# ShowMIDI vs Kalimba Keys

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | ShowMIDI | Kalimba Keys |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [4.8 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showmidi/id6472608850/reviews) | **[5.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba-keys/id6474580189/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **18** | 14 |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 8 MB | 112 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) | [OSC Audio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1693533681) |

## 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


### Kalimba Keys

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kalimba-keys/id6474580189)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*