Sidecar MIDI Controller vs Bens Toolbox Motion
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sidecar MIDI Controller
Transform your QWERTY keyboard or game controller into a powerful MIDI controller for your iOS music apps. Play melodies, trigger chords, and adjust synth parameters with ease, even while running other apps in the background.
- QWERTY keyboard piano mapping
- Configurable pads for notes, chords, and messages
- Scale-configurable virtual keyboard
- Game controller support
- AUv3 plugin integration
- Slide-over and side-by-side mode compatibility
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There are hundreds of great iOS synth apps, but playing them with on-screen keyboards can be a challenge. Sidecar turns your ordinary QWERTY keyboard into a powerful MIDI controller. The lower part of the keyboard is mapped piano-style, letting you play melodies with the physical keys -- much easier to keep your fingers in the right place, and to get the notes you want. The app is configurable; you can have ten different set-ups, and switch between them quickly with a tap on the "QWERTY" row. There are also ten configureable pads for each set-up, which you can trigger with the number keys. Each pad can play a specific note, a chord, generate a program change message, or send a control code. Because Sidecar operates in slide-over and side-by-side mode on the iPad, you can use your physical keyboard with any MIDI app, even if the other app is running in the background. On screen, you have access to each of the pads -- map the knobs and sliders of your synth apps to MIDI CC messages, and then use Sidecar to adjust these sliders as you play. Sidecar also provides a scale-configurable virtual keyboard. Pick the scale you want, and then you can't hit a wrong note. In addition to external keyboards, Sidecar also supports many game controllers. The app is now universal; while the iPhone doesn't support slide-over, you can still take advantage of the configuration options of the app. * Easy MIDI Configuration With ten separately configurable MIDI destinations you can quickly set up a set of assignments for each of the MIDI apps that you use. Have a set of chords for Animoog, choose different presets for ToneStack, or assign pads to different samples for DM1. Each MIDI destination has ten configurable pads, which can be assigned to chords, single notes, a program change message, or a controller change message. For notes and chords, the touch position controls note velocity. For controller change messages, the location of a touch on screen can be used to determine the controller value. * QWERTY Keyboard Support Toggle on support for the external keyboard, and you can switch between the ten MIDI destinations quickly (using the keys in the QWERTY row). Toggle on or off any of the ten pads by pressing the number keys. The two lowest rows of keys are mapped as a standard piano keyboard, providing a musical play surface with an ordinary text keyboard. Note that QWERTY keyboards only send "key press" information to your iPad -- to silence a sounding note, you simply tap the space bar. * AUv3 Support Add the plug-in to your favorite DAW or looper, and Sidecar will give you easy access to multiple synths. Many AUv3 hosts will also let you map the keyboard keys to the transport controls. * Game Controller Ready Sidecar also supports the iON iCade game controller, mapping the buttons of the iCade to the pads. Because the iCade was designed for games, it sends button press and release information, which makes it easy to toggle on and off the pads. * MIDI Relay If you have an external MIDI controller, you can have it send MIDI events to Sidecar -- and these will be relayed to any of the ten MIDI destinations you select. Use this to quickly switch from one synth to another. *Control Background Synths Because Sidecar sends MIDI messages, it can be used to control background synthesizers, sequencers, and effects apps. Sidecar is designed to work along side your other iOS music apps.
Bens Toolbox Motion
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Ben’s Toolbox Motion turns your iPhone into a wireless motion controller for Ben’s Toolbox on Mac. The app sends iPhone motion data over your local network to the macOS app. There, sensor axes, AR positions, and combined movements can be freely mapped to MIDI CC controllers. MIDI output is handled by Ben’s Toolbox on the Mac and can be used directly in Logic Pro. This lets you control modulation, expression, dynamics, filters, pitchbend-like movement, and other MIDI CC parameters intuitively by moving your hand. Depending on your mapping, tilt, up/down movement, left/right movement, and forward/back movement can be used separately or in combination. Features: - Wireless connection to Ben’s Toolbox on macOS - Control via iPhone motion sensors - Optional AR position tracking for spatial movement - Sensor, AR, and combo modes - Freely configurable axes and MIDI CC mapping in the Mac app - Live display of current values - Display of the current articulation set and playing technique - Support for motion-based workflows in Logic Pro Ben’s Toolbox Motion is a companion app. Ben’s Toolbox for macOS is required. The app works locally on your network and does not collect personal data. BOUNCER TOOL • Start Main Presets and Selection Preflight from iPhone • Follow validations and Bounce Rounds with live progress • Review the Routing Map and open the export folder on Mac • Continue into the real run after a successful preflight
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Bens Toolbox Motion at Free against Sidecar MIDI Controller's $4.99. Bens Toolbox Motion also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.6). 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
Bens Toolbox Motion is free to download; Sidecar MIDI Controller costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sidecar MIDI Controller ships an update every 3 months, Bens Toolbox Motion fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sidecar MIDI Controller | Bens Toolbox Motion |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.9 (14 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 14 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 13.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Secret Base Design | Bendix Amonat |
In-app purchases
Sidecar MIDI Controller
No in-app purchases
Bens Toolbox Motion
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Sidecar MIDI Controller free?
Is Bens Toolbox Motion free?
Do Sidecar MIDI Controller or Bens Toolbox Motion have ads?
Which is updated more often, Sidecar MIDI Controller or Bens Toolbox Motion?
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