# Midi Studio vs Mellowsound

The clearest difference is price: Mellowsound at Free against Midi Studio's $1.99. Mellowsound also leads on rating (4.3 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (237 vs 65). Midi Studio's advantage is iOS requirement (5.1.1 vs 15.6). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Mellowsound is free to download; Midi Studio costs $1.99 up front. Midi Studio sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Mellowsound sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Mellowsound holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 65 and 237 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 64% of Midi Studio's written reviews are positive against 60% of Mellowsound's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Midi Studio ships an update every 5 weeks, Mellowsound every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Midi Studio | Mellowsound |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midi-studio/id519720275/reviews) | **[4.3 (237 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mellowsound-vintage-sampler/id1313209081/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 65 | **237** |
| Positive reviews | **64.4% of reviews** | 60.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 500 MB | 899 MB |
| Requires iOS | **5.1.1** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [VITALIY TARASYUK](https://appshunter.io/developer/519720278) | [Fingerlab](https://appshunter.io/developer/412786610) |

## What reviewers say

### Midi Studio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midi-studio/id519720275)

This app acts as a modular MIDI control surface, allowing users to remotely control software and hardware via Wi-Fi or USB. It offers various touch controls like faders, knobs, and XY pads for music production and studio setups.

**Highlights:** Modular MIDI control surface, Wi-Fi and USB connectivity, Faders, knobs, buttons, XY pads, Customizable layouts (Pro version), CoreMidi message support, Velocity sensitive keys

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Live Drums Layout | $0.99 | one-time |
| CD Player Layout | $0.99 | one-time |
| Vinyl Player Layout | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy ready-made layout | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy Control | $1.99 | one-time |
| DJ Mixer Layout | $1.99 | one-time |
| Buy Gold Layout | $4.99 | one-time |
| Daw Control Layouts | $4.99 | one-time |
| Buy Premium Layout | $9.99 | one-time |
| Create Custom Layouts | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎛️ Versatile MIDI controller with multiple layout options
- 🚀 Low latency wireless MIDI connection over WiFi
- 💡 Velocity-sensitive keyboards and drum pads
- 🎹 Works seamlessly with popular DAWs (Logic, Ableton, Reason, Reaper)
- 👍 Easy to set up and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases for custom layouts ($15-$23)
- 📦 Extremely large app size (500MB+) for a MIDI controller
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📚 Poor documentation and unclear setup instructions
- 🚫 No customer support or unresponsive support team

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup or during use
- MIDI keyboard and drum pads frequently break or become unresponsive
- Dropped MIDI events during performance
- Connectivity issues between iOS devices
- In-app purchase store causes crashes

**Requested features**

- Bluetooth MIDI support as alternative to WiFi
- MIDI learn function for easier configuration
- IAA (Inter-App Audio) or Audiobus support
- Editable drum pad layouts with half-step intervals
- Configuration profiles for switching between instruments


### Mellowsound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mellowsound-vintage-sampler/id1313209081)

Experience the iconic sounds of a 1960s keyboard sampler with this app. It offers professional audio quality, allowing you to play vintage orchestra sounds on your device. Customize your sound with various effects and recording options.

**Highlights:** Authentic Mellotron emulation, Professional 16-bit/44.1Khz audio, Photo-realistic user interface, Blend mode for two instruments, MIDI and Audio Unit support, In-app purchases for more instruments and FX

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Chamberlin Instruments Pack | $8.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🎹 Authentic Mellotron sounds
- 🔊 Great sound quality
- 🎨 Nice visual design
- 💸 Good value for money
- 🔌 Integrates well with other apps

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔇 Limited free version
- 🔒 Paywall for full functionality
- 🎹 Keyboard range limited to 3 octaves
- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔋 High battery drain

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatibility with some iOS versions and devices
- Issues with Inter-App Audio and AUv3 functionality
- Keyboard not responsive or disappearing

**Requested features**

- Ability to blend/layer multiple instruments
- Expanded sound library with more Mellotron presets
- Sustain pedal support
- MIDI channel selection
- Improved performance in DAWs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Midi Studio free?

Midi Studio costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Mellowsound free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Midi Studio or Mellowsound?

Mellowsound is rated higher. Midi Studio averages 4.0 out of 5 from 65 ratings, while Mellowsound averages 4.3 from 237 ratings.

### Do Midi Studio or Mellowsound have ads?

Neither Midi Studio nor Mellowsound shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Midi Studio or Mellowsound?

Midi Studio ships an update every 5 weeks, and Mellowsound every 4 weeks. Most recently, Midi Studio was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mellowsound on October 23, 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.*