# MIDIWriter vs spectwhirl

The clearest difference is rating: spectwhirl at 4.0 against MIDIWriter's 1.5. spectwhirl also leads on review sentiment (33% vs 0%) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 35 months). MIDIWriter's advantage is price ($0.99 vs $4.99). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

MIDIWriter costs $0.99 and spectwhirl $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

spectwhirl holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 1.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of MIDIWriter's written reviews are positive against 33% of spectwhirl's.

MIDIWriter ships an update every 35 months, spectwhirl every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MIDIWriter | spectwhirl |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$0.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midiwriter/id520751563/reviews) | **[4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectwhirl/id6471030896/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **33.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 35 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 31 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Masayuki Akamatsu](https://appshunter.io/developer/284722836) | [Alexey Nadzharov](https://appshunter.io/developer/729549192) |

## What reviewers say

### MIDIWriter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/midiwriter/id520751563)

This app transforms keyboard input into musical notes and sounds. Type characters to instantly generate MIDI messages, or input phrases to create musical sequences with adjustable tempo and looping. It includes a built-in sound engine and supports external MIDI devices and apps.

**Highlights:** Text to MIDI conversion, Built-in General MIDI sound engine, Phrase playback with tempo control, Drum mode with multiple kits, External MIDI output, Hardware keyboard support, Wi-Fi MIDI networking

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### spectwhirl

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/spectwhirl/id6471030896)

This audio effect app transforms input sound into new textures and bell-like tones by extracting and manipulating sinewave components. It offers advanced control over delay lines, frequency shifting, and filtering, with gesture recording for parameter automation.

**Highlights:** Sinewave component extraction and grouping, Delay lines with feedback, Frequency shifter and sample-and-hold effects, Configurable filtering, Gesture recording for automation, Scene saving and management

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MIDIWriter free?

MIDIWriter costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is spectwhirl free?

spectwhirl costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, MIDIWriter or spectwhirl?

spectwhirl is rated higher. MIDIWriter averages 1.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while spectwhirl averages 4.0 from 5 ratings.

### Do MIDIWriter or spectwhirl have ads?

Neither MIDIWriter nor spectwhirl shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MIDIWriter or spectwhirl?

MIDIWriter ships an update every 35 months, and spectwhirl every 5 weeks. Most recently, MIDIWriter was updated on November 1, 2026 and spectwhirl on November 3, 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.*