StepBud vs MolliLooper
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StepBud
This app is a versatile MIDI sequencer that allows for unlimited steps and detailed control over each step's parameters. It integrates with other music apps and supports various sequencing modes for creative performances.
- Unlimited steps
- Step parameter control (note, velocity, rate, etc.)
- Custom MIDI CC messages
- Step locking and skipping
- Master fader with copy/shift modes
- Step Editor for detailed note editing
- Arpeggio modes (up, down, random)
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StepBud is a MIDI Sequencer with Audio Unit AUv3 plugin, Audiobus and Ableton Link. Add an unlimited number of steps to your sequencer. Your steps appear with a LED and a fader on top of your screen. You can change the active mode that your step faders displaying/controlling. - Set the current note or chord in range of the scale and key you selected with respect the range of the octave you want to focus, - Set the velocity, rate, gate time, modulation, pitch bend, portamento, probability and swing for each step, - Try increasing the rate and repeat count your steps if you want to add more flavor. - Send unlimited custom MIDI CC messages if you want to control your hardware or software synth parameters. - Lock steps if you don't want them to change their value. - Skip steps for creating interesting live performances. Below the step faders, you have a master fader where you can control your entire sequencer. It has two modes which you can change from the settings strip on the bottom of the app. - In copy mode, it assigns its value to each step. - In shift mode, it shifts up or down each step. If you want to go off-scale or try some crazy chords on some of your steps, or maybe on all of them, you can go to the Step Editor by double tapping the LED of the step you want to edit. In StepBud's powerful Step Editor, you can set your step's notes either from the virtual keyboard or your connected MIDI keyboard. Don't forget to enable MIDI in port of your MIDI keyboard or the you want to receive MIDI from the settings menu. You may also preview the selected notes by pressing the preview button in Step Editor for making sure you created the perfect sound for your particular step. You can also toggle the steps you want to disable by tapping its LED. If you long-press the LED, you can access a menu where you may copy/paste the steps around, remove them or edit them. If you enable the lock mode from the settings strip on the bottom of the app, you may adjust each visible step fader on the screen by a single swipe gesture without having to lift your finger up. Try to change your arppegio mode from the settings strip. You can sequence your steps up, down, up-down or random order. StepBud is a MIDI sequencer app and it does not generate sounds itself. You need to route its MIDI out port in the settings menu to the audio app you want to sequence. Please note that you need to have an iOS 11+ device and an Audio Unit host application such as AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis, BeatMaker or Audiobus in order to use the StepBud as an Audio Unit plugin. And don't forget to route StepBud's MIDI out to the app or audio unit you want to sequence. StepBud's MIDI layer powered by free and open-source project AudioKit https://github.com/AudioKit/AudioKit Also, StepBud offers its core components for free on GitHub. Feel free to star, fork or contribute. https://github.com/cemolcay/MusicTheory https://github.com/cemolcay/LiveFader https://github.com/cemolcay/MIDIEventKit
MolliLooper
This real-time stereo effect app allows for instant looping and filtering of audio. Designed for live performance, it continuously records input for immediate playback and offers adjustable loop timing synced to a host clock. It also features a resonant filter and stutter/freeze capabilities.
- Real-time stereo looping
- Instant recording/looping
- Host clock sync
- Adjustable loop timing
- Lowpass/highpass resonant filter
- Stutter/freeze effect
- AUv3 plugin support
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Molli Looper is a realtime stereo effect for looping and filtering. Intended mainly as a live performance tool, no preparation is needed to trigger loop recording - input is constantly recorded in the background to be triggered whenever it is needed. Loop timing is synced to host clock, and can be adjusted from multi-bar loops right down to 16th note drills. The looped or unlooped audio is then passed though a lowpass -> neutral -> highpass resonant filter, based on a 4 pole ladder design for lush analogue style sound. You can use Molli Looper either as iOS Standalone app or as AUv3 plugin. FEATURES: - Combination of looper and stutter/freeze - Continuous recording: instant recording/looping - Runs in sync with host clock - Jumps to meaningful places in the recording: "Snap to grid" - Grid: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 beats - Ability to scroll through the recording - Lowpass/highpass resonant filter - Long Tap XY keeps filter position - Limiter/booster effect - Momentary Mode - Tap on Molli Looper icon for basic information
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MolliLooper at 5.0 against StepBud's 4.4. MolliLooper also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 71%) and iOS requirement (11 vs 13.0). StepBud's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and price ($4.99 vs $8.99). On ratings volume, 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
StepBud costs $4.99 and MolliLooper $8.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MolliLooper holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 13 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of StepBud's written reviews are positive against 82% of MolliLooper's.
StepBud ships an update fortnightly, MolliLooper every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StepBud | MolliLooper |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $8.99 |
| Rating | 4.4 (38 ratings) | 5.0 (13 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.6% of reviews | 81.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 38 — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 11 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 9 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Cem Olcay | Oliver Greschke (DE) |
Customer experience
StepBud
MolliLooper
In-app purchases
StepBud
No in-app purchases
MolliLooper
No in-app purchases









