Comparison

ShowMIDI vs Kalimba Keys

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

Head to head
About

ShowMIDI

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
Read full description

ShowMIDI is an open-source multi-platform GUI application to effortlessly visualize MIDI activity. Instead of wading through logs of MIDI messages to correlate relevant ones and identify what is happening, ShowMIDI visualizes the current activity and auto-hides what you don't care about anymore. It provides you with a real-time glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. ShowMIDI is designed to be always on, using the spacebar or play/pause button you can pause the flow and focus on a data snapshot with the latest state of any MIDI entity. ShowMIDI can be ran as a standalone application that automatically detects all your MIDI devices, or as an AUv3 plugin in your DAW or host to visualize MIDI data in your sessions. ShowMIDI visualizes: * MIDI ports * channels * program change * note on/off * channel pressure * polyphonic pressure * continuous control change * pitchbend * RPN and NRPN * MPE configuration and channel modes ShowMIDI supports: * themes * standalone operation * AUv3 operation

About

Kalimba Keys

This app offers a realistic and expressive Kalimba instrument experience with studio-quality sound. It features detailed sampling, a variety of built-in effects, and cross-platform preset management for seamless creativity.

Highlights
  • Individually-sampled Kalimba notes
  • Multiple Kalimba sound variations
  • Modulation and Space & Time FX
  • Adjustable effects order
  • 35 included presets
  • Cross-platform preset sharing
  • Standalone app and AUv3 compatibility
Features
Read full description

Kalimba Keys is your gateway to expressive Kalimba sounds. Experience the richness of Kalimba Keys, the go-to Kalimba instrument app that brings studio-quality sound to your fingertips. Immerse yourself in authenticity with round robin and per-key sampling, allowing for genuine and nuanced playback. Elevate your compositions with essential effects, including tape-style delay, powerful stereo reverb, and versatile modulation FX (Chorus, Phaser, Flanger, Tremolo, Auto Pan). Unlock the simplicity of creativity as you save and load configurations with cross-platform presets, ensuring seamless compatibility across sessions. Enjoy the freedom of full automation control, sculpting your ideal sound effortlessly. AUv3 compatible for use with your favorite host apps like Cubasis, GarageBand, AUM, & more! Explore the world of expressive Kalimba Keys – where simplicity meets precision. Features - Individually-sampled Kalimba notes - 4X Kalimba Sounds (Original, Classic, Large, & Small) - Modulation Multi-FX: Multiple FX section with 6 modes including Chorus, Flanger, Phase, Vibrato, Tremolo, Auto Pan - Space & Time FX: Further customize your sounds with natural reverb and tape-style delay effects - Effects Pre/Post Mode: Space & Time and Modulation effects orders can be swapped. - 35 Presets include for instant playability and inspiration - Cross-platform support: presets can be shared between iOS and macOS & Windows - Preset Manager included for saving, editing, and loading different presets - Standalone app and AUv3 included

Screenshots

ShowMIDI4 screens
Kalimba Keys3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ShowMIDI at Free against Kalimba Keys's $4.99. ShowMIDI also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 6 months). Kalimba Keys's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 88%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases 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

ShowMIDI is free to download; Kalimba Keys costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Kalimba Keys holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 18 and 14 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 88% of ShowMIDI's written reviews are positive against 100% of Kalimba Keys's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShowMIDI ships an update every 2 months, Kalimba Keys every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 5, 2026 and September 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
ShowMIDI versus Kalimba Keys: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShowMIDIKalimba Keys
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.8 (18 ratings)5.0 (14 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings18 — better14
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 6 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUwyn, LLCOSC Audio

Customer experience

ShowMIDI

All ratings18 ratings
Positive94.4%
Neutral5.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

Kalimba Keys

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

ShowMIDI

No in-app purchases

None

Kalimba Keys

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShowMIDI free?
ShowMIDI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Kalimba Keys free?
Kalimba Keys costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ShowMIDI or Kalimba Keys?
Kalimba Keys is rated higher. ShowMIDI averages 4.8 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Kalimba Keys averages 5.0 from 14 ratings.
Do ShowMIDI or Kalimba Keys have ads?
Neither ShowMIDI nor Kalimba Keys shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShowMIDI or Kalimba Keys?
ShowMIDI ships an update every 2 months, and Kalimba Keys every 6 months. Most recently, ShowMIDI was updated on September 5, 2026 and Kalimba Keys on September 7, 2026.

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