Comparison

Keys vs MES Arpeggiator

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

Head to head
About

Keys

Turn your mobile device into a versatile MIDI master keyboard. Connect wirelessly to musical instruments and DAWs to control virtual instruments and enhance your music production and live performances.

Highlights
  • Transform device into MIDI master keyboard
  • Connect to musical devices
  • Send MIDI notes and CC
  • Control virtual instruments
  • MIDI over Bluetooth
  • Customizable MIDI mapping
Features
Read full description

Transform your iPad or iPhone into a powerful Midi Master Keyboard with our app! Our app allows you to connect to any musical device and send Midi notes and Midi CC, making your mobile device a versatile tool for music production and live performance. Whether you're a professional musician or just starting out, our app offers a simple and intuitive interface to help you create, control, and perform music. With our app, you can easily connect to your digital audio workstation (DAW), synthesizers, and other musical devices to control virtual instruments and bring your musical ideas to life. Our app also supports MIDI over Bluetooth, allowing you to connect wirelessly to your musical devices. Plus, with the ability to customize your Midi mapping, you can personalize your setup to fit your unique needs. Take your music production and performance to the next level with our Midi Master Keyboard app for iPad and iPhone. Download now and experience the power of mobile music making.

About

MES Arpeggiator

Features
Read full description

MES Arpeggiator is a creative MIDI arpeggiator for iPhone and iPad, available as both a standalone app and an AUv3 MIDI plugin. Use it in plugin hosts (for example AUM and other AUv3 hosts) to drive your favourite synths, or run it standalone to sketch ideas quickly. At its core, MES Arpeggiator is about fast inspiration with musical results: choose a chord, set the feel, and generate evolving patterns that instantly fit your track. Shape the output with range, speed, gate and swing, then refine the pattern with hands-on performance controls. Built for real iOS workflows AUv3 MIDI plugin: load inside AUv3 hosts and route MIDI to instruments for instant musical results Standalone app: great for writing, sketching and experimenting away from a full session Built-in FM synthesizer (standalone): audition arpeggios immediately with punchy, musical FM sounds—perfect for previewing patterns before routing MIDI to other instruments Powerful pattern generation & control Skippable steps: choose which steps are active or muted in real-time to reshape the groove on the fly Euclidean rhythms: generate perfectly distributed pulses across your sequence—from simple grooves to complex polyrhythms with a single control Deep pattern control: adjust octave range and direction, then shift/translate patterns horizontally or vertically for evolving movement Loop controls: focus on a subsection with loop start/end/length—great for fills, variations and evolving sequences Advanced note timing: choose durations from 1/1 to 1/64, including dotted and triplet subdivisions for tight rhythmic control Gate & swing: sculpt note length and groove in real time without interrupting playback Randomization & presets: generate new patterns instantly, then save and recall favourites for fast workflow Visual feedback: the step grid shows active steps and play position so you always know exactly what the arpeggiator is doing Chord Board for instant harmony Open the Chord Board to pick chords quickly, change the root note and scale, and trigger harmonies that feed straight into the arpeggiator—an easy way to go from “blank page” to musical progression. Note: MES Arpeggiator generates MIDI patterns. When used as a plugin, it controls other instruments (it does not output audio as a synth inside the AUv3 MIDI effect).

Screenshots

Keys4 screens
MES Arpeggiator4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Keys at $5.99 against MES Arpeggiator's $14.99. MES Arpeggiator's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 10 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

Keys costs $5.99 and MES Arpeggiator $14.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Keys ships an update every 10 months, MES Arpeggiator every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
Keys versus MES Arpeggiator: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeysMES Arpeggiator
Price$5.99 — better$14.99
Rating1.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 10 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB32 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLittleCodeShop.comMake Electronic Sound OU

In-app purchases

None

Keys

No in-app purchases

None

MES Arpeggiator

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Keys free?
Keys costs $5.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MES Arpeggiator free?
MES Arpeggiator costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Keys or MES Arpeggiator have ads?
Neither Keys nor MES Arpeggiator shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Keys or MES Arpeggiator?
Keys ships an update every 10 months, and MES Arpeggiator every 2 months. Most recently, Keys was updated on October 6, 2026 and MES Arpeggiator on October 14, 2026.

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