# VS vs HxMIDI Tools

VS and HxMIDI Tools both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 80% of VS's written reviews are positive against 0% of HxMIDI Tools's. VS also leads on ratings volume (125 vs 4) and chart position (#99 vs unranked). HxMIDI Tools's advantage is price (Free vs $24.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On rating and ads there is nothing between them.

HxMIDI Tools is free to download; VS costs $24.99 up front. VS sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. HxMIDI Tools asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for VS against 4.5 for HxMIDI Tools. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: VS has 125 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 80% of VS's written reviews are positive against 0% of HxMIDI Tools's.

VS ships an update every 6 weeks, HxMIDI Tools every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | VS | HxMIDI Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $24.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.6 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vs-visual-synthesizer/id1560330289/reviews)** | [4.5 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hxmidi-tools/id6737767548/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **125** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **80.4% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#99** | — |
| Size | 787 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.1 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [Imaginando Lda](https://appshunter.io/developer/895445015) | [CME PTE. LTD.](https://appshunter.io/developer/833376644) |

## What reviewers say

### VS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/vs-visual-synthesizer/id1560330289)

**Currently charting:** #99 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Generate dynamic, audio-reactive visuals for your music projects. This app offers extensive customization with layers, shaders, images, and video, allowing you to perform visuals live or record them for your tracks. Integrate seamlessly with DAWs and external displays.

**Highlights:** 8 polyphonic visual layers, Shader, image, and video materials, Modulation matrix, AUv3 plugin support, Live performance output, Built-in video recorder, Custom shader editor

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

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retina Refill Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Textural Memories Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Cyber Spells Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Retro Riot Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Raw Reflections Preset Pack | $17.99 | one-time |
| Noir Cuts Preset Packs | $17.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- ✨ Awesome audiovisual workflow
- 💡 Powerful yet easy to use
- 🎨 Great for getting vibes out
- 🌟 Expands musical aspirations visually
- 🎛️ Easy to work with (Imaginando apps)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 No elegant way for live synchronized video out
- 🔌 Popout to external displays only in standalone app
- 🚫 Standalone app can't run in background
- 🎛️ Doesn't work well plugged into looper or DAW
- ❌ Not fun at all

**Reported bugs**

- No elegant way to get live synchronized video out
- Popout to external displays only in standalone app, which can’t run in background
- Video record export issue: videos are 30+ minutes when recorded for shorter duration
- NDI stream not working
- App crashes frequently

**Requested features**

- Integrate an audio tool for Spotify/other audio sources
- Allow using any graphic or photo content as a layer
- Hope for Metal rendering for super performance shaders
- More ways to interact between layers (displacement, feedback)
- Post-processing effects (luma key, feedback, kaleidoscope, mirror)


### HxMIDI Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hxmidi-tools/id6737767548)

This software allows owners of CME USB MIDI Host products to update firmware and fully configure their devices. Users can manage routing, mapping, and filtering of MIDI and USB inputs and outputs.

**Highlights:** Firmware updates for CME USB MIDI Hosts, Configure routing between MIDI and USB inputs/outputs, Filter incoming MIDI events, Map incoming MIDI events to others, Full product configuration

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is VS free?

VS costs $24.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is HxMIDI Tools free?

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

### Which has better reviews, VS or HxMIDI Tools?

VS is rated higher. VS averages 4.6 out of 5 from 125 ratings, while HxMIDI Tools averages 4.5 from 4 ratings.

### Do VS or HxMIDI Tools have ads?

Neither VS nor HxMIDI Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, VS or HxMIDI Tools?

VS ships an update every 6 weeks, and HxMIDI Tools every 2 weeks. Most recently, VS was updated on October 27, 2026 and HxMIDI Tools on October 24, 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.*