MidiBus vs plugdata
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MidiBus
Synchronize MIDI clock signals between apps and devices with adjustable BPM and time signatures. Monitor the accuracy and stability of MIDI clock sources, including the app itself. Discover surprising performance metrics from your connected gear.
- MIDI clock sync generation
- Adjustable BPM and time signature
- Multiple MIDI destinations
- MIDI clock signal monitoring
- Accuracy and stability measurement
- iOS MIDI development library based
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MidiBus is a MIDI clock sync generator and monitor. Choose your bpm, time signature and MIDI destinations. Press the play button and all selected apps and devices will receive a synchronised, rock-solid MIDI sync clock source. On the flipside, monitor the MIDI clock signals of apps and devices (including MidiBus itself) and measure how accurate and stable they really are. You might be very surprised at the results. MidiBus is based on the iOS MIDI development library of the same name. Full details at http://midib.us
plugdata
This app provides a visual programming environment for audio experimentation, prototyping, and education. It allows users to create and run audio patches on their mobile devices, enabling creative sound design on the go.
- Visual programming environment
- Audio experimentation
- Prototyping
- Educational tool
- Standalone application
- Audio plugins
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plugdata is visual programming environment for audio experimentation, prototyping and education. With plugdata for iOS, you can bring your plugdata patches with you everywhere you go. This app ships with a standalone application and audio plugins.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: plugdata at Free against MidiBus's $2.99. plugdata also leads on ratings volume (17 vs 2). MidiBus's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (94% vs 63%). On update cadence, 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
plugdata is free to download; MidiBus costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
MidiBus holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: plugdata has 17 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of MidiBus's written reviews are positive against 63% of plugdata's.
MidiBus ships an update every 5 months, plugdata every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.
| Parameter | MidiBus | plugdata |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $2.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.4 (17 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 93.8% of reviews — better | 63.2% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 17 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 5.1.1 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 147 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Audeonic Apps | Timothy Schoen |
Customer experience
MidiBus
plugdata
In-app purchases
MidiBus
No in-app purchases
plugdata
No in-app purchases
