# PianoRemote vs NS MIDI Player

The clearest difference is review sentiment: NS MIDI Player at 84% against PianoRemote's 16%. NS MIDI Player also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (211 vs 43). PianoRemote's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. NS MIDI Player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. PianoRemote asks for nothing beyond the download.

NS MIDI Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 43 and 211 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 16% of PianoRemote's written reviews are positive against 84% of NS MIDI Player's.

PianoRemote ships an update every 4 months, NS MIDI Player every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | PianoRemote | NS MIDI Player |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianoremote/id1499783999/reviews) | **[4.5 (211 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ns-midi-player/id1514225088/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 43 | **211** |
| Positive reviews | 16.4% of reviews | **83.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 80 MB | 130 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/448581784) | [Nitin Seshadri](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241696993) |

## What reviewers say

### PianoRemote

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pianoremote/id1499783999)

Control your Kawai digital piano with ease from your smartphone or tablet. Adjust settings, change sounds, and access built-in music with intuitive controls. Features include lesson modes and virtual technician adjustments.

**Highlights:** Control piano functions via smartphone/tablet, Intuitive UI consistent with piano touch panel, Music player with built-in songs, Lesson and Concert Magic modes, Adjust Metronome, Virtual Technician, Dual/Split, Bluetooth MIDI connection

**In-app purchases:** none


### NS MIDI Player

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ns-midi-player/id1514225088)

This application allows users to play MIDI files on their Apple devices. It supports various MIDI formats, custom sound fonts, and synchronized lyrics. Advanced features like audio export and MIDI output connection are available via a one-time purchase.

**Highlights:** Play standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi, .kar), Support for custom SoundFonts (.sf2, .dls), View time-synced lyrics, Connect to MIDI outputs, Export MIDI as audio, Queue multiple songs, Background audio and AirPlay support

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Thanks | $0.99 | one-time |
| Small Tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock) | $7.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
- 🎵 Excellent sound quality with soundfont support
- 💰 Free version available with core functionality
- 🎧 Custom soundfont compatibility
- 📱 QuickLook/QuickView integration for quick previews

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- ⏱️ Slow loading times for large MIDI files
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- ❌ Limited free version functionality
- 💸 Premium features behind paywall ($7.99-$22)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes frequently during normal use
- Settings menu causes crashes
- Export/conversion button force closes app
- Soundfont file picker fails to open
- Audio initialization errors with some soundfonts

**Requested features**

- Playlist creation and management
- Instrument selection/replacement per channel
- Background playback with screen off
- Auto-play all files in folder
- Pitch adjustment capability


## Frequently asked questions

### Is PianoRemote free?

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

### Is NS MIDI Player free?

NS MIDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?

NS MIDI Player is rated higher. PianoRemote averages 2.5 out of 5 from 43 ratings, while NS MIDI Player averages 4.5 from 211 ratings.

### Do PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player have ads?

Neither PianoRemote nor NS MIDI Player shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, PianoRemote or NS MIDI Player?

PianoRemote ships an update every 4 months, and NS MIDI Player every 3 months. Most recently, PianoRemote was updated on November 3, 2026 and NS MIDI Player on November 7, 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.*