Comparison

Syntorial vs Overdrive Synth

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

Head to head
About

Syntorial

Learn to program synthesizer patches by ear with interactive challenges and video demonstrations. This app focuses on practical sound design, teaching you how each control affects sound and how to recreate sounds you hear.

Highlights
  • Interactive programming challenges
  • Video demonstrations
  • Built-in soft synth
  • Ear training for sound recognition
  • Practical application of synth controls
  • Quizzes for retention
Read full description

* WE'VE RELEASED A NEW & IMPROVED VERSION OF SYNTORIAL IN THE APP STORE. JUST SEARCH "SYNTORIAL 2" * Syntorial is a synthesizer training app, that will teach you how to program synth patches by ear. By combining video demonstrations with interactive challenges, you’ll get hands on experience programming patches on a built-in soft synth, and learn everything you need to know to start making your own sounds with ease. "Syntorial is the most direct route between hearing a sound in your head and knowing how to bring it to life." - Electronic Musician Magazine "The most comprehensive and fun tool for learning synthesizer programming, hands down." - Keyboard Magazine “The best training in synth sound-design we’ve come across. A unique and fun way to train your ears in re-creating synth sounds.” - MusicTech Magazine * Electronic Musician Editor's Choice 2014 * HIGHLIGHTS • Interactive Learning: Syntorial doesn’t just show you how synth programming works. It engages you in Interactive Challenges in which you program patches on a built-in synth. You aren’t just learning how to design sound, you are becoming a sound designer. • For Musicians, Not Physicists: Instead of talking about the science and physics behind synthesizers, Syntorial will show you how each control effects sound, as well as when, why and how you would use them when designing sounds. This is information that you can immediately apply to real-life situations. • It's All About The Ear: One step at a time, Syntorial trains your ear to recognize how each control shapes and manipulates sound. By the end of the program you’ll be able to take the sounds you hear and re-create them, completely by ear. LESSON SPECS • Challenges: Learn by doing! Complete challenges by programming patches with Syntorial’s built-in synth. • Videos: Everything is taught through video demonstrations using the same synth that you’ll use in the challenges. • Patches: Program, program, program. After all, that’s what it’s all about, right? By the end you will have programmed tons of patches, from simple to complex, familiar to strange. • Quizzes: Multiple choice questions to help you retain and remember everything you learn. • On Your Own: Syntorial will give you periodic tasks to be carried out on your own with whatever synth(s) you use. SYNTH SPECS • Subtractive synthesis • Three Oscillators (Two with Waveform, Pitch, Pulse Width, and Mix controls, and a Sub oscillator with Waveform and Volume controls) • Saw, Pulse, Triangle and Sine waveforms • FM knob • Noise Oscillator • Oscillator Sync • Filter (Low, Band and High Pass) with Resonance and Key Tracking • ADSR Filter Envelope • ADSR Amp Envelope • AD Modulation Envelope • LFO with four waveforms, seven destinations, rate, amount, trigger, and mono/poly modes • Mono and Poly Voice Modes • Portamento • Unison with Voice, Detune and Spread controls • Ring Modulation • Distortion, Chorus, Phaser, Delay, and Reverb effects • Mod Wheel, Pitch Wheel and Velocity controls FREE VS UPGRADE The free app comes with the first 22 Lessons, additional Lesson Pack samples, as well as Syntorial's fully featured synth. Upgrade to get: • All 199 Lessons, including 129 Challenges, 147 Videos, and 706 Patches covering the most common synthesis parameters. • Additional Lesson Packs covering Massive, Sylenth1, Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2 and Minimoog Voyager, each containing 30+ videos. More Lesson Packs planned for the future. • Pay once and get access to all of the above on iPad, Mac and PC. Sync your progress across all 3 platforms. Train where you want, when you want, and how you want. • Plugin version of Syntorial's synth, Primer. Program, record and play Primer in your favorite desktop recording software. VST (Mac/PC) and AU (Mac). Syntorial: A New Way To Learn Synthesis

About

Overdrive Synth

Explore unique synth sounds processed through classic guitar overdrive pedals. This app offers professionally recorded samples with multiple keyboard layouts and AUv3/MIDI support. Unlock over 100 additional instruments to expand your sonic palette.

Highlights
  • Vintage synths re-amped through guitar pedals
  • Multiple keyboard layouts
  • AUv3 and MIDI support
  • Professionally recorded samples
  • Expandable instrument library via IAP
Features
Read full description

What does a synthesizer sound like through an overdrive pedal? To answer this great mystery, I visited NightSound Studio to re-amp a plethora of synth tones through various classic guitar pedals. The results are now available for your ears in Overdrive Synth! FEATURES: • Vintage Synths Re-amped Through Guitar Pedals • 3 Keyboard Layouts (Piano, Guitar & Scaled) • AUv3 & MIDI Support • Professionally Recorded Samples • 10 Instruments (+100 more with IAP) • Proudly Built With AudioKit The app comes with 10 default instruments, and If you like the starting sounds, unlock the full version (+100 instruments) and become a turbo-powered crunch synth master! I'm also EXTREMELY excited to bring you the full video development story on how this app was made! If you're curious to see what all went into making this app including the recording process, follow the behind-the-scenes link in the app! Special thanks to Nightsound Studios where the samples were recorded, AudioKit for providing the tools to build this app, the amazing open source synth community, and you for supporting indie developers. Thank You & Enjoy! Nick Culbertson MobyPixel.com

Screenshots

Overdrive Synth4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Overdrive Synth at monthly against Syntorial's every 5 months. Overdrive Synth also leads on device support (4 vs 1). Syntorial's advantage is review sentiment (95% vs 79%) and ratings volume (273 vs 34). On price, rating, 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

Both are free to download. Syntorial sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Overdrive Synth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Syntorial against 4.9 for Overdrive Synth. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Syntorial has 273 ratings behind it against 34, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of Syntorial's written reviews are positive against 79% of Overdrive Synth's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Syntorial ships an update every 5 months, Overdrive Synth monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Syntorial versus Overdrive Synth: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSyntorialOverdrive Synth
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (273 ratings)4.9 (34 ratings) — better
Positive reviews95.0% of reviews — better79.2% of reviews
Number of ratings273 — better34
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS11.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size213 MB247 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAudible GeniusMoby Pixel

Customer experience

Syntorial

All ratings273 ratings
Positive97.8%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.1%
Written reviews119 reviews
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.8%
Negative4.2%

Overdrive Synth

All ratings34 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive79.2%
Neutral12.5%
Negative8.3%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Syntorial

One-time1
  • Upgrade To Full Version$129.99
1 purchases

Overdrive Synth

One-time1
  • Unlock Full Version$4.99

Questions

Is Syntorial free?
Syntorial is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Overdrive Synth free?
Overdrive Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Syntorial or Overdrive Synth?
Overdrive Synth is rated higher. Syntorial averages 4.9 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while Overdrive Synth averages 4.9 from 34 ratings.
Do Syntorial or Overdrive Synth have ads?
Neither Syntorial nor Overdrive Synth shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Syntorial or Overdrive Synth?
Syntorial ships an update every 5 months, and Overdrive Synth monthly. Most recently, Syntorial was updated on October 16, 2026 and Overdrive Synth on October 22, 2026.

Other comparisons