Comparison

ONE Control Plus vs ShowMIDI

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

Head to head
About

ONE Control Plus

This app offers a unified platform for music production, combining DAW and MIDI controller functionalities. It features customizable modules for composing your own controllers and emulates popular hardware surfaces for seamless integration with various music software.

Highlights
  • Modular controller customization
  • DAW controller emulation (MCU)
  • Launchpad controller replica
  • Support for MIDI, OSC, and MMC
  • Customizable themes and styles
  • Multiple controller limit options
Features
Read full description

ONE Control Plus introduces a unified app combining ONE Control DAW and ONE Control PRO. Enjoy the Essential plan for free, forever. Or make the most of ONE Control with a one-time In-App Purchase Expansion Pack. Existing ONE Control DAW and PRO users get a free automatic migration to Plus. Essential (Free) * Essential Modular Controller * Essential DAW Controller * Launchpad controller * Limit of 4 controllers DAW Expansion Pack (In-App purchase) * Advanced DAW Controllers * Essential Modular Controller * Launchpad controller * Limit of 10 controllers PRO Expansion Pack (In-App purchase) * Pro Modular Controller * Pro DAW Controllers * Advanced bidirectional MIDI communication * OSC Support * Unlimited Controllers MAIN FEATURES Modular Controller - Compose your MIDI/OSC controllers with a few touches - Dozens of customizable modules: Faders, Knobs, Buttons, Pads, Keyswitches, XY Pads, Envelopes, Stepper, Interactive Displays, Keyboards, Backgrounds - Bidirectional MIDI IN: Components react to external MIDI sources, featuring a quick Learn mode - Four themes: Default, Minimal, Modern, Retro (PRO) - Many customisable control styles (PRO) - Configure actions with custom events: MIDI (CC, Note, etc.), MMC, OSC, Pitch Bend, Realtime, RPN/NRPN, SysEx - Advanced automation workflow with a new Events and Actions UI and Passthrough actions (PRO) - Customisable Multi-Step components (PRO) - Add background textures and images with effects (PRO) - Save up to 128 presets (patches) per controller with MIDI Bank support (PRO) - Organise in multiple pages, navigating quickly with swipe gestures (PRO) - Copy and paste pages or quick paste modules to build faster (PRO) - Add help, comments and best practices for collaborators (PRO) DAW Controller - Faithful replica of the Mackie Control Surface (MCU) - Customisable templates for: Apple Logic Pro, Steinberg Cubase/Nuendo, Ableton Live, Cakewalk, Universal Audio LUNA, Studio One, Digital Performer, Reaper, Reason, Vegas, Tracktion, Bitwig, FL Studio, Audition, Premiere, DaVinci Resolve - Generic MCU template for other DAWs - Dynamic context-aware buttons - Cheat Sheets for major DAWs included - VU-Meters (PRO) - Customisable buttons (PRO) Launchpad Controller - Replica of the Novation Launchpad X - Compatible with Ableton Live and Logic Pro 10.6+ - Play/record clips and live loops - Control Volume, Pan, Sends, Solo, Mute, Record Arm - Play MIDI notes and Billboard scrolling messages OTHER FEATURES - Use your device in Landscape or Portrait orientation - Creators Library: Share custom templates and discover community ones with ratings - External Controller Support: Control ONE Control itself (Preset/Page changes) via external MIDI - Redesigned controller browser with Recents and Favorites - Side inspector for lightning-fast edits - Wired, LAN, and Bluetooth connections - Auto-connect to MIDI Network session (PRO) - MacOS and Windows* host compatibility - Independent MIDI configuration per controller - iPadOS multi-window and Widget support - Switch between controllers with a single tap - Share controllers or save to iCloud Drive (PRO) - Optimized for all iPad models and iPadOS 26 - Step-by-step connection guides and video tutorials *Windows Network MIDI requires an RTP MIDI driver (like rtpMIDI).

About

ShowMIDI

This application provides a real-time, glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. It visualizes various MIDI messages and allows you to pause the flow for a data snapshot. It can be used as a standalone tool or an AUv3 plugin within your DAW.

Highlights
  • Real-time MIDI visualization
  • Auto-hides irrelevant messages
  • Pause and snapshot data
  • Standalone application
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Supports MPE configuration
Features
Read full description

ShowMIDI is an open-source multi-platform GUI application to effortlessly visualize MIDI activity. Instead of wading through logs of MIDI messages to correlate relevant ones and identify what is happening, ShowMIDI visualizes the current activity and auto-hides what you don't care about anymore. It provides you with a real-time glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. ShowMIDI is designed to be always on, using the spacebar or play/pause button you can pause the flow and focus on a data snapshot with the latest state of any MIDI entity. ShowMIDI can be ran as a standalone application that automatically detects all your MIDI devices, or as an AUv3 plugin in your DAW or host to visualize MIDI data in your sessions. ShowMIDI visualizes: * MIDI ports * channels * program change * note on/off * channel pressure * polyphonic pressure * continuous control change * pitchbend * RPN and NRPN * MPE configuration and channel modes ShowMIDI supports: * themes * standalone operation * AUv3 operation

Screenshots

ShowMIDI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShowMIDI at 88% against ONE Control Plus's 29%. ShowMIDI also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.2) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). On price, 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

Both are free to download. ONE Control Plus sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. ShowMIDI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShowMIDI holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 29% of ONE Control Plus's written reviews are positive against 88% of ShowMIDI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ONE Control Plus ships an update every 3 months, ShowMIDI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ONE Control Plus versus ShowMIDI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterONE Control PlusShowMIDI
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (21 ratings)4.8 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews29.4% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings21 — better18
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.612.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size100 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVisuality srlUwyn, LLC

Customer experience

ONE Control Plus

All ratings21 ratings
Positive47.6%
Neutral14.3%
Negative38.1%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive29.4%
Neutral29.4%
Negative41.2%

ShowMIDI

All ratings18 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

ONE Control Plus

One-time5
  • ONE Control DAW (Upgrade)Free
  • ONE Control PRO (Upgrade)Free
  • ONE Control DAW$8.99
Show 2 more
  • ONE Control PRO (Upgrade)$12.99
  • ONE Control PRO$17.99
None

ShowMIDI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ONE Control Plus free?
ONE Control Plus is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShowMIDI free?
ShowMIDI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ONE Control Plus or ShowMIDI?
ShowMIDI is rated higher. ONE Control Plus averages 3.2 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while ShowMIDI averages 4.8 from 18 ratings.
Do ONE Control Plus or ShowMIDI have ads?
Neither ONE Control Plus nor ShowMIDI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ONE Control Plus or ShowMIDI?
ONE Control Plus ships an update every 3 months, and ShowMIDI every 2 months. Most recently, ONE Control Plus was updated on September 14, 2026 and ShowMIDI on September 20, 2026.

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