Comparison

Tera Synth vs Phosphor 3

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

Head to head
About

Tera Synth

Create unique sounds beyond traditional synthesizers with a modular analog and digital synthesis workstation. Combine physical modeling, wireless patching, and built-in effects for a fat, individual sound. Features a programmable arpeggiator and live playing options.

Highlights
  • Modular analog and digital synthesis
  • Physical modeling modules
  • Wireless patching and modulation routing
  • Built-in distortion, delay, chorus, phaser, and reverb effects
  • Programmable arpeggiator
  • Live playing with onscreen keyboard and MIDI support
  • Audiobus and Inter-App-Audio integration
Read full description

Tera Synth - Modular Analog Synthesizer Explore new sound spaces with Tera Synth that go beyond the emulation of synthesizer legends. Use the power of analog and digital synthesis combined with new modules for physical modelling. Wireless patching of modules combined with an intelligible modulation routing simplifies the development of new synthesizer designs from scratch. Distortion effect, Delay/Chorus/Phaser and Reverb effects give your sounds the final polishing. Tera Synth gives your music an individual character with its unique fat sound. The well-designed algorithms and the economical modular structure provides you with a comparatively high voice yield. Precise timing with the unique built-in Arpeggiator let you feel the rhythm. Tera Synth supports Audiobus and Inter-App-Audio for integration with other Music Apps. Modular Analog Synthesis • Modular synthesizer with free connections between modules. • 25 Sound Modules • 4 Low frequency oscillators • 4 Standard ADSR Envelope generators. • 4 Multi Segment Envelopes with tempo sync. • 64 time/level segments per envelope • Monophonic or polyphonic with up to 32 voices. • More than 920 factory presets, unlimited user presets can be shared. FX • Chorus with four delay lines. • 8 pole Analog Phaser. • Distortion effect with Tube/Tape emulation • Stereo Echo/Delay effect. • Hi end reverberation unit. Live • Play melodies live with the onscreen keyboard. Drag fingers for slides and vibrato. • Optionally use CoreMIDI* compatible hardware keyboard. • Dozens of scales selectable • Variable Keyboard layout for scale optimized playing Full featured programmable Arpeggiator • Uses programmable sequences with up to 32 steps. • Can trigger single notes and chords. • Unique randomizer generates Arpeggios with 100% usability. • 32 Arpeggios included, unlimited useer arpeggios possible. • For each step you can program tie, accent, transposition and note order Global • Audiobus 3 compatible (Input slot) with Preset saving. • Inter App Audio • AudioUnit AUv3 with parameter automation • Ableton Link compatible • Audio pasteboard. Copy audio recordings to Clipboard for use with other Apps • Exchange user presets with File Sharing in iTunes. • Support for MIDI input/output connections. • MIDI learn functionality.

About

Phosphor 3

This app recreates a vintage digital synthesizer, offering a faithful emulation of a classic sound engine. It includes modern features like MPE, extensive modulation, and a new UI for sonic exploration.

Highlights
  • Vintage digital synthesizer emulation
  • Additive synthesis engine
  • MPE support
  • Extensive modulation routing
  • Preset manager
  • Tuning tables
Read full description

Glow in the dark synthesis. Phosphor 3 is a dual-oscillator additive synthesizer that puts the raw building blocks of sound at your fingertips. Draw, randomize, or select up to 64 harmonics per oscillator, then shape them with envelopes, LFOs, cross-modulation, and a flexible mod matrix. Originally inspired by the alphaSyntauri, a rare digital additive synth from the early 1980s, Phosphor 3 takes that concept far beyond its origins with modern MPE expression, polyphonic modulation, and a full effects engine. --- Additive Oscillators Two identical additive oscillators, each with up to 64 individually editable harmonics. Start from classic shapes: sawtooth, triangle, square, or draw your own harmonic spectrum directly in the partial editor. The intelligent randomizer generates musically useful timbres with variable rolloff, density, and formant peaks, so every click produces something worth exploring. Choose 16, 32, or 64 partials per oscillator to balance complexity against CPU. Each oscillator has independent level, pan, transpose, fine tune, a noise generator with lo-fi downsampling, and cross-modulation (FM) for pushing timbres into harsher, more complex territory. Modulation Two ADSR envelopes with adjustable attack, decay, and release curves. Two LFOs with four waveforms (pulse, sine, saw, random), tempo sync, and the option to run polyphonically, a separate LFO per voice, or globally. An 8-source modulation matrix routes velocity, pressure, pitch bend, mod wheel, CC 74, triggered random, and both LFOs to destinations across the oscillators and effects. Effects Stereo delay with independent left/right time, feedback, and cross-channel feedback for ping-pong and rhythmic patterns. Tempo sync locks delay times to your DAW. Dual band-pass filters after the delay let you carve the wet signal into resonant, frequency-specific textures. Expression Full MPE support with per-note pitch bend, pressure, and slide across 16 polyphonic voices. Mono legato and mono retrigger modes with adjustable portamento. Unison mode for thick, detuned stacks. A scrollable 128-key on-screen keyboard with velocity from touch position, pitch bend from horizontal drag, and channel pressure from vertical drag, no hardware controller required. Tuning MTS-ESP client support for real-time microtuning from any MTS-ESP master. TUN file import for custom scales. Standard 12-TET with adjustable A4 reference. Supports AUv3 for use in GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, and other AUv3-compatible hosts.

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Tera Synth at $1.99 against Phosphor 3's $5.99. Tera Synth also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 11 months) and ratings volume (27 vs 9). On rating, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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

Tera Synth costs $1.99 and Phosphor 3 $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Tera Synth against 4.7 for Phosphor 3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 27 and 9 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Tera Synth's written reviews are positive against 79% of Phosphor 3's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tera Synth ships an update every 4 months, Phosphor 3 every 11 months. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and July 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Tera Synth versus Phosphor 3: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTera SynthPhosphor 3
Price$1.99 — better$5.99
Rating4.8 (27 ratings) — better4.7 (9 ratings)
Positive reviews86.4% of reviews — better78.6% of reviews
Number of ratings27 — better9
Update frequencyEvery 4 months — betterEvery 11 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPadiPad
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size36 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHarry GohsAudio Damage, Inc.

Customer experience

Tera Synth

All ratings27 ratings
Positive96.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews44 reviews
Positive86.4%
Neutral11.4%
Negative2.3%

Phosphor 3

All ratings7 ratings
Positive85.7%
Neutral14.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative7.1%

In-app purchases

None

Tera Synth

No in-app purchases

None

Phosphor 3

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tera Synth free?
Tera Synth costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Phosphor 3 free?
Phosphor 3 costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tera Synth or Phosphor 3?
Tera Synth is rated higher. Tera Synth averages 4.8 out of 5 from 27 ratings, while Phosphor 3 averages 4.7 from 9 ratings.
Do Tera Synth or Phosphor 3 have ads?
Neither Tera Synth nor Phosphor 3 shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tera Synth or Phosphor 3?
Tera Synth ships an update every 4 months, and Phosphor 3 every 11 months. Most recently, Tera Synth was updated on June 10, 2026 and Phosphor 3 on July 6, 2026.

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