of pulse width modulation. - distortion and feedback ring modulation for each oscillator - 24 dB/octave state-variable filter (LP-BP-HP) - two ADSR envelopes for amplitude and filter - LFO to modulate the frequency and pulse width of oscillators' waveforms - Effects section: two channels of delay + frequency shifter with feedback with some flexible routing. Also includes basic reverb - Precise parameter editing: tap and hold finger on the slider. - Audiobus support. Now you can stream live audio directly to other Audiobus-compatible apps! See http://audiob.us for more information. - Inter-App Audio support - Background audio support: enabled when connected to Audiobus and user switchable otherwise. - CoreMIDI support - virtual midi input
Dub Filter
This audio plugin emulates a legendary vintage high-pass filter, offering eleven frequency steps and controls for resonance, magnetism, character, dynamics, and artifacts. It includes LFO and Envelope Follower modulation sources for creative sound design.
- Vintage high-pass filter emulation
- Eleven frequency steps
- Adjustable resonance
- Magnetism, Character, Dynamics, Artifacts controls
- LFO modulation
- Envelope Follower modulation
- Standalone and AUv3 formats
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Dub Filter is a filter plugin modeled after King Tubby’s iconic Big Knob, a passive high-pass filter with eleven frequency steps from 70Hz to 7.5KHz. This filter defined the sound of the entire "roots" era of Jamaican music. On top of the main stepped Frequency knob and the Impedance (resonance), the filter also offers control over its behavior including Magnetism, Character, Dynamics, and Artefacts controls. We have also included two modulation sources, LFO and Envelope Follower, to enhance the creative possibilities of the plugin, from rhythmic pulsations to organic filter movements. Available as Standalone and AUv3.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Phawuo at $2.99 against Dub Filter's $14.99. Phawuo also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 15 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). Dub Filter's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On ratings volume, 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
Phawuo costs $2.99 and Dub Filter $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Dub Filter holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Phawuo's written reviews are positive against 100% of Dub Filter's.
Phawuo ships an update every 3 weeks, Dub Filter every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Phawuo | Dub Filter |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 — better | $14.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (13 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 15 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 21 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Alexey Nadzharov | AudioThing Ltd. |
Customer experience
Phawuo
Dub Filter
In-app purchases
Phawuo
No in-app purchases
Dub Filter
No in-app purchases









