Comparison

Reflow vs midi Sampler

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

Head to head
About

Reflow

Create, edit, and share musical scores and guitar tablature. Supports multiple instruments, realistic playback, and import/export of various file formats. Ideal for songwriters and musicians looking to compose and practice.

Highlights
  • Tablature and notation editor
  • Import Guitar Pro and MIDI files
  • Realistic instrument playback
  • Instant web sharing
  • Multi-track scores
  • Chord diagrams
  • Edit while playing
Features
Read full description

Reflow is a tablature and notation editor for guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals. Write tabs, compose songs, import Guitar Pro and MIDI files, and hear everything played back with realistic instruments. Trusted by thousands of musicians for over a decade. Instant Web Share - Share any score as a web link — one tap, no account needed - Recipients get a full interactive player with audio playback and cursor tracking - Speed control and loop markers in the web player - Links expire after 7 days Import Your Files - Open Guitar Pro 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 files (.gp, .gp5) - Import Standard MIDI files with track mapping and quantization controls - Import MusicXML files - Access thousands of tabs shared online Tablature & Notation - Guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele, and any stringed instrument - Bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, and all standard techniques - Lyrics with auto-advance — press Space or Hyphen to chain syllables across beats - Standard notation stays in sync above the tab staff - Custom tuning support Virtual Instruments - Interactive piano keyboard — tap to enter or preview notes - Interactive fretboard — see note names, tap to enter notes - Scale overlay — display any scale on the keyboard or fretboard Drum Notation - Full drum kit mapping on a standard percussion staff - Custom drum mapping editor — assign any MIDI note to any staff position - Enter beats with keyboard shortcuts, numeric keypad, or tap input Chord Diagrams - Built-in library with 89 chord types and voicings - Add diagrams above any beat - Chord names display automatically Multi-Track Scores - Combine guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals in one score - Solo, mute, and adjust volume and pan per track - Realistic instrument sounds across 128 instruments - Rack view with per-track controls and custom track colors Edit While It Plays - Edit your score during playback — hear changes in real time - Add notes, adjust dynamics, switch instruments without stopping Audio & Practice - High-quality instrument sounds with instant playback - Loop / A-B repeat — drag markers to loop any section - Adjustable playback speed from 0.25x to 2x - Metronome, precount, and playback tracking - MIDI input from external controllers View Modes - Continuous vertical scroll — modern reading experience - Page view with Fit Page Width - Free zoom and horizontal scroll Export & Share - Instant Web Share — temporary web link with interactive player - Export to MusicXML, GP5, GP7, MIDI, WAV, M4A, and PDF - Open your scores in Dorico, Sibelius, MuseScore, or Finale - Print your scores directly - Bundled sample songs to explore and learn from Keyboard Shortcuts - Full keyboard support on Mac and iPad with hardware keyboard - Works on all keyboard layouts — AZERTY, QWERTZ, and more Privacy First - All data stored locally on your device - iCloud backup and sync - No account, no login, no tracking - Works fully offline One-Time Purchase - Free to try — all features available in evaluation mode - Evaluation watermark and 10-measure export limit - Purchase once to remove the watermark and unlock full exports Download Reflow and start creating music today.

About

midi Sampler

Transform your device into a powerful musical instrument sampler. Record or import sounds to create custom instruments, play live with virtual keyboards, or connect an external MIDI controller. Explore a vast library of free sound samples.

Highlights
  • Create custom instruments from single sounds
  • Receive MIDI messages from external keyboards
  • Import common audio formats (wav, mp3, caf, m4a)
  • Automatic scale generation across 8 octaves
  • Two independent multi-touch virtual keyboards
  • Free downloadable sound samples
Features
Read full description

