Thesys vs MIDI FX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Thesys
This app is a powerful and intuitive MIDI step sequencer for creating complex musical patterns. It offers extensive control over MIDI devices, enabling organic bass lines, leads, and pads for studio or live performance. Advanced features allow for real-time pattern manipulation directly from a MIDI keyboard.
- MIDI Step Sequencer
- Pattern Creation
- Live Performance Options
- Real-time Pattern Manipulation
- Integrated Synth
- Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown)
- Ableton Link Support
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Thesys is an extremely powerful and intuitive MIDI Step Sequencer app, giving you control over just about all aspects of your favorite MIDI devices. Use Thesys to create varied and organic bass lines, screaming leads, pulsating chords, and organic pad sounds in the studio or on stage. For live musicians, Thesys provides an extremely versatile palette of performance options which can be triggered right from your MIDI keyboard: you can transpose, manipulate, twist up, mutate, and mangle your patterns without even getting near your iPad. No other MIDI sequencer plugin offers you the ease and power of Thesys. It is 100% MIDI compliant and therefore provides the ultimate MIDI sequencing solution. iPad Edition Features: • Integrated Synth • Action Section (Gatetime, Looper, Slowdown...) • Pattern Sequencer • Standalone & Audio Unit v3 • Ableton Link Support • MIDI file Export • MIDI Support (Virtual, Netzwerk, Extern, Bluetooth), MIDI Learn & Host Automation • MIDI Clock Sync (Master & Slave) • Preset iCloud Sync • Preset Share • Zoom
MIDI FX
This app allows you to control and process MIDI signals for music creation. It offers features like harmonization, transposition, and sequencing, enabling you to control external or virtual synthesizers and create complex musical arrangements.
- MIDI signal processing
- Harmonize and Transpose
- Sequencer for synths
- Delay and Looper
- Filter notes by velocity
- Internal instruments
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Buy once and get the iOS and Mac apps (with Family Sharing) Control your MIDI signals and process them in any combination of ways: Harmonize, Transpose, Arpeggiate, etc... Or use the Sequencer to play any external or virtual synth. Use a MIDI interface to unlock the power of the app to control multiple synths with one keyboard, play one note and generate chords, basslines, etc... Use the delay/looper or filter notes based on velocity or other parameters to send to different synths/effects. A MIDI workstation in your pocket (or your iPad/Mac) You can also use some internal instruments (drums sampler, piano or synth) if you are away from your MIDI gear, and sequence whole songs inside the app, or use other synth apps as input/output for MIDI FX. Your imagination is the limit!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: MIDI FX at every 9 days against Thesys's every 2 months. MIDI FX also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Thesys's advantage is ratings volume (86 vs 5). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Thesys sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and MIDI FX sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MIDI FX holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Thesys has 86 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Thesys ships an update every 2 months, MIDI FX every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Thesys | MIDI FX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (86 ratings) | 5.0 (5 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 86 — better | 5 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 14.7 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 29 MB | 263 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sugar Bytes GmbH | Jorge Arroyo |
Customer experience
Thesys
MIDI FX
In-app purchases
Thesys
- Thesys Full Version$19.99
MIDI FX
- Unlock app$9.99









