PIDTune vs uBarista
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PIDTune
This utility calculates PID tuning parameters using the IMC method for various process and controller types. It allows for direct input of process gain or variable changes, with adjustable tuning aggression via a slider.
- IMC method for PID tuning
- Calculates Kc, Ti, Td
- Supports FO, SO, and I process types
- Handles Parallel and Series controller types
- Adjustable tuning aggression slider
- Input process gain or variable changes
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PID Tuner uses the IMC (Internal Model Control) method to calculate PID tuning parameters. I’ve tried a lot of tuning methods over the years and have found this one to be the best. The app is written for the iPad to show all the information on one page. The program calculates: PID Parameters: Controller Gain (Kc) Integral Time (Ti) Derivative Time (Td) For process types First Order with Dead Time (FO) Second Order with Dead Time (SO) Integrating or Long Time Constant with Dead Time (I) For controller types Parallel (non-interacting) c(s) = Kc (1 + 1/(Ti s) + Td s) Series (interacting) c(s) = Kc (Ti s + 1)/(Ti s)(Td s + 1) For controller modes PID PI You can either enter the process gain (Kp) directly or enter the changes in the controlled virable (CV) and manipulated variable (MV). Tuning aggression is adjusted using the slider to set the closed loop time constant to the process time constant ratio (λ/Ƭ). The closed loop time constant (λ) is the time the controller is expected to reach set point (plus the dead time (ϴ)). Setting the closed loop time constant to process time constant ratio (λ/Ƭ) to 1.0 will make the MV change to its final value and allow the process to settle out to the setpoint. Setting (λ/Ƭ) greater than 1.0 will give a slower responce. Setting (λ/Ƭ) less than 1.0 will cause the MV to make a larger change and then reduce to its final value. Tight tuning would be to set the close loop time constant to the dead time. Use the Integrating Process type (Ƭ = ∞) for both integrating processes or processes with long time constants. These processes use the maximum slope as the process gain. Tuning aggression for these processes is determined by setting the closed loop time constant to the dead time ratio (λ/ϴ). Once again, setting the closed loop time constat to the dead time gives tight control. References: “Probably the test simple PID tuning rules in the World,” Sigurd Skogestad, Jounal of Process Control, July 3, 2001 “Consider the generalized IMC-PID method for PID controller tuning of time-delay processes,” Y. Lee, S. Park, M. Lee, Hydrocarbon Processing, January 2006
uBarista
Visualize and configure your espresso brewing process with this utility app. It connects to a meCoffee PID device via Bluetooth to offer detailed control and insights into your coffee preparation.
- Configure espresso brewing
- Visualize brewing process
- Connects to meCoffee PID
- BLE support
- Detailed control
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Configure and visualize your espresso brewing using the meCoffee PID. Requirements: meCoffee with BLE support (available since June 29th, 2017).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: uBarista at Free against PIDTune's $4.99. uBarista also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months) and ratings volume (6 vs 2). PIDTune's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On ads, in-app purchases 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
uBarista is free to download; PIDTune costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
PIDTune holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of PIDTune's written reviews are positive against 86% of uBarista's.
PIDTune ships an update every 4 months, uBarista weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PIDTune | uBarista |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.8 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 85.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 6 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Richard H Street | eveloar GmbH |
Customer experience
PIDTune
uBarista
In-app purchases
PIDTune
No in-app purchases
uBarista
No in-app purchases








