Comparison

Kalimba Keys vs MidiWrist Unleashed

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

Head to head
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

About

MidiWrist Unleashed

Transform your Apple Watch into a standalone MIDI controller. Directly connect to Bluetooth LE MIDI devices without your iPhone, offering tactile control with haptic feedback and the digital crown. Customize knobs, buttons, and pages for a personalized music production experience.

Highlights
  • Standalone Apple Watch MIDI controller
  • Direct Bluetooth LE MIDI connection
  • Digital Crown control with haptic feedback
  • Configurable knobs, buttons, and pages
  • Transport control for DAWs
  • Motion data transmission
  • Save and manage presets
Features
Read full description

MidiWrist Unleashed turns your Apple Watch into a standalone MIDI controller that directly connects to any advertised Bluetooth LE MIDI device, without the need of your iPhone or any other proxy. The tactile feel of the digital crown combined with haptic feedback, gives you control over any MIDI device by touching your wrist, even when you're not looking. MidiWrist Unleashed makes no sound on its own and can't advertise itself as a Bluetooth LE MIDI device. NOTE: The reliability of Bluetooth LE MIDI support in hardware devices varies. MidiWrist Unleashed was tested with iPhone, iPad, Mac and CME WIDI devices. We can't guarantee the connection stability nor MIDI message latency with other devices. IMPORTANT: MidiWrist Unleashed can only connect to Bluetooth MIDI devices, and doesn't support Siri commands. If you need to connect to other MIDI devices or use the Siri features, the original MidiWrist app is still available with those features. Features: • Standalone MIDI controller for your Apple Watch • Fully configurable on your Watch, no external app is required • Watch face complication to launch the app straight from your watch face • Any number of knobs can be controlled with the Digital Crown • Macro control over multiple MIDI parameters from the Digital Crown • Remotely Play / Stop / Pause / Record / Rewind / Fast Forward your DAW from your Watch • Knobs can be controlled individually or simultaneously • Knobs can be linked to preserve their offsets • Any number of buttons can be toggled by tapping the Watch • Buttons can either be stateful or momentary • Double tap to actuate controls on Apple Watch Series 9, Ultra 2 and later • Buttons and triggers can send a single CC or channel pressure value instead of switching between a minimum and a maximum • Pages can be created with any combination of controls choosing from buttons and knobs • Program changes through the Digital Crown or by tapping the Watch • Transport control over MIDI Machine Control (MMC) or Mackie Control Universal (MCU) • Scrub transport with the Digital Crown • Save / Undo / Redo / Toggle Cycle / Toggle Click / Enter through MCU • XY pad with individual messages for each axis • Stepper panel to step through MIDI values with plus and minus buttons, accelerating as you hold • Motion data (pitch, roll, yaw, acceleration) can be sent in real time • Trigger thresholds for motion data to send discrete messages instead of a continuous stream • Configurable accelerometer range, so a strong movement can be told apart from an ordinary one when you wear the watch somewhere other than your wrist • Optional haptic feedback • Configurable colors for all knobs, buttons and panels • Configurable labels for knobs, buttons and panels • Configurable MIDI channels and MIDI messages (continuous control, program change, channel pressure, note) • Create any number of controller pages you need • Delete and rearrange controller pages • Save your configurations to presets for easy retrieval • MIDI learn for easy controller configuration • Delete and rearrange presets • Connect to other Bluetooth MIDI devices • Low latency and fast response

Screenshots

Kalimba Keys3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Kalimba Keys at $4.99 against MidiWrist Unleashed's $14.99. Kalimba Keys also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (100% vs 80%). MidiWrist Unleashed's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Kalimba Keys costs $4.99 and MidiWrist Unleashed $14.99 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 4.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 14 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Kalimba Keys's written reviews are positive against 80% of MidiWrist Unleashed's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kalimba Keys ships an update every 6 months, MidiWrist Unleashed every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 4, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Kalimba Keys versus MidiWrist Unleashed: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKalimba KeysMidiWrist Unleashed
Price$4.99 — better$14.99
Rating5.0 (14 ratings) — better4.2 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings14 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, Apple Watch
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size112 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOSC AudioUwyn, LLC

Customer experience

Kalimba Keys

All ratings14 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

MidiWrist Unleashed

All ratings6 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Kalimba Keys

No in-app purchases

None

MidiWrist Unleashed

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kalimba Keys free?
Kalimba Keys costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is MidiWrist Unleashed free?
MidiWrist Unleashed costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Kalimba Keys or MidiWrist Unleashed?
Kalimba Keys is rated higher. Kalimba Keys averages 5.0 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while MidiWrist Unleashed averages 4.2 from 6 ratings.
Do Kalimba Keys or MidiWrist Unleashed have ads?
Neither Kalimba Keys nor MidiWrist Unleashed shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Kalimba Keys or MidiWrist Unleashed?
Kalimba Keys ships an update every 6 months, and MidiWrist Unleashed every 3 weeks. Most recently, Kalimba Keys was updated on November 4, 2026 and MidiWrist Unleashed on October 30, 2026.

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