Comparison

MIDI Designer Pro X vs Skym

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

Head to head
About

MIDI Designer Pro X

Create custom MIDI controllers for any MIDI-enabled hardware or software. Offers extensive customization, a large user-created layout library, and robust MIDI communication. Ideal for musicians and producers seeking a personalized control experience.

Highlights
  • Control any MIDI-enabled device
  • Network, Bluetooth, and USB MIDI
  • Extensive user layout library
  • Customizable control surfaces
  • Advanced MIDI transformation features
  • Ableton Link integration
Features
Read full description

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/

About

Skym

Control your Ableton devices with expressive touch gestures. This MIDI controller app lets you manipulate four parameters simultaneously, offering instant variability and interest to your sounds. It requires Ableton on macOS and does not generate sound on its own.

Highlights
  • Touch control for Ableton devices
  • Control 4 parameters simultaneously
  • X, Y, Speed, and Gate parameters
  • USB or Bluetooth connection
  • Free starter Ableton project included
  • Expressive sound design
Features
Read full description

Touch control for your Ableton devices. Skym is a MIDI controller app that allows you to control 4 parameters of your Ableton devices at once. Simply download the app, and install our Ableton script on Mac, and you can connect over USB or Bluetooth to perform expressive sound design. Our free starter Ableton project has some sounds to get you up and running. Skym sends 4 parameters at once. X, Y, Speed (how fast your touch is moving), and Gate (flips on and off with touch). These parameters automatically map to macros 1, 2, 3, and 4 respectively. Combining these layers of control on synths, samplers, effects, gives you access to instant variability and interest in your sounds. Note Skym is a controller and not a sound generator, so the app does not make sound on its own. We only support connection and integration with Ableton on Mac. Mac OS must be 10.11 or later Ableton must be 11.0.0 or later

Screenshots

MIDI Designer Pro X4 screens
Skym4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: MIDI Designer Pro X at Free against Skym's $7.99. MIDI Designer Pro X also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and rating (4.6 vs 4.3). Skym's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.6). On review sentiment, 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

MIDI Designer Pro X is free to download; Skym costs $7.99 up front. MIDI Designer Pro X sells 14 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month and Skym sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MIDI Designer Pro X holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MIDI Designer Pro X has 271 ratings behind it against 22, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of MIDI Designer Pro X's written reviews are positive against 80% of Skym's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIDI Designer Pro X ships an update every 5 days, Skym monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MIDI Designer Pro X versus Skym: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI Designer Pro XSkym
PriceFree — better$7.99
Rating4.6 (271 ratings) — better4.3 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews78.8% of reviews80.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings271 — better22
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size209 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperConfusion Studios LLCResGuide LLC

Customer experience

MIDI Designer Pro X

All ratings271 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral2.2%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews165 reviews
Positive78.8%
Neutral4.2%
Negative17.0%

Skym

All ratings22 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%

In-app purchases

14 purchases

MIDI Designer Pro X

Subscriptions10
  • MDPx Premium iPhone Only$1.491 Month
  • MDPx Premium iPad Only$2.491 Month
  • MDPx Premium iPad, iPhone$2.991 Month
Show 7 more
  • MDPx Premium Mac Only$4.491 Month
  • 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 Only$44.991 Year
  • MDPx Premium Mac, iPad, iPhone$49.991 Year
One-time4
  • Extra Features Pack$4.99
  • Automatic Backups$4.99
  • Audeonic Stream Byter Plugin$4.99
Show 1 more
  • MDPx Premium Lifetime$124.99
4 purchases

Skym

One-time4
  • Heat Map$4.99
  • Warp Speed$9.99
  • Pulse Cell$9.99
Show 1 more
  • Life Flower$9.99

Questions

Is MIDI Designer Pro X free?
MIDI Designer Pro X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Skym free?
Skym costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MIDI Designer Pro X or Skym?
MIDI Designer Pro X is rated higher. MIDI Designer Pro X averages 4.6 out of 5 from 271 ratings, while Skym averages 4.3 from 22 ratings.
Do MIDI Designer Pro X or Skym have ads?
Neither MIDI Designer Pro X nor Skym shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDI Designer Pro X or Skym?
MIDI Designer Pro X ships an update every 5 days, and Skym monthly. Most recently, MIDI Designer Pro X was updated on October 29, 2026 and Skym on October 27, 2026.

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