Comparison

LoopBud vs mKer

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

Head to head
About

LoopBud

Record, loop, and jam with unlimited MIDI patterns and bars. Features two recording modes, quantization, and tempo control for live performance effects. Export MIDI for further editing in other applications.

Highlights
  • Unlimited MIDI patterns and bars
  • Add and New recording modes
  • Quantization with adjustable levels
  • Tempo control for live effects
  • Single bar focus for recording/looping
  • MIDI export for external editing
Features
Read full description

LoopBud is a super simple yet very powerful MIDI recorder and looper. You can work with unlimited patterns. Although the 4-bar loops are very fun, you can work with an unlimited number of bars on each pattern! LoopBud has two record modes, Add mode and New mode. The "add mode" keeps adding new notes on each loop-cycle. The "new mode" clears out the previous recording and lets you record freshly on each cycle. You can work very fast with those modes. If you make a mistake, don't worry, you can use the "undo" option and get everything back! LoopBud has quantization enabled by default. You can toggle quantizing by pressing the "quantize" button on the top-left side. You can also set the level of quantization from the settings menu. If you want to speed up or slow down the clock, you can do so by pressing the "clock" button on the top-left side. You can achieve different effects on your live performances without a new recording. You can also focus on a single bar by pressing the bar measure on the top. You can either record or loop a single bar - which is a unique feature of LoopBud. In the settings menu, you can edit the piano roll's lowest and highest notes. The notes on the piano roll is not editable. However, you can export MIDI from the settings menu, and do editing on your favorite piano roll editor app! LoopBud is not an audio app, it's a MIDI app. You need to connect a MIDI input and a MIDI output for LoopBud to work. You can do so from the settings menu in the standalone app. You can use the MIDI matrix editor on your DAW if you are using the AUv3 plugin. LoopBud also supports Ableton Link on the standalone app.

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

LoopBud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: mKer at 4.5 against LoopBud's 3.8. mKer also leads on price ($3.99 vs $5.99). LoopBud's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

LoopBud costs $5.99 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

mKer holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 63% of LoopBud's written reviews are positive against 64% of mKer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
LoopBud versus mKer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLoopBudmKer
Price$5.99$3.99 — better
Rating3.8 (14 ratings)4.5 (22 ratings) — better
Positive reviews62.5% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1422 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPad
Requires iOS13.013.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCem OlcayAxart Labs OU

Customer experience

LoopBud

All ratings14 ratings
Positive64.3%
Neutral14.3%
Negative21.4%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral18.8%
Negative18.8%

mKer

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

In-app purchases

None

LoopBud

No in-app purchases

None

mKer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is LoopBud free?
LoopBud costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is mKer free?
mKer costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, LoopBud or mKer?
mKer is rated higher. LoopBud averages 3.8 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while mKer averages 4.5 from 22 ratings.
Do LoopBud or mKer have ads?
Neither LoopBud nor mKer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LoopBud or mKer?
LoopBud ships an update every 3 weeks, and mKer every 3 weeks. Most recently, LoopBud was updated on October 8, 2026 and mKer on October 6, 2026.

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