# ShowMIDI vs Relic Waves

The clearest difference is price: ShowMIDI at Free against Relic Waves's $1.99. ShowMIDI also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 11 months). Relic Waves's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ShowMIDI is free to download; Relic Waves costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for ShowMIDI against 5.0 for Relic Waves. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 43 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 88% of ShowMIDI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Relic Waves's.

ShowMIDI ships an update every 2 months, Relic Waves every 11 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShowMIDI | Relic Waves |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showmidi/id6472608850/reviews) | **[5.0 (43 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relic-waves/id6472637691/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **43** |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 11 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 8 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Uwyn, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/597132109) | [Alexander Zolotov](https://appshunter.io/developer/324462547) |

## What reviewers say

### ShowMIDI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showmidi/id6472608850)

This application provides a real-time, glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. It visualizes various MIDI messages and allows you to pause the flow for a data snapshot. It can be used as a standalone tool or an AUv3 plugin within your DAW.

**Highlights:** Real-time MIDI visualization, Auto-hides irrelevant messages, Pause and snapshot data, Standalone application, AUv3 plugin support, Supports MPE configuration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Relic Waves

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/relic-waves/id6472637691)

Generate unique Lo-Fi sounds, pads, and effects using advanced synthesis algorithms. Explore billions of sonic possibilities with intuitive controls and real-time recording. Perfect for musicians and sound designers seeking experimental audio.

**Highlights:** Billions of unique Lo-Fi sounds, Random sound generation with search, Multiple keyboard input options, Real-time audio recording to WAV, Export to WAV, SunVox, and clipboard, MIDI control and processing, iOS Audio Unit Extension (AUv3)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ShowMIDI free?

ShowMIDI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Relic Waves free?

Relic Waves costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, ShowMIDI or Relic Waves?

Relic Waves is rated higher. ShowMIDI averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Relic Waves averages 5.0 from 43 ratings.

### Do ShowMIDI or Relic Waves have ads?

Neither ShowMIDI nor Relic Waves shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ShowMIDI or Relic Waves?

ShowMIDI ships an update every 2 months, and Relic Waves every 11 months. Most recently, ShowMIDI was updated on October 24, 2026 and Relic Waves on October 24, 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.*