# Pad MIDI vs Chords Pad

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chords Pad at 77% against Pad MIDI's 26%. Chords Pad also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.9 vs 3.0). Pad MIDI's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Chords Pad is free to download; Pad MIDI costs $0.99 up front. Chords Pad sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Pad MIDI asks for nothing beyond the download.

Chords Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chords Pad has 96 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Pad MIDI's written reviews are positive against 77% of Chords Pad's.

Pad MIDI ships an update every 2 months, Chords Pad every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Pad MIDI | Chords Pad |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pad-midi/id412795962/reviews) | **[4.9 (96 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chords-pad/id1462256877/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **96** |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | **77.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 28 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thirteen32 Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1577479080) | [Loop-Sessions.LLC.](https://appshunter.io/developer/414215366) |

## What reviewers say

### Pad MIDI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pad-midi/id412795962)

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a versatile MIDI controller. It offers wireless and USB connectivity, customizable pads, and a full piano keyboard for your music production needs. Requires external hardware or software to generate sound.

**Highlights:** Bluetooth and USB MIDI support, 16 assignable MIDI pads, Full 88-key piano keyboard, Selectable MIDI channel and velocity, CC and Program Change controllers, MIDI message log/debugger

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Works as expected
- 👍 Simple and functional
- 👍 Great MIDI tool
- 👍 Free and functional
- 👍 Useful for triggering effects

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 No sound output
- 🐛 Crashes on startup
- 🐛 Does not load
- 🐛 Does not open
- 🐛 Ads are intrusive

**Reported bugs**

- App stays on loading page
- App crashes after splash screen
- App crashes on startup
- App won't load
- App won't open

**Requested features**

- Multi-touch support
- Turn phone display off and maintain connectivity
- Assign velocity to saved pads
- Numerical velocity input
- Customizable button colors/styles


### Chords Pad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chords-pad/id1462256877)

Explore musical chords with an interactive keyboard display and customizable pads. Visualize chord tones, experiment with progressions, and play notes via MIDI. Unlock advanced features and sounds through in-app purchases.

**Highlights:** Chord tone display on keyboard, Customizable chord pads, Chord progression builder, MIDI Bluetooth support, Multiple chord list layouts, Adjustable keyboard range

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All sounds are available | $0.99 | one-time |
| Available sending MIDI message | $0.99 | one-time |
| All chords are available | $2.49 | one-time |
| Always remove ads. | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Pad MIDI free?

Pad MIDI costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Chords Pad free?

Chords Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Pad MIDI or Chords Pad?

Chords Pad is rated higher. Pad MIDI averages 3.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Chords Pad averages 4.9 from 96 ratings.

### Do Pad MIDI or Chords Pad have ads?

Chords Pad shows ads; Pad MIDI does not.

### Which is updated more often, Pad MIDI or Chords Pad?

Pad MIDI ships an update every 2 months, and Chords Pad every 6 weeks. Most recently, Pad MIDI was updated on October 10, 2026 and Chords Pad 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.*