Comparison

Handpan vs midiOS

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

Head to head
About

Handpan

This music application transforms your smartphone into a realistic Hang instrument simulator. It offers high-quality sounds, intuitive design, and is suitable for musicians of all levels. Record, save, and play your own tunes with ease.

Highlights
  • Hang instrument simulation
  • High-quality audio
  • Low latency playback
  • Sound customization
  • Record and save tunes
  • Intuitive interface
Features
Read full description

At the moment, Handpan is a best and closest sounding Hang instrument simulator. Handpan is a simple and easy-to-use music application which will turn your smartphone into a real musical instrument! Handpan contains only high-quality sounds, has good graphics and neat design. The app is suitable for both a beginner musician and an experienced percussionist. Features: - 2 different types of the Handpan instrument - High-quality sounds - Playback without delays (low latency audio) - Sound settings - Possibility to record, save, and play saved tunes - Animations - Easy-to-use

About

midiOS

Features
Read full description

Before installing, visit midios.app/setup for setup instructions. midiOS is a new kind of instrument. Transform your iPhone into an expressive MIDI instrument with advanced harmony, multidimensional performance control, and deep DAW integration. Play notes, chords, scales, arpeggios, modulation, and complete live performances from the device you already carry. With Offline Play, midiOS becomes a self-contained instrument. Choose from built-in sounds, create an instrument rack, record or import personal samples, and capture performances in Offline LiveGrid—without a Mac, DAW, account, or network connection. Designed for musicians, midiOS opens ready to perform. Tap pads to play notes, chords, and scales. Change keys, modes, voicings, and tonal centers without interrupting your flow. Swipe across pads to explore inversions, chord qualities, suspensions, secondary dominants, chromatic movement, and harmonic variations. Every gesture can become musical. Shape your performance with multi-touch, directional gestures, device motion, aftertouch, pitch movement, XY pads, sliders, knobs, and macros. Optional facial controls let head and expression movements influence harmony, modulation, register, and other performance destinations in real time. Performance Modes transform these inputs into coordinated musical systems. Intelligent voice leading keeps chords connected, expressive harmony controls create fluid transitions, and synchronized arpeggiation follows your DAW’s tempo and phase without restarting the pattern. Built-in modes provide focused setups for piano performance, harmony exploration, musical learning, generative flow, and Ableton control, while Custom Mode lets you create your own instrument. Save complete instruments and performance setups in the Layout Library, then switch between them quickly. Discover and install compatible instruments through the midiOS Marketplace, or transfer your own layouts securely between midiOS and the midiOS Bridge. Using the free midiOS Bridge for Mac, connect over USB or Wi-Fi for a fast, authenticated MIDI connection to your computer. midiOS works with MIDI-compatible software and offers deep Ableton Live integration, including clip and scene launching, transport, session navigation, mixer controls, macros, and real-time visual feedback on your iPhone. Rotate your device to enter LiveGrid and transform your iPhone into a live performance controller. Launch clips and scenes, navigate your session, control transport, and manage your performance from across the stage or studio. Built for live performance, midiOS combines responsive MIDI, intelligent harmony, stable note ownership, fast layout switching, haptic feedback, visual feedback, and automatic reconnection in a workflow designed to keep you focused on making music. Most MIDI apps give you buttons. midiOS gives you an instrument that responds to how you play. Learn more at midios.app.

Screenshots

Handpan3 screens
midiOS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Handpan at $2.99 against midiOS's $24.99. Handpan also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 26.0). midiOS's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 months). On 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

Handpan costs $2.99 and midiOS $24.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Handpan ships an update every 8 months, midiOS every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Handpan versus midiOS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHandpanmidiOS
Price$2.99 — better$24.99
Rating3.8 (21 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews35.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings21 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB341 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAliaksei Vatutsinjason merrill

In-app purchases

None

Handpan

No in-app purchases

None

midiOS

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Handpan free?
Handpan costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is midiOS free?
midiOS costs $24.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Handpan or midiOS have ads?
Neither Handpan nor midiOS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Handpan or midiOS?
Handpan ships an update every 8 months, and midiOS every 3 days. Most recently, Handpan was updated on September 30, 2026 and midiOS on October 9, 2026.

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