# BeatHawk vs ButterSynth

The clearest difference is price: BeatHawk at $9.99 against ButterSynth's $19.99. BeatHawk also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (394 vs 62). ButterSynth's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

BeatHawk costs $9.99 and ButterSynth $19.99 up front. BeatHawk sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. ButterSynth asks for nothing beyond the download.

BeatHawk holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BeatHawk has 394 ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of BeatHawk's written reviews are positive against 60% of ButterSynth's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeatHawk | ButterSynth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$9.99** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (394 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beathawk/id839563064/reviews)** | [4.0 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buttersynth/id1497419006/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **394** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | **67.1% of reviews** | 59.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 981 MB | 468 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [UVI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1108452322) | [Arto Vaarala](https://appshunter.io/developer/890886114) |

## What reviewers say

### BeatHawk

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beathawk/id839563064)

Create, record, and mix music on the go with this portable production studio. It offers a vast library of sounds, instruments, and effects, allowing you to import your own samples and collaborate with other apps. Export your creations in various formats or share them directly to social media.

**Highlights:** Create beats and compose tracks, Sample, record, and sequence music, Mix and arrange your own music, High-quality UVI sounds and effects, Import your own samples, Export mixes, stems, and MIDI, Share on YouTube and SoundCloud

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| World Percussion | $1.99 | one-time |
| Latin Percusion | $1.99 | one-time |
| 808 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Trip Hop | $3.99 | one-time |
| Atlanta Urban | $4.99 | one-time |
| Funk | $4.99 | one-time |
| Guitar Loops | $4.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Drums | $4.99 | one-time |
| Choirs | $7.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Grand | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 High-quality sounds and sound packs
- 💻 Works well as an AUv3 plugin
- 🎶 Excellent for creating beats and music ideas
- 🔥 Powerful and flexible

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues, especially on older devices
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find samples/packs
- 💰 Sound packs are expensive
- 🖼️ Interface could use better visual clarity and customization
- 🔌 Bluetooth connectivity problems

**Reported bugs**

- Repeat Quantize setting not working properly
- Saving and loading projects can be unreliable
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS devices
- Latency and performance problems when used as an AUv3

**Requested features**

- Add more pad banks and sample editing capabilities
- Improve file management and integration with cloud storage
- Implement MIDI learn and more advanced MIDI functionality
- Add built-in synth engine and more effects
- Enhance song mode and multi-track capabilities


### ButterSynth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buttersynth/id1497419006)

This powerful synthesizer app offers a hybrid approach, combining wavetable, FM, and sample-based synthesis. Create unique sounds with a vast sonic range, advanced modulation, and a built-in effects rack. It caters to both experienced sound designers and beginners with extensive presets.

**Highlights:** Hybrid 6-oscillator synthesis (wavetable, FM, sample), Built-in wavetable editor, FM engine with 4 operators, Sample and Granulator engines, 32-slot modulation matrix, Internal FX rack with 16 modules, Extensive preset library

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Deep sound design capabilities
- 🎛️ Versatile modulation matrix
- 🔊 Great sound quality
- 💡 Innovative wavetable generator
- 🌟 Serum-like experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 📱 Fiddly on small screens
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Disappears in Cubasis
- 🐛 Spikes CPU usage
- 🐛 Crashes on patch change

**Reported bugs**

- App crashing with AUM
- Disappears in Cubasis randomly
- Crashes all the time inside Logic
- Changing a patch spikes CPU to 99%
- Crashes on every patch change

**Requested features**

- MPE popup possible on top of the auv3
- Button to hide built-in keyboard
- Buffer size option
- Additional MIDI mappings (e.g., arpeggiator toggle)
- Sustain pedal support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeatHawk free?

BeatHawk costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is ButterSynth free?

ButterSynth costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, BeatHawk or ButterSynth?

BeatHawk is rated higher. BeatHawk averages 4.3 out of 5 from 394 ratings, while ButterSynth averages 4.0 from 62 ratings.

### Do BeatHawk or ButterSynth have ads?

Neither BeatHawk nor ButterSynth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, BeatHawk or ButterSynth?

BeatHawk ships an update every 2 months, and ButterSynth every 2 months. Most recently, BeatHawk was updated on September 29, 2026 and ButterSynth on September 29, 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.*