# MidiQuestEssentialsi vs Pentaholic Synth

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pentaholic Synth at 57% against MidiQuestEssentialsi's 0%. Pentaholic Synth also leads on rating (3.8 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 6 days vs every 5 weeks). MidiQuestEssentialsi's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.2 vs 16.0). On price, ads, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pentaholic Synth sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MidiQuestEssentialsi asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pentaholic Synth holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of MidiQuestEssentialsi's written reviews are positive against 57% of Pentaholic Synth's.

MidiQuestEssentialsi ships an update every 5 weeks, Pentaholic Synth every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MidiQuestEssentialsi | Pentaholic Synth |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midiquestessentialsi/id1338670761/reviews) | **[3.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentaholic-synth/id6762106586/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 52 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.2** | 16.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sound Quest](https://appshunter.io/developer/1271850366) | [Andrew Strickland](https://appshunter.io/developer/1892938530) |

## What reviewers say

### MidiQuestEssentialsi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midiquestessentialsi/id1338670761)

This application serves as a comprehensive editor and librarian for MIDI SysEx data, supporting a vast array of popular hardware instruments. It allows users to manage and manipulate sound parameters for a wide range of synthesizers and other MIDI devices.

**Highlights:** SysEx Editor, SysEx Librarian, Supports over 900 MIDI instruments, Parameter management, Sound editing

**In-app purchases:** none


### Pentaholic Synth

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pentaholic-synth/id6762106586)

This app digitally recreates a classic polyphonic synthesizer, offering authentic sound design and songwriting inspiration. It features a 300-note sequencer, multiple oscillators per voice, and performance controls like a joystick and expression pedal inputs.

**Highlights:** Authentic 5-voice polyphony, 3 oscillators per voice with 8 waveforms, Component-level circuit modeling, Dual ADSR envelopes, 300-note polyphonic sequencer, Joystick and expression pedal support

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Features | $28.00 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MidiQuestEssentialsi free?

MidiQuestEssentialsi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pentaholic Synth free?

Pentaholic Synth is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, MidiQuestEssentialsi or Pentaholic Synth?

Pentaholic Synth is rated higher. MidiQuestEssentialsi averages 1.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Pentaholic Synth averages 3.8 from 6 ratings.

### Do MidiQuestEssentialsi or Pentaholic Synth have ads?

Neither MidiQuestEssentialsi nor Pentaholic Synth shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MidiQuestEssentialsi or Pentaholic Synth?

MidiQuestEssentialsi ships an update every 5 weeks, and Pentaholic Synth every 6 days. Most recently, MidiQuestEssentialsi was updated on November 8, 2026 and Pentaholic Synth on October 31, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*