Caustic vs AudioKit Retro Piano
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Caustic
Create music with a virtual synthesizer and sampler rig. Build your sound by adding up to 14 machines, including synths and drum machines. Features a mixer, effects, and a song sequencer for real-time audio production.
- Virtual analog subtractive synthesizer
- Multi-sample wave synthesizer
- Sampling drum machine
- Effects rack with 20 effect types
- Mixer desk with EQ and effects
- Song sequencer
- AudioBus and AudioCopy/Paste support
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Caustic 3 is a music creation tool inspired by rack-mount synthesizer/sampler rigs. Everything is real-time and optimized for mobile devices. Create your rack by adding up to 14 machines from a choice of: * Subsynth - Virtual analog subtractive synthesizer * PCMSynth - Multi-sample wave synthesizer * BassLine - 303-like monosynth * BeatBox - 8-channel sampling drum machine * PadSynth - Harmonic table pad synthesizer * 8BitSynth - 8bit equation solver synthesizer * Modular - Fully configurable and routable synthesizer * Organ - Tonewheel organ with rotary speaker * Vocoder - 8-band harmonic vocoder * FMSynth - DX-style 3-operator fm synthesizer * KSSynth - Karplus-Strong string modeling synthesizer * SawSynth - Supersaw-type synthesizer The app also includes: * Effects rack supporting 2 effects per machine (20 effect types). * Mixer desk with EQ, panning and global Delay/Reverb effects. * Master section with effect slots, parametric EQ and limiter. * Song sequencer AudioBus support for Input and Output slots. AudioCopy Paste + AudioShare support for import and export. Supports automation recording on most controls and includes powerful editors for modifying automation curves. Users can record their own WAV files for use in the PCMSynth, BeatBox, and Vocoder or import files through iTunes file sharing, ACP, AudioShare, or the built-in FTP server. Supports all uncompressed WAV files (8-16-24-32bit, any sampling rate). The PCMSynth can also load SoundFont files (.sf2), SFZ and FL/Xewton instruments (.instr, .ZIP) "Open In.." import support for all preset types, .WAV, .SF2 and .MID. (MIDI (.mid) files can be imported as raw sequencer note data.) Supports CoreMIDI and virtual MIDI for note, velocity and CC data. (be sure to set "Enable background audio" in advanced options to use virtual MIDI) See the in-app help section for dozens of informative tutorial videos and full online manual. There is also a FREE (full version) PC/Mac version available for download on the product website. Come visit www.singlecellsoftware.com to download more presets, request features, share your tracks and hear what others are creating with Caustic 3. Works on iPhone/iPod but iPad is recommended.
AudioKit Retro Piano
Create vintage and modern piano sounds with this synthesizer app. It offers lo-fi effects, custom vinyl noise, and a stacked synth for unique vibes. Express yourself with simple controls and a big sound in a small package.
- Lo-fi and modern piano sounds
- Custom vinyl noise and crush effects
- Stacked vintage synth pads
- Standalone app and AUv3 plugin
- MIDI keyboard support
- Universal iPhone & iPad app
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Super beautiful vintage piano. This wonderful Piano can sound Lo-Fi or modern and clean. Sounds great in a mix, or used alone. ++ You can even use it with a MIDI Keyboard or iOS host. ++ Big Piano Sound, small size! The entire app is under 70mb on most devices. Perfect for pro sound on the go! "Love the way it sounds… Vinyl noise and crush, Dope!" – Circuit Brent, 12-Bit Soul Express yourself. Create your signature retro piano sound. Simple controls allow you to create an emotional vibe for your music. Big sound, small space! 500mb of samples compressed to 50mb for space-saving expressive keys. Plus custom Vinyl noise to give it a "Sampled" sound. PLUS, we stacked the piano with a vintage synth for a perfect pairing of piano and synth pads. Creates retro feelings, vibes, and sounds. Easily make lo-fi and nostalgic sounds! FEATURES: + Includes both iPhone & iPad version for one low price! + Standalone app & AUv3 Plug-in + Vinyl Record warble speed & depth + Universal: Get both iPhone & iPad versions for life, free + Multiple velocities: Use an external MIDI piano keyboard for expressive sounds + 40+ Original Vinyl Noise samples + Crush, Distortion, and special sauce + Tremolo, Reverb, and other cool FX! + Works great as an AU plugin in GarageBand, Cubasis 3, BM3, NS2, AUM, Auria Pro, and more + Oh yeah, it sounds really, really good! This app is can be dirty, distorted, noisy and lo-fi sounding piano! Subscribe to access to premium app features; subscription details are the following: - Length: weekly or yearly - Free trial: only on selected subscriptions - Your payment will be charged to your iTunes Account as soon as you confirm your purchase - You can manage your subscriptions and turn off auto-renewal from your Account Settings after the purchase - Your subscription will renew automatically, unless you turn off auto-renew at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - The cost of renewal will be charged to your account in the 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - When canceling a subscription, your subscription will stay active until the end of the period. Auto-renewal will be disabled, but the current subscription will not be refunded - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when purchasing a subscription Terms & Conditions: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Retro-Piano-Terms-Conditions-150cf6557a0880cd9ce8d0cbf30b44e8?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Retro-Piano-Terms-Conditions-150cf6557a0880cd9ce8d0cbf30b44e8?pvs=21) Privacy Policy: [https://magic-cake-e95.notion.site/AudioKit-Retro-Piano-Privacy-Policy-150cf6557a0880b0a559e2fd23f56d4a?pvs=4](https://www.notion.so/AudioKit-Retro-Piano-Privacy-Policy-150cf6557a0880b0a559e2fd23f56d4a?pvs=21) NOTE: This app has no official affiliation with AudioKit Pro, LLC. It was built using the free AudioKit source code.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: AudioKit Retro Piano at Free against Caustic's $9.99. AudioKit Retro Piano also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.6) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 4 months). Caustic's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On ratings volume 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
AudioKit Retro Piano is free to download; Caustic costs $9.99 up front. AudioKit Retro Piano sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Caustic asks for nothing beyond the download.
AudioKit Retro Piano holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 179 and 158 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Caustic's written reviews are positive against 68% of AudioKit Retro Piano's.
Caustic ships an update every 4 months, AudioKit Retro Piano every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Caustic | AudioKit Retro Piano |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $9.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.6 (179 ratings) | 4.3 (158 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 57.8% of reviews | 68.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 179 — better | 158 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 13.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 52 MB | 109 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Rejean Poirier | Audiobus Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
Caustic
AudioKit Retro Piano
User reviews
Caustic
From 179 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful and feature-rich
- 👍 Intuitive workflow
- 🎨 Excellent sound quality
- 💸 Great value for money
Room to improve
- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔇 No Bluetooth audio support
- 📁 Difficulty accessing/exporting files
- 🔧 Needs more updates and bug fixes
AudioKit Retro Piano
From 158 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎵 Beautiful, warm, and rich piano sounds
- ✨ Excellent presets with creative variety
- 🎛️ Simple and intuitive interface
- 🆓 Free or affordable pricing (original release)
- 🔌 AUv3 audio unit support
Room to improve
- 💰 Changed to subscription model ($2.99/month)
- 🔒 Added user tracking/spyware concerns
- 🌐 Now requires internet connection
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability
- 🔊 Audio clipping and distortion issues
Bugs and requests
Caustic
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes and freezes on newer iPhones
- Interface scaling problems on larger screens
- Unresponsive controls in certain scenarios
Requested features
4 requests- Bluetooth audio support
- Improved file management and export options
- More synth/instrument options
- Expanded effects and mixing capabilities
AudioKit Retro Piano
Reported bugs
13 issues- Infinite loading screen on startup
- Crashes when used as AU in GarageBand and other DAWs
- MIDI keyboard input not recognized
- Audio unit extension not appearing in DAW options
- Presets revert to default when project reopens
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- Note drops while playing with MIDI controller
- Constant audio clipping and crackling
- DSP fluctuations in AUM (15-65%+)
- App freezes after iOS 14+ updates
- Vinyl noise sound only (missing piano sound)
- Incompatible with Keystep and Keylab 61
- Controls inaccessible on iPhone SE
- App crashes unexpectedly in Nano Studio
Requested features
9 requests- Attack time control
- Stretch/microtuning options
- Sequencer and arpeggiator integration
- Built-in recording functionality
- Proper state saving in DAWs
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- Rhodes piano simulation
- Prevent device sleep during MIDI input
- Better preset organization
- Detailed changelog for updates
In-app purchases
Caustic
No in-app purchases
AudioKit Retro Piano
- Weekly premium$2.997 Days
- Weekly premium7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- Yearly premium$9.991 Year
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- Yearly premium7 Days trial$9.991 Year









