Comparison

MIDITrail vs NS MIDI Player

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

Head to head
About

MIDITrail

This application allows you to play MIDI files and experience their data through immersive 3D visualizations. Enjoy both auditory and visual playback of your music. It supports various MIDI formats and can even offer a virtual reality experience.

Highlights
  • 3D MIDI data visualization
  • Standard MIDI File support (format 0/1)
  • CoreMIDI and multiple MIDI port support
  • Virtual Reality (VR) experience option
  • Internal wavetable synthesizer
  • Support for external sound modules
Features
Read full description

MIDITrail is a MIDI player which provides 3D visualization of MIDI data sets. You can enjoy not only listening but also viewing. MIDITrail supports Standard MIDI File (format 0/1), CoreMIDI, and multiple MIDI ports. MIDITrail is available for Windows, macOS and iOS. Optional feature: You can enjoy the VR(virtual reality) experience using cheap VR glasses for smartphones and the game controller for iPhone. Requirements: iOS 12.0 or later (1) Preparing MIDI files You have to transfer MIDI files to your iOS device from Mac or PC. Connect your iOS device to Mac or PC, and launch iTunes. Then you can transfer MIDI files using 'File Sharing'. Or you can add MIDI files to MIDITrail using Files App of iOS. (2) Preparing Sound module You can use sound module which supports Core MIDI. And you can use internal wavetable synthesizer. There are three ways as shown below: The first way is to use the internal wavetable synthesizer. You have to transfer the wavetable file (DLS/SF2) to your iOS device in advance. The second way is to use Synth App which supports 'Virtual MIDI Port' and 'Background Mode'. (e.g., KQ Sampei, bs-16i, Sound Canvas for iOS) The third way is to connect MIDI interface device and external sound module. (e.g., CME U2MIDI Pro)

About

NS MIDI Player

This application allows users to play MIDI files on their Apple devices. It supports various MIDI formats, custom sound fonts, and synchronized lyrics. Advanced features like audio export and MIDI output connection are available via a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Play standard MIDI files (.mid, .midi, .kar)
  • Support for custom SoundFonts (.sf2, .dls)
  • View time-synced lyrics
  • Connect to MIDI outputs
  • Export MIDI as audio
  • Queue multiple songs
  • Background audio and AirPlay support
Features
Read full description

NS MIDI Player is a simple MIDI player for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Features include: - Free! - No ads, subscriptions, or data collection - Play standard MIDI files (SMF) with file extensions .mid, .midi, and .kar - GM and GS standards supported with the default SoundFont - Use custom SoundFonts with file extension .sf2 or .dls - View time-synced lyrics - Connect to MIDI outputs with Core MIDI* - Export MIDI files as audio* - Queue multiple songs to be played in order* - "Open with" from other apps, such as Safari - Integrated with the Files app (iOS and iPadOS) - Supports drag-and-drop - Supports Quick Look previews - Share MIDI files directly from the app - Supports background audio and AirPlay - Lock screen and Control Center controls with scrubbing - Gapless repeat mode - Playback speed control with tap tempo - Customizable reverb - Transpose* Note: Features marked with an asterisk (*) require upgrading to the full version before they can be used. This is a one-time purchase shared across all of your devices and helps support further development. All other features are free. Included FluidR3Mono GM SoundFont is licensed under the MIT License. Included Sample MIDI file is "Hard Times" from http://www.soundswell.co.uk/pages/swmids.htm and is in the public domain. This app and its creator are not affiliated with the creators of these files in any way.

Screenshots

MIDITrail4 screens
NS MIDI Player2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NS MIDI Player at 4.5 against MIDITrail's 3.2. NS MIDI Player also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 57%). MIDITrail's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.5). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Both are free to download. NS MIDI Player sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. MIDITrail asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NS MIDI Player holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 81 and 196 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 57% of MIDITrail's written reviews are positive against 84% of NS MIDI Player's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIDITrail ships an update every 4 months, NS MIDI Player every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MIDITrail versus NS MIDI Player: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDITrailNS MIDI Player
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (81 ratings)4.5 (196 ratings) — better
Positive reviews57.2% of reviews84.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings81196 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.5
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB130 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWADA MasashiNitin Seshadri

Customer experience

MIDITrail

All ratings81 ratings
Positive48.1%
Neutral12.3%
Negative39.5%
Written reviews138 reviews
Positive57.2%
Neutral12.3%
Negative30.4%

NS MIDI Player

All ratings196 ratings
Positive88.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.7%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive84.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative10.0%

Bugs and requests

MIDITrail

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

NS MIDI Player

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • App crashes frequently during normal use
  • Settings menu causes crashes
  • Export/conversion button force closes app
  • Soundfont file picker fails to open
  • Audio initialization errors with some soundfonts
Show 9 more
  • App freezes after several minutes of use
  • Some MIDI files only play with default soundfont
  • Reverb and echo instruments play at incorrect volumes
  • App stops playing when sent to background
  • File extension case sensitivity (.mid vs .MID)
  • Large MIDI files (1.2MB+) fail to load or load extremely slowly
  • Soundfont compatibility issues with newer formats
  • Audio output issues despite correct system settings
  • App reappears on iPad after deletion from Mac

Requested features

16 requests
  • Playlist creation and management
  • Instrument selection/replacement per channel
  • Background playback with screen off
  • Auto-play all files in folder
  • Pitch adjustment capability
Show 11 more
  • MIDI file browser within app
  • Visual feedback (piano roll, notes, chords)
  • Support for additional formats (MMF, MXMF, PMD, MLD)
  • DLS level 1 support
  • Drag and drop from Finder
  • File deletion button
  • Track history/recently played list
  • Persistent soundfont loading
  • Loop sections of MIDI files
  • External control via Bluetooth
  • Batch file processing

In-app purchases

None

MIDITrail

No in-app purchases

5 purchases

NS MIDI Player

One-time5
  • Thanks$0.99
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
Show 2 more
  • NS MIDI Player (Full Unlock)$7.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is MIDITrail free?
MIDITrail is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NS MIDI Player free?
NS MIDI Player is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MIDITrail or NS MIDI Player?
NS MIDI Player is rated higher. MIDITrail averages 3.2 out of 5 from 81 ratings, while NS MIDI Player averages 4.5 from 196 ratings.
Do MIDITrail or NS MIDI Player have ads?
Neither MIDITrail nor NS MIDI Player shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDITrail or NS MIDI Player?
MIDITrail ships an update every 4 months, and NS MIDI Player every 3 months. Most recently, MIDITrail was updated on September 18, 2026 and NS MIDI Player on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons