Comparison

Virtual EP vs DAW Controller

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

Head to head
About

Virtual EP

Features
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Virtual expression pedal and whammy bar. This app sends a midi message to Apple Midi Network or to BLE devices.

About

DAW Controller

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Your sleeping iPhone becomes a wheel and fader controller for your DAW. Digital pianos and synths often have no Pitch Bend or Modulation wheel. Dedicated hardware is hard to find, and small keyboards with wheels tend to feel awkward or fiddly to set up. DAW Controller is a pure MIDI controller built to fill exactly that gap. โ–  Six controls Pitch Bend / Modulation / Expression / Main Volume / Breath / Custom CC. Big wheels let you send nuance with a fingertip. โ–  Three ways to your DAW Network MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, and USB. No OSC bridge, no extra conversion โ€” it reaches your Mac DAW (Cubase and others) directly. โ–  Haptics you can feel on a desk Solid haptic feedback that comes through even with the phone lying flat. โ–  Fits your hands Manual portrait/landscape switch, a left- or right-side control panel in landscape, and fader looks (metal / color / matte). โ–  Nothing extra No ads. No subscription. Buy once. Try it first, and if you like it, pay once โ€” for good. DAW Controller โ€” to be your obbligato.

Screenshots

Virtual EP3 screens
DAW Controller4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual EP at none against DAW Controller's 1. DAW Controller's advantage is update cadence (every 6 days vs every 7 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. DAW Controller sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Virtual EP asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Virtual EP ships an update every 7 months, DAW Controller every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Virtual EP versus DAW Controller: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVirtual EPDAW Controller
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 6 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.1 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size103 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarcos Gennari PatroniYasuhiro Misawa

In-app purchases

None

Virtual EP

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

DAW Controller

One-time1
  • DAW Controller (Buy Once)$11.99

Questions

Is Virtual EP free?
Virtual EP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is DAW Controller free?
DAW Controller is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Virtual EP or DAW Controller have ads?
Neither Virtual EP nor DAW Controller shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Virtual EP or DAW Controller?
Virtual EP ships an update every 7 months, and DAW Controller every 6 days. Most recently, Virtual EP was updated on September 29, 2026 and DAW Controller on October 9, 2026.

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