Midi Controller vs Lemur
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Midi Controller
Transform your iPhone or iPad into a versatile MIDI controller. Send notes, control changes, and program changes wirelessly or via USB to any compatible DAW or hardware. Customize your workspace with unlimited, dynamic controls.
- USB, WLAN, and Bluetooth connectivity
- Customizable buttons, pads, and sliders
- Send Notes, CC, and Program Change values
- Works with macOS and CoreMidi compatible hardware
- No additional software required
- Dynamic control creation
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MidiController turns your iPhone/iPad into a complete MIDI controller, that works over USB, WLAN or Bluetooth. No additional software needed! Send all possible Notes, Continuous Controller / Control Change and Program Change values to the connected device. Build your workspace from the ground up with unlimited, custom Pushes/Buttons and Sliders. All Pushes/Buttons and Sliders are completely customisable - customize every value of every control possible and how the control behaves. You can even create dynamic controls (e.g. Program Change values that count up or down). • Works with every macOS: From 10.5 (Leopard) up to the newest 10.15 (Catalina) • Works on every iPhone and iPad • Also works with external hardware (e.g. synths,...) that supports Apple (CoreMidi) • If your hardware/PC does not support CoreMidi, you can use an iPhone/iPad compatible MIDI-Interface as bridge to make MidiController work with ALL MIDI devices Works with every application that supports MIDI-Input. Example DAWs (Digital Audio Workstation): * Logic X Pro * Ableton Live * Avid Pro Tools * Propellerhead Reason * Steinberg Cubase * Cockos Reaper * and many more (in principle every application that supports midi input) ** NOTES ** • MidiController does not play any sound itself, it only sends out MIDI-Information to connected devices. • MidiController is primary created to work with macOS-Devices. If you want to use MidiController with hardware that does not support Apple CoreMidi, you might need an iPhone/iPad compatible MIDI-Interface as bridge. A MIDI interface typically connects to your iOS per lightning port and provides standard MIDI DIN ports to connect to your hardware. There are also bluetooth MIDI interfaces that connect wirelessly. • MidiController does not receive any MIDI-Information, it generates and sends them itself depending on the user-input. ______________________________________________ APP USAGE INFO & MIDI CONTROLLER SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS Should you choose to upgrade to a midi controller subscription, payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, and cancellation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. Auto-renewal may be turned off in your Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. You can also manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. LICENSED APPLICATION END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Midi Controller Terms of Service: https://learned-romano-d09.notion.site/Terms-Conditions-9fc801bf71f94e4cae7b31b72c7e13e3 Midi Controller Privacy Policy: https://learned-romano-d09.notion.site/Privacy-Policy-ee4011f149ac417bbedbfea3f0250a96
Lemur
Create custom MIDI and OSC controllers for music production and performance. Design unique interfaces with advanced widgets and scripting capabilities. Seamlessly connect to your computer for studio or live use.
- Custom MIDI/OSC controller design
- Multitouch interface creation
- Advanced scripting language
- Built-in and custom widgets
- Seamless Wi-Fi/USB connectivity
- CoreMIDI support
- Sequencer and Canvas features
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For over 20 years, Lemur has been the world’s premier tool for creating custom MIDI and OSC controllers. Pioneering multitouch technology, Lemur has become synonymous with innovation in music performance and production. Its pivotal role in the evolution of music technology has made it the trusted choice of artists like Daft Punk, Björk, Plastikman, CHVRCHES, The Glitch Mob, Orbital, and many more. In the film studio, Lemur has become a beloved tool for professional music composers, serving as the central hub for composing templates—managing sample libraries, keyswitches, mix automations, and DAW key commands. With its extensive collection of built-in widgets, and powerful programming language, if you can dream it, Lemur can build it. Lemur has even been used to make games! ---- Creating Projects - The Lemur Desktop Software Suite (free) includes the Lemur Editor for macOS and Windows, providing a powerful editor for designing and scripting your controller, as well as the Lemur Daemon, enabling seamless MIDI and OSC connectivity across your entire setup via USB or WiFi. Connectivity - Simply connect your iPad/iPhone to your computer via Wi-Fi or USB/Thunderbolt and make the connection! Lemur also supports CoreMIDI, allowing you to use any class-compliant hardware MIDI interface. With 8 ports of MIDI/OSC connectivity, you can even control up to 8 computers from one device! ---- Latest Features: Version 5.0 introduces the incredible new Canvas, Image, and Sequencer family of features with rock solid timing. Canvas - A brand-new object that lets you script custom widgets with full multitouch support. Adapted from the HTML5 Canvas element, it allows you to design vector-based widgets featuring shapes, animations, shadows, and transparency. With Canvas, you are no longer limited to Lemur’s collection of built-in widgets—you can create entirely custom controls that precisely match the demands of your project. Polygons, waveforms, circular objects, and infinitely more are all possible with Canvas, opening the door to a completely new Lemur experience. Image - The new Image widget allows you to add custom PNG images directly to your project, opening up possibilities for incorporating image assets that are too complex to create with vector code in the Canvas widget. Whether you’re designing detailed graphics, branding your project with logos, or adding custom button icons, the Image widget makes it easy to enhance your templates with rich visual elements. Sequencer - Lemur 5.0 introduces a family of new features for tight sequencing, including three new objects: StepNote, StepSwitch, and StepSlider. Each offers a unique style of sequencing, ready to use right out of the box. These objects utilize the new "On Clock" execution mode, enabling high-precision synchronization to external MIDI clock. Simply add them to your template, and they’ll handle the hard work of controlling your MIDI instruments with perfect timing. In-App Editor (iPad Only) - Lemur now supports editing projects directly in the app. Virtually every function of the desktop editor is now accessible through an intuitive system of iOS menus and widgets. Best of all – it’s easier to use than ever, offering a smaller learning curve and an immediate initial experience. Any basic configuration, such as a bank of faders, or modifying a script can now be created with familiar taps and gestures. Skins - Lemur features three new skins, in addition to the classic look. Choose the look that fits your style and sparks your creativity. ---- Join the Lemur Community Forum! Now in its 10th year! Connect with others to ask questions, troubleshoot, share solutions, and explore Lemur programming with a community tailored to your needs. ---- Purchase a Perpetual Lifetime License or Subscribe Today! Access to Lemur requires a perpetual lifetime license or active paid subscription, available as an in-app purchase. Both give you full access to all features. ----
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Midi Controller at 4.1 against Lemur's 2.9. Lemur's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (13.6 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. Midi Controller sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Lemur sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Midi Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 42 and 15 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 39% of Midi Controller's written reviews are positive against 44% of Lemur's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Midi Controller ships an update every 7 months, Lemur every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Midi Controller | Lemur |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (42 ratings) — better | 2.9 (15 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 38.9% of reviews | 44.4% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 42 — better | 15 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 13.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 11 MB | 29 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Mizo LLC | MIDI Kinetics |
Customer experience
Midi Controller
Lemur
In-app purchases
Midi Controller
- Monthly: MIDI Controller7 Days trial$3.991 Month
- Lifetime: MIDI Controller$29.99
Lemur
- Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$99.991 Year
- Subscription Loyalty RewardFree
- Subscriber Early Upgrade$84.99
- Lifetime License$99.99








