Comparison

InstaChord vs MIDI Drum

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

Head to head
About

InstaChord

This app offers an innovative electronic musical instrument for instant music performance and learning chord progressions. It features intuitive controls for playing chords like a guitar or piano, with options to switch between interfaces and play various chord types. It also supports MIDI connections for expanded musical possibilities.

Highlights
  • Instant music performance
  • Guitar and piano interfaces
  • Play various chord types
  • Learn chord progressions
  • MIDI connection support
  • Set key for any song
Read full description

InstaChord-i is an easy-to-play musical instrument, a learning tool for chord progressions, and an auxiliary tool for composing. You can experience an innovative electronic musical instrument "InstaChord", which has raised about $770,000 by crowdfunding with this app. https://instachord.com (This app was developed under the supervision of Mr. Yuichi Nagata, the developer of "InstaChord".) ■ Features ◆ Can perform music instantly You can enjoy playing like a guitar or piano by tapping and swiping the pads while holding down the buttons with the chord symbols (C, Dm, etc.). There are fundamental chords based on music theory on the screen, so you can make a song just by choosing buttons loosely. ◆ Guitar or Piano You can choose from two types of interfaces, "guitar strings" and "piano keyboards". ◆ Play various chords If you press "~" (swap button) at the same time, the major and minor of the chord will be switched. (Ex: "F" + "~" → "Fm", "Em" + "~" → "E") You can also play various chords by pressing the chord buttons (7, M7, sus4, etc.) at the same time. * Some functions are paid options ◆ You can play any song When you set the Key setting to the key of a song, the fundamental chords (diatonic chords) used for that song are assigned to the buttons on the screen, so you can easily play songs with any key. Since numerals (scale degree) is written on the screen, it is ideal for learning chord progressions. ◆ MIDI Connection - Virtual MIDI: Control ohter Virtual MIDI compatible synth app on your device. * GarageBand doesn't support Virtual MIDI input. - Wi-Fi: Send MIDI notes to PC or Mac via Wi-Fi. * Windows PC requires connection software such as rtpMIDI. - BLE MIDI: Send MIDI notes to Mac or other iOS device via Bluetooth. ■ Playable chords major, minor, 7, M7, m7, mM7, add9, m9, sus4, dim, aug, m7-5 * Some chords are paid options ■ Built-in 28 Sounds * It is different from the built-in sound of the hardware version of InstaChord. * Some sound sources are paid options Ac.Guitar E-Gt.Jazz E-Gt.Clean E-Gt.Dist Sitar Koto Ac.Piano E.Piano Vibraphone Marimba Agogo Lead Synth Polysynth Brightness Rock Organ Church Organ Accordion Strings Synth Strings Voice Oohs Trumpet Synth Brass Flute Whistle Warm Pad Bowed Grass Metal Pad Rain FX ■ InstaChord-i website https://instachord.com/app

About

MIDI Drum

Create and perform drum patterns with an 8-track sequencer. Connect to external instruments and apps via Bluetooth or USB MIDI. Share your creations and explore a library of user-made songs.

Highlights
  • 8-track drum sequencer
  • User-friendly interface
  • Live performance mode
  • General MIDI sound source
  • Bluetooth LE and USB MIDI support
  • Song library for sharing
  • Export Standard MIDI Files (paid add-on)
Features
Read full description

Key Features: - 8-track drum sequencer - Simple, user-friendly interface - Display and edit 4 to 48 steps across 4 cycles on a single screen - Live performance with up to 6 toggleable blocks - Built-in sound source compliant with General MIDI - Compatible with electronic instruments via MIDI connection (e.g., Casiotone, PortaTone, InstaChord) - Connection options: Bluetooth LE MIDI or USB MIDI - Extend sound sources by connecting with other apps such as bs-16i - Can be operated via external MIDI devices, keyboards, and page-turning switches - Song library for sharing self-created data and downloading from other users - Export Standard MIDI Files (SMF) – available as a paid add-on *Loading data created by other users is free. *In-app purchases apply across all devices. Official Website (Japanese): https://instachord.com/product/midi-drum/ User Manual (English): https://kantan-music.notion.site/MIDI-Drum-Manual-5976bdeba4f04900851f0e3c9ae247d6 Song Library: https://instachord.com/community/drum-data/ Developer: bismark [https://www.bismark.jp/

Screenshots

InstaChord4 screens
MIDI Drum4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: InstaChord at 4.9 against MIDI Drum's 3.7. InstaChord also leads on ratings volume (16 vs 3). MIDI Drum's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Both are free to download. InstaChord sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and MIDI Drum sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

InstaChord holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: InstaChord has 16 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

InstaChord ships an update every 3 months, MIDI Drum every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
InstaChord versus MIDI Drum: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstaChordMIDI Drum
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (16 ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews86.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings16 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLoop-Sessions.LLC.InstaChord Corp.

Customer experience

InstaChord

All ratings16 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive86.7%
Neutral6.7%
Negative6.7%

MIDI Drum

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

InstaChord

One-time3
  • Available All Chords$1.99
  • All sounds are available$1.99
  • Available sending MIDI message$4.99
2 purchases

MIDI Drum

One-time2
  • Save in proprietary format$4.99
  • Export as SMF$4.99

Questions

Is InstaChord free?
InstaChord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MIDI Drum free?
MIDI Drum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, InstaChord or MIDI Drum?
InstaChord is rated higher. InstaChord averages 4.9 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while MIDI Drum averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do InstaChord or MIDI Drum have ads?
Neither InstaChord nor MIDI Drum shows ads.
Which is updated more often, InstaChord or MIDI Drum?
InstaChord ships an update every 3 months, and MIDI Drum every 3 weeks. Most recently, InstaChord was updated on October 24, 2026 and MIDI Drum on October 24, 2026.

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