Comparison

MC Pad vs ShowMIDI

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

Head to head
About

MC Pad

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a versatile Bluetooth MIDI controller. Send MIDI commands to compatible devices and software, offering customizable controls and a hierarchical preset structure for live performances.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth MIDI controller
  • Control compatible devices
  • Support PC, CC, and Note commands
  • CC toggle mode
  • Hierarchical preset structure
  • Customizable UI
  • Screen lock for live performance
Read full description

MC Pad turns your iPhone / iPad into a Bluetooth MIDI controller. Control any Bluetooth MIDI compatible devices. Or link it with Bluetooth MIDI adaptor that plugged into MIDI In/Out ports. E.g. A Bluetooth MIDI adaptor plugged into an audio interface, use MC Pad to send MIDI command to it and control the DAW / plug-in. Main Features: - Connect up to 5 Bluetooth MIDI devices. - Support MIDI commands: PC (Program Change), CC (Control Change), Note. - CC toggle mode: enable CC command with toggle on/off (Two different CC commands) . - Hierarchy structure: Create list of presets, each preset contains number of MIDI commands. - Easy UI with customisable command button colour or image. - Screen Lock: Lock the screen during the live performance.

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

MC Pad4 screens
ShowMIDI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ShowMIDI at 88% against MC Pad's 50%. ShowMIDI also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price, update cadence and device support 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. MC Pad sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ShowMIDI asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ShowMIDI holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of MC Pad's written reviews are positive against 88% of ShowMIDI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MC Pad ships an update every 3 months, ShowMIDI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on June 1, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
MC Pad versus ShowMIDI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMC PadShowMIDI
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (5 ratings)4.8 (18 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings518 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.712.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRockCat Studio LimitedUwyn, LLC

Customer experience

MC Pad

All ratings5 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

ShowMIDI

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

In-app purchases

1 purchases

MC Pad

One-time1
  • Unlimited Credit + Remove Ads$0.99
None

ShowMIDI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MC Pad free?
MC Pad 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, MC Pad or ShowMIDI?
ShowMIDI is rated higher. MC Pad averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while ShowMIDI averages 4.8 from 18 ratings.
Do MC Pad or ShowMIDI have ads?
MC Pad shows ads; ShowMIDI does not.
Which is updated more often, MC Pad or ShowMIDI?
MC Pad ships an update every 3 months, and ShowMIDI every 2 months. Most recently, MC Pad was updated on June 1, 2026 and ShowMIDI on September 5, 2026.

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