Pad MIDI vs MIDI Designer Pro X
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Pad MIDI
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.
- 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
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Pad MIDI turns your iPhone/iPad into MIDI pads and keyboard for your synth or DAW * Supports Bluetooth wireless / USB MIDI * Supports native Mac OS Network MIDI (Core MIDI) * 16 assignable / nameable MIDI pads * Full 88 key piano * Selectable MIDI channel and velocity * CC / Program change controllers * MIDI message log / debugger * Requires external synth or plugin to produce sound Learn how to connect here: http://support.thirteen32.com/apps/padmidi/
MIDI Designer Pro X
This app is a professional-grade, customizable MIDI controller for music production. It allows users to control any MIDI-enabled hardware or software, with extensive community-created layouts and powerful 'superpowers' for advanced MIDI manipulation. It supports AUv3 plugins and offers robust network, Bluetooth, and USB MIDI communication.
- Control any MIDI-enabled hardware/software
- AUv3 MIDI Processor Extension
- Reliable MIDI communication (Network, Bluetooth, USB)
- Extensive user layout library (350+ layouts)
- Powerful 'Superpowers' for MIDI manipulation
- Community support and layout sharing
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MIDI Designer Pro X (MDPx) is the culmination of over a decade of improvement. We launched MIDI Designer Pro in 2012 and relaunched it in 2016 as MIDI Designer Pro 2. MDP2 was the first and only professional-grade MIDI controller built natively for iOS, earning critical acclaim. Since launch, over 80 updates have greatly expanded its capabilities. Our user-created library now covers 375+ MIDI targets across music hardware and software. In 2024, MDPx took a significant leap forward with the expressive "Spaceship" theme on iPad and Mac and major iPhone usability advances. It now adds AUv3 support in hosts such as AUM, Cubasis, and Logic. A new subscription model — Premium — allows even more users to use the App in their music-making and discover the App Store's best MIDI controller for themselves. CAPABILITIES • Control all MIDI-enabled hardware and software: keyboards, synths, effects, pedals, DAWs, plug-ins, DJ, VJ & lighting rigs, other iOS apps, robots, cruise ships, rail guns, particle accelerators • AUv3 MIDI Processor Extension: Host MDPx inside AUM, Cubasis, Logic, and other AUv3 hosts. • Solid MIDI Communications Infrastructure: Sets the industry standard for reliable and robust MIDI interactions over Network, Bluetooth and USB. • Active Community of Authors: A vibrant ecosystem supporting legacy and current music synthesizers, sound engines, DAWs, and all MIDI-controlled devices. • Extensive User Layout Library: More than 350 layouts for over 80 manufacturers, contributed by the Community. • Comprehensive Support: Whether you're just starting or tackling complex MIDI implementations, with the Community we are here to assist. • MIDI Designer's 'Superpowers': A suite of powerful features exclusive to MIDI Designer that we have developed over the last 10+ years, including: • Ableton Link and Link Control Loopers • Supercontrols and subcontrols as the basis for many features (with no scripting!): • Snap sub to value over time • Sequential subs • Subcontrol chaining • Button groups (radio buttons) with Bounceback™ • Steppers • Live Transpose • Group Presets • Named Ticks • Accelerometer • Simplified Sysex Messages with variables and bit changers • Snap to Value over Time • Global Presets • Pedalboards • Popup Panels (Show/Hide) • Two-up Page Layout for iPad/Mac • Streambyter Plugin by Audeonic for advanced MIDI transformation MDPx is easy to use, infinitely flexible and customizable, and battle-tested in performance. It's the only professional-grade MIDI controller built from the ground up for iOS to control ANYTHING via MIDI. dream | create | play COMMUNITY The MIDI Designer Community has built layouts for popular MIDI targets. Here are just a few: • Ableton Live • Air Music Tech: Xpand!2 • Arturia: Synclavier V, Analog Lab 4 • Audiofier: Riffendium • Chase Bliss: Mood MKII, Reverse Mode C, Thermae • Clavia: NORD LEAD 4 • DSI: Prophet 12 • Elektron: Octatrack MKII • E-MU: Planet Phatt • Eventide: Pitchfactor, Modfactor • Fractal: Axe-FX • Hauptwerk: St. Anne's Symphonic Organ • Kawai: K1, K1r • Korg: Volca Series, 707 • Line 6: POD X3, POD XT, POD HD500, POD Go • Meris: Enzo, Polymoon • M-Audio: Venom • Novation: MiniNova • Moog: Voyager, Animoog, Little Phatty, Slim Phatty, MF-104m Analog Delay • Omnisphere • Pigtronix: Infinity Looper • Roland: Jupiter-Xm, RD-2000, RD-88, FA-06/FA-07/FA-08, VG-99, JX-3P, JX-8P, MKS-30, MKS-50, MKS-80 • Sample Logic: Morphestra 2 • Sonokinetic: Noir • Soundiron: Steel Tones • TC Electronic: Nova Drive NDR-1 • ValhallaDSP: ÜberMod, VintageVerb, FreqEcho, Shimmer, Room • Yamaha: DX7 (TX7), TQ5, SY77 (TG77), DX21, Reface DX, AN200/PLG-100AN/AN1X FIND OUT MORE Web: midiDesigner.com/mdpx Community Layouts: midiDesigner.com/community Manual: midiDesigner.com/manual EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: MIDI Designer Pro X at 79% against Pad MIDI's 26%. MIDI Designer Pro X also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and rating (4.6 vs 3.0). Pad MIDI's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 9) and chart position (#176 vs unranked). On ads 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
MIDI Designer Pro X is free to download; Pad MIDI costs $0.99 up front. MIDI Designer Pro X sells 9 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Pad MIDI asks for nothing beyond the download.
MIDI Designer Pro X holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MIDI Designer Pro X has 272 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 79% of MIDI Designer Pro X's.
Pad MIDI ships an update every 2 months, MIDI Designer Pro X every 5 days. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.
| Parameter | Pad MIDI | MIDI Designer Pro X |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.0 (1 ratings) | 4.6 (272 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 26.3% of reviews | 78.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 272 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #176 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 209 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Thirteen32 Pty Ltd | Confusion Studios LLC |
Customer experience
Pad MIDI
MIDI Designer Pro X
Bugs and requests
Pad MIDI
Reported bugs
14 issues- App stays on loading page
- App crashes after splash screen
- App crashes on startup
- App won't load
- App won't open
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- No sound output
- Ads cannot be escaped
- Accidentally clicked remove ad, needs refund
- Ads couldn't be clicked out of
- Notes don't work
- Cannot connect to software
- App crashes when loading
- App crashes when opening
- App automatically closes
Requested features
10 requests- Multi-touch support
- Turn phone display off and maintain connectivity
- Assign velocity to saved pads
- Numerical velocity input
- Customizable button colors/styles
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- XY pad or faders/rotary encoders
- More pages and knobs
- Instructional video for setup
- Support for newer software versions
- USB connection for reduced latency
MIDI Designer Pro X
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Pad MIDI
No in-app purchases
MIDI Designer Pro X
- MDPx Premium iPhone Only$1.491 Month
- MDPx Premium iPad Only$2.491 Month
- MDPx Premium iPad, iPhone$2.991 Month
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- MDPx Premium Mac, iPad, iPhone$4.991 Month
- MDPx Premium iPhone Only$14.991 Year
- MDPx Premium iPad Only$24.991 Year
- MDPx Premium iPad, iPhone$29.991 Year
- MDPx Premium Mac, iPad, iPhone$49.991 Year
- MDPx Premium Lifetime$124.99
Questions
Is Pad MIDI free?
Is MIDI Designer Pro X free?
Which has better reviews, Pad MIDI or MIDI Designer Pro X?
Do Pad MIDI or MIDI Designer Pro X have ads?
Which is updated more often, Pad MIDI or MIDI Designer Pro X?
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