"midi Sampler" turns your device into a sampler for professional musicians and / or DJs composers able to: - Create the entire musical instrument from a single sampled sound - Receive MIDI messages from an external MIDI keyboard and play the corresponding notes - Turn any MIDI keyboard in any musical instrument / special effect that you want The application is simple and immediate ... once started you can immediately play the musical instrument of default "GRAND PIANO" (or download, by pressing the "i" (info button) -> "SAMPLES" of "midi keyboard", and play the FREE sound samples available on website www.ngcybit.it -> "Samples Collection"). To create a new musical instrument just: 1) record only one sound / voice / special effect "note: LA" or "note: A" (using the record button of "midi Sampler") or create it using any wave editor for Mac or PC (for example: Audacity). All the common audio formats are supported by "midi Sampler": - wav - mp3 - caf - m4a - etc ... 2) import the sound recorded or created with Your hands in your device: - through synchronization (using the iTunes software for Mac or PC) - by using the "iTunes File Sharing" 3) select the sound that you have imported using the buttons "Import" and/or "Samples" of "midi Sampler": "midi Sampler" will create for you the full scale of sounds and assign them to the virtual keyboard with 8 octaves of "midi Sampler", at which point you can play live with your instrument or entertain your friends with a scale of special effects using the two independent keyboards displayed on the monitor of the device and/or using any external MIDI keyboard connected to your device via: - iRig MIDI adapter - a camera connection kit USB adapter + USB to MIDI adapter (Apple compatible - generally used to connect an external MIDI keyboard to a Mac or PC) You can also import a song from the iTunes library and by controlling "SAMPLE START POSITION" select a sound of interest by extracting it from the imported song: "midi Sampler" will automatically create the complete musical instrument. The "SAMPLE START POSITION" control can also be used to choose the exact start position of the sound sample to be played: the "SAMPLE ATTACK POSITION". With "midi Sampler" you can record or manually create the sound you want and turn your device + external MIDI keyboard in any musical instrument you want! Features: - Import any type of sound and automatic generation of the scale of sounds (8 octaves) - Ability to store an infinite number sounds using the archive of sounds ("Samples Archive") of "midi Sampler" - "Samples Collection" with many sound samples free downloadable - "General MIDI samples" FREE library downloadable from the "Samples Collection" - Two independent keyboards multi-touch (24 + 24 keys) with independent octaves control for each keyboard - Ability to receive the MIDI messages from an external MIDI keyboard / MIDI device (with independent octaves control) - Filter for the MIDI IN messages - "Bending" control to change the sound in real time - "Sample Start Position" control to remove the initial part of a sound sample (eg silence) by specifying the start time instant of the sample (AUDIO CUT FEATURE) - "Sustain Pedal" - Multi voices (up to 96) - Default "GRAND PIANO" sample - Ability of "recording" of musical patterns during live performances:     enabling the recording (using the "midi Sampler" recording button), "midi Sampler" will record (audio file) the music played by the user using the keyboard (multi-touch keyboards or external MIDI keyboard)

Screenshots

Reflow4 screens
midi Sampler4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Reflow at Free against midi Sampler's $1.99. Reflow also leads on review sentiment (44% vs 0%) and rating (3.5 vs 2.6). midi Sampler's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Reflow is free to download; midi Sampler costs $1.99 up front. Reflow sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $34.99 per year. midi Sampler asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Reflow holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Reflow has 33 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 44% of Reflow's written reviews are positive against 0% of midi Sampler's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Reflow ships an update every 2 weeks, midi Sampler every 30 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Reflow versus midi Sampler: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterReflowmidi Sampler
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating3.5 (33 ratings) — better2.6 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews44.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings33 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 30 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.414.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB7 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperGargantGianluca Natalini

Customer experience

Reflow

All ratings33 ratings
Positive60.6%
Neutral9.1%
Negative30.3%
Written reviews116 reviews
Positive44.0%
Neutral12.9%
Negative43.1%

midi Sampler

All ratings5 ratings
Positive20.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative60.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative80.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Reflow

Subscriptions1
  • Reflow Premium7 Days trial$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Reflow — Full Version$14.99
None

midi Sampler

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Reflow free?
Reflow is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is midi Sampler free?
midi Sampler costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Reflow or midi Sampler?
Reflow is rated higher. Reflow averages 3.5 out of 5 from 33 ratings, while midi Sampler averages 2.6 from 5 ratings.
Do Reflow or midi Sampler have ads?
Neither Reflow nor midi Sampler shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Reflow or midi Sampler?
Reflow ships an update every 2 weeks, and midi Sampler every 30 months. Most recently, Reflow was updated on October 12, 2026 and midi Sampler on September 22, 2026.

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