Comparison

moForte Guitar vs variStretch

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

Head to head
About

moForte Guitar

This virtual guitar app uses physical modeling to replicate the expressive sound and performance techniques of a real electric guitar. It offers a vast chord library, customizable effects, and recording capabilities for musicians.

Highlights
  • Physical modeling sound engine
  • Strumming and PowerChord modes
  • Modeled feedback and distortion
  • 9,500+ chords
  • Customizable effects chain
  • Recording and sharing performances
  • Chart creation tool
Features
Read full description

The Classic moForte Guitar, introduced in 2012, is the first virtual guitar based on modeling the physics and performance techniques of the guitar. Because the moForte Guitar is modeled rather than based on playing back samples, the performance experience is uniquely expressive and interactive. Based on based on the Physical Modeling research of Dr. Julius O. Smith III of Stanford/CCRMA. Features include: - Strumming and PowerChord modes. - Modeled feedback and distortion like a real metal guitar. - A selection of models for popular types of electric guitars. - Recording and sharing of performances. - 9,500+ chords. - Powerful authoring tool for chart creation - supports custom chords and effect presets. - Modeled guitar articulations including: harmonics, pinch harmonics, slides, palm muting, string scraping, damping and auto-strum. - Fully programmable effects chain including: distortion, compression, wah, auto wah, 4-band parametric EQ, phaser, flanger, reverb and amplifier. iOS/iPadOS 13.7 or better

About

variStretch

This app allows real-time audio speed manipulation without altering pitch. It offers three distinct playback modes and adjustable buffer settings for precise control over sound processing.

Highlights
  • Real-time speed adjustment (0.5-2.0x)
  • Tape mode (speed & pitch change)
  • Phase Vocoder mode (speed only)
  • Adjustable buffer size
  • Buffer clear function
  • AUv3 host compatibility
Read full description

Concept: The app is a so-called time-stretch machine. The user can change the speed (0.5-2.0) of audio source in real-time using keyboard or slider at will. Usage: There are three play modes: 1) Tape (to change the both speed & pitch) 2) Phase Vocoder (to change the speed alone) 3) Thru (no processing) "Buffer Size" slider determines how long the data will be stored. "Buffer Clear" button will reset the buffer to be zero. System Requirements: AUv3 host

Screenshots

moForte Guitar4 screens
variStretch2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: variStretch at none against moForte Guitar's 10. moForte Guitar's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months) and price ($3.99 vs $5.99). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

moForte Guitar costs $3.99 and variStretch $5.99 up front. moForte Guitar sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. variStretch asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for moForte Guitar against 5.0 for variStretch. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

moForte Guitar ships an update every 2 months, variStretch every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
moForte Guitar versus variStretch: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermoForte GuitarvariStretch
Price$3.99 — better$5.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 7 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.712.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size57 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DevelopermoForte.comSatoshi Kajii

Customer experience

moForte Guitar

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews25 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative20.0%

variStretch

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

7 purchases

moForte Guitar

One-time7
  • Rising Sun Blues2 variantsFree
  • Mountain Aire2 variantsFree
  • Thor's Hammer2 variantsFree
Show 4 more
  • Loki's LamentFree
  • Odious OdinFree
  • Star Spangled Banner Pack$1.99
  • Bourrée in E minor$1.99
None

variStretch

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is moForte Guitar free?
moForte Guitar costs $3.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is variStretch free?
variStretch costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, moForte Guitar or variStretch?
moForte Guitar and variStretch are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do moForte Guitar or variStretch have ads?
Neither moForte Guitar nor variStretch shows ads.
Which is updated more often, moForte Guitar or variStretch?
moForte Guitar ships an update every 2 months, and variStretch every 7 months. Most recently, moForte Guitar was updated on November 1, 2026 and variStretch on October 30, 2026.

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