Comparison

ProTransport vs StepBud

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

Head to head
About

ProTransport

Control your digital audio workstation wirelessly over WiFi. Start and stop recordings, play back tracks, and manage your sessions without being tied to your computer. Supports a wide range of popular DAWs and Mackie Control protocol.

Highlights
  • Wireless DAW control
  • Record, playback, and transport controls
  • Supports ProTools, Logic, Ableton Live, and more
  • Mackie Control and HUI protocol support
  • WiFi network connection
  • Windows support via rtpMIDI
Features
Read full description

ProTransport is a simple remote control for your Digital Audio Workstation. ProTransport allows you to control your digital audio workstation wirelessly using your existing WiFi network. - Are you behind the drums or alone in the vocal booth and need to press record? - Do you like sitting on the couch and playing guitar instead of being glued to the computer? ProTransport is your answer! This version officially supports (not all features may work on all hosts, this is up to the application you use ProTransport with): - ProTools - Apple Logic - Ableton Live - Soundtrack Pro - Digital Performer - Cubase - MIO Console - Sonar - Reaper - Reason - Vegas - FL Studio - Studio One - Audition - Tracktion - Final Cut Pro - Any audio software that supports Mackie Control protocol (or HUI protocol). ** You must download ProRemoteServer in order to use ProTransport. ** Please visit www.folabs.com/download.html to download the server and to view setup instructions. Connect with us on Bluesky and X : @proremote ProTransport now supports Windows thru rtpMIDI !!! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

StepBud

This app is a versatile MIDI sequencer that allows for unlimited steps and detailed control over each step's parameters. It integrates with other music apps and supports various sequencing modes for creative performances.

Highlights
  • Unlimited steps
  • Step parameter control (note, velocity, rate, etc.)
  • Custom MIDI CC messages
  • Step locking and skipping
  • Master fader with copy/shift modes
  • Step Editor for detailed note editing
  • Arpeggio modes (up, down, random)
Features
Read full description

StepBud is a MIDI Sequencer with Audio Unit AUv3 plugin, Audiobus and Ableton Link. Add an unlimited number of steps to your sequencer. Your steps appear with a LED and a fader on top of your screen. You can change the active mode that your step faders displaying/controlling. - Set the current note or chord in range of the scale and key you selected with respect the range of the octave you want to focus, - Set the velocity, rate, gate time, modulation, pitch bend, portamento, probability and swing for each step, - Try increasing the rate and repeat count your steps if you want to add more flavor. - Send unlimited custom MIDI CC messages if you want to control your hardware or software synth parameters. - Lock steps if you don't want them to change their value. - Skip steps for creating interesting live performances. Below the step faders, you have a master fader where you can control your entire sequencer. It has two modes which you can change from the settings strip on the bottom of the app. - In copy mode, it assigns its value to each step. - In shift mode, it shifts up or down each step. If you want to go off-scale or try some crazy chords on some of your steps, or maybe on all of them, you can go to the Step Editor by double tapping the LED of the step you want to edit. In StepBud's powerful Step Editor, you can set your step's notes either from the virtual keyboard or your connected MIDI keyboard. Don't forget to enable MIDI in port of your MIDI keyboard or the you want to receive MIDI from the settings menu. You may also preview the selected notes by pressing the preview button in Step Editor for making sure you created the perfect sound for your particular step. You can also toggle the steps you want to disable by tapping its LED. If you long-press the LED, you can access a menu where you may copy/paste the steps around, remove them or edit them. If you enable the lock mode from the settings strip on the bottom of the app, you may adjust each visible step fader on the screen by a single swipe gesture without having to lift your finger up. Try to change your arppegio mode from the settings strip. You can sequence your steps up, down, up-down or random order. StepBud is a MIDI sequencer app and it does not generate sounds itself. You need to route its MIDI out port in the settings menu to the audio app you want to sequence. Please note that you need to have an iOS 11+ device and an Audio Unit host application such as AUM, apeMatrix, Cubasis, BeatMaker or Audiobus in order to use the StepBud as an Audio Unit plugin. And don't forget to route StepBud's MIDI out to the app or audio unit you want to sequence. StepBud's MIDI layer powered by free and open-source project AudioKit https://github.com/AudioKit/AudioKit Also, StepBud offers its core components for free on GitHub. Feel free to star, fork or contribute. https://github.com/cemolcay/MusicTheory https://github.com/cemolcay/LiveFader https://github.com/cemolcay/MIDIEventKit

Screenshots

ProTransport2 screens
StepBud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: StepBud at 4.4 against ProTransport's 2.0. StepBud also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 8 months). ProTransport's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $4.99). On review sentiment, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

ProTransport costs $1.99 and StepBud $4.99 up front. ProTransport sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. StepBud asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

StepBud holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StepBud has 38 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 65% of ProTransport's written reviews are positive against 71% of StepBud's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ProTransport ships an update every 8 months, StepBud fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
ProTransport versus StepBud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterProTransportStepBud
Price$1.99 — better$4.99
Rating2.0 (2 ratings)4.4 (38 ratings) — better
Positive reviews65.1% of reviews70.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings238 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS14.113.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFar Out LabsCem Olcay

Customer experience

ProTransport

All ratings2 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive65.1%
Neutral7.0%
Negative27.9%

StepBud

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral2.6%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews34 reviews
Positive70.6%
Neutral5.9%
Negative23.5%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

ProTransport

Subscriptions1
  • Remove Ads$4.991 Year
One-time3
  • Tip a small amount$0.99
  • Buy a drink$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

StepBud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ProTransport free?
ProTransport costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is StepBud free?
StepBud costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ProTransport or StepBud?
StepBud is rated higher. ProTransport averages 2.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while StepBud averages 4.4 from 38 ratings.
Do ProTransport or StepBud have ads?
Neither ProTransport nor StepBud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ProTransport or StepBud?
ProTransport ships an update every 8 months, and StepBud fortnightly. Most recently, ProTransport was updated on October 31, 2026 and StepBud on November 2, 2026.

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