Comparison

StepBud vs mKer

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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)
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

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

About

mKer

A versatile MIDI step sequencer designed for music creation. It offers multiple outputs, extensive pattern and lane customization, and advanced step editing. Best used within an AUv3 host app for sound generation.

Highlights
  • 8 MIDI outputs
  • 64 Patterns with 16 Lanes each
  • Customizable Steps and Step Size per Lane
  • Advanced Step Parameters (Pitch, Velocity, Probability, etc.)
  • Flexible Editor with Step Entry Keyboard
  • 32 Clips with Repeat Functionality
  • Performance Tab with Assignable Sliders and Morphing
Features
Read full description

*** Note *** Although mKer can run as a stand-alone app, the recommended way to use it is as an AUv3 plugin from inside a suitable AU Host app that supports MIDI Processors such as AUM, Audiobus, Cubasis etc. Please also note that mKer is a MIDI app/plugin. That means that it does not produce sound itself - it needs to be connected to an audio source that can receive MIDI. mKer is a versatile, multi-output MIDI step sequencer with an extensive range of features. These include: - 8 MIDI outputs - 64 Patterns - 16 Lanes (aka tracks) per Pattern - Independent number of Steps (1-32) and Step Size (1/64-256 beats) per Lane per Pattern - Every step can play either a single note, an interval (2 notes) or a chord (3 or 4 notes) - Lane Step parameters: Play Cycles, Skip Cycles, Play Offset Cycles, Pitch, Velocity, Probability, Offset (can be used for ‘swing’ like effects), Repeat (rachet) and Gate - A flexible Editor that includes a step entry keyboard, parameter sliders and a variety of options and utilities designed for to make the workflow intuitive and fast - 32 Clips with 1-8 Steps per Clip, 1-128 repeats per step (every clip step has one pattern) - 3 Play Modes: Pattern, Clip, Sequence (all Clips) - A Performance tab with 10 fully assignable MIDI sliders, a 12-snapshot bank and morphing function between the snapshots... - MIDI step input and real-time recording - 12-track beat generator with six genres, density, intensity and GM beat mapping ... and more!

Screenshots

StepBud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: StepBud at #200 against mKer's unranked. StepBud also leads on device support (3 vs 1). mKer's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $4.99). On rating, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence 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

StepBud costs $4.99 and mKer $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for StepBud against 4.5 for mKer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 38 and 22 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 71% of StepBud's written reviews are positive against 64% of mKer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StepBud ships an update fortnightly, mKer every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
StepBud versus mKer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStepBudmKer
Price$4.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.4 (38 ratings)4.5 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews70.6% of reviews — better63.6% of reviews
Number of ratings38 — better22
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#200 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCem OlcayAxart Labs OU

Customer experience

StepBud

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative23.5%

mKer

All ratings20 ratings
Positive85.0%
Neutral5.0%
Negative10.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative27.3%

In-app purchases

None

StepBud

No in-app purchases

None

mKer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is StepBud free?
StepBud costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is mKer free?
mKer costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, StepBud or mKer?
mKer is rated higher. StepBud averages 4.4 out of 5 from 38 ratings, while mKer averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.
Do StepBud or mKer have ads?
Neither StepBud nor mKer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, StepBud or mKer?
StepBud ships an update fortnightly, and mKer every 3 weeks. Most recently, StepBud was updated on October 24, 2026 and mKer on October 23, 2026.

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