Comparison

AirBending vs Mobile MIDI

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

Head to head
About

AirBending

Transform your iPhone or iPad into a hands-free MIDI and OSC controller using just your hands. Control music software, synthesizers, or play built-in instruments with expressive gestures. Supports wireless connection to computers and hardware.

Highlights
  • Hands-free MIDI and OSC control
  • Use iPhone/iPad camera for tracking
  • Wireless connection to Mac and hardware
  • Built-in AUv3 instrument hosting
  • Customizable hand mapping and scales
  • Works with popular DAWs and DJ software
Features
Read full description

Turn your iPhone or iPad camera into a hands-free MIDI and OSC controller. No extra hardware, no wearables. Just move your hands to control any DAW, software synthesizer, DJ software, or virtual instrument with natural, expressive gestures — or play the instruments already installed on your device through the built-in Audio Unit host. Use the front camera to control your own setup, or flip to the back camera and let your audience join the performance. Try it free for 14 days. ** Control Any Setup, On Stage or Across the Network ** Send MIDI and OSC data wirelessly to your Mac, connect directly to class-compliant hardware synthesizers over USB-C, or play any installed AUv3 instrument right on your device. With built-in RTP-MIDI and OpenSoundControl (OSC) support, your iPhone or iPad becomes a wireless controller for your entire studio network — browse and connect to Macs, modular rigs, or any networked device without a single cable. Each preset stores its own independent OSC destination, so switching between songs means switching your entire routing automatically. ** Front or Back Camera, Your Choice ** Track your own gestures with the front camera while performing, or switch to the back camera to track someone else. Point it at your audience and let them control effects, visuals, or sounds with their hands. ** Perform Confidently in Any Lighting ** Automatic low-light detection and GPU-accelerated frame enhancement keep hand tracking reliable on dark stages, dim studios, and moody live sets — where other camera-based tools struggle. ** Smart Presets with Custom Hand Mapping ** Assign up to 4 parameters per preset across two axes and both hands. Map horizontal movement to pitch across any musical scale, vertical movement to dynamics, filter cutoff, resonance, volume, or pitch bend. Save unlimited presets for different songs, instruments, or performance setups. ** Custom Scale Builder ** Go beyond standard major and minor scales — chromatic, major and minor pentatonic are built in, or select any combination of notes to create custom scales, experimental modes, or unique melodic sequences tailored to your music. ** Works with Your Favorite Music and Performance Software ** AirBending integrates directly with Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Pro Tools, GarageBand, FL Studio, Traktor, Serato DJ, rekordbox, Resolume, VDMX, and any MIDI or OSC compatible app. Choose any MIDI channel from 1 to 16 per preset and assign independent CC numbers to each hand and axis for precise control. Hand tracking uses Apple's Vision framework for ultra-low latency and jitter-free control signals. ** Simple, Fair Pricing ** Start with a full-featured 14-day free trial — no account required. When it ends, unlock everything forever with a single one-time purchase, or keep playing in a free limited mode (one hand, one preset, one camera). No subscriptions. Key Features: - Hand tracking MIDI and OSC controller for iPhone and iPad - Built-in AUv3 instrument hosting — play installed synth apps directly from your gestures - Front and back camera support for self-tracking or audience interaction - Real-time gesture recognition with smoothing for stable control - RTP-MIDI wireless network MIDI with Bonjour peer discovery - USB MIDI for class-compliant synthesizers and hardware - OpenSoundControl (OSC) support with per-preset routing - Enhanced low light hand tracking for stage and studio - Custom scale and note selection, plus chromatic and pentatonic scales - Notes, control changes, and pitch bend output - Unlimited preset saving and recall - Works with any MIDI or OSC compatible DAW, DJ, or VJ app - No additional hardware required - Free 14-day trial, then a one-time unlock or a free limited mode Note: AirBending controls other software via MIDI and OSC, and can also play Audio Unit instruments installed on your device.

About

Mobile MIDI

Transform your mobile device into a versatile wireless MIDI controller. Utilize touch, motion, and device sensors to control virtually any aspect of your music production software. Save and share custom layouts for a personalized workflow.

Highlights
  • Wireless MIDI control via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or USB
  • Touch controls: drum pads, keyboard, XY pad, faders
  • Motion control: accelerometer, gyro, compass, pressure
  • ARKit face tracking and hand gesture control
  • AirPods head tracking for hands-free expression
  • Customizable layout designer
  • Save and share presets
Features
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a wireless MIDI controller. Almost any sensor in your phone can be a knob. Touch: • Drum pads, keyboard, XY, faders, build-your-own layouts Motion: • Accelerometer + gyro (6 axes) • Gravity, attitude (pitch/roll/yaw), user acceleration • Compass heading, magnetic field • Barometric pressure • Step cadence, shake triggers Device & environment: • Battery level, charging state, thermal state • Screen brightness • Microphone loudness (analyzed on-device, never recorded) Tracking: • ARKit face blendshapes — 52 expressions • Hand gestures via Vision • AirPods head tracking — nod, tilt, turn Output: Bluetooth LE, USB, or Wi-Fi (Network MIDI) to any DAW. Save and share presets. Built for musicians, producers, and experimentalists. No extra hardware. No subscription. Pay once. TOUCH • 16-pad drum grid with MPE polyphonic pressure • Keyboard with configurable range and octave, MPE-capable • XY pad for two-dimensional continuous control • 8-fader CC bank • Custom layout designer — drag-and-drop your own surfaces MOVE • 6-axis device motion — accelerometer and gyro • Tilt, shake, gravity (X, Y, Z) • Compass heading • Barometric pressure • Per-axis smoothing, deadzone, and scaling EXPRESS • ARKit face tracking — 52 facial blendshapes as continuous CCs • Hand tracking — gesture-based control via the front camera • AirPods head tracking — hands-free expression for live performance SENSE • Battery level and charging state • Screen brightness • Thermal state • Any system signal can drive MIDI MUSICAL TOOLKIT • 27 scales, 31 chords • Chord, strum, trigger, and toggle modes • Intelligent note-off handling — no stuck notes • MPE channel allocation with LRU across channels 2–16 PRESETS • Save, load, import, export • Five built-in templates to get started fast • Share presets with other Mobile MIDI users CONNECTIVITY • Bluetooth MIDI (BLE) • USB MIDI (via adapter) • Wi-Fi / Network MIDI • Auto-reconnect and device picker DESIGNED FOR PERFORMANCE • Low-latency native audio path • Wakelock keeps the screen on during gigs • MIDI activity indicator • Clean, minimalist interface built for low-light stages Every control source is mappable to any CC, note, or pitch bend, on any channel. Build the controller you actually want. One-time purchase. No accounts. No telemetry. No subscriptions. Made by Pounding Systems.

Screenshots

AirBending4 screens
Mobile MIDI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: AirBending at Free against Mobile MIDI's $8.99. AirBending also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). Mobile MIDI's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 18.6). On ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

AirBending is free to download; Mobile MIDI costs $8.99 up front. AirBending sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Mobile MIDI asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AirBending ships an update every 3 weeks, Mobile MIDI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AirBending versus Mobile MIDI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirBendingMobile MIDI
PriceFree — better$8.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS18.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNanas Sound OUAdam Hammad

Customer experience

AirBending

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Mobile MIDI

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

AirBending

One-time1
  • AirBending Full Access$12.99
None

Mobile MIDI

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is AirBending free?
AirBending is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mobile MIDI free?
Mobile MIDI costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do AirBending or Mobile MIDI have ads?
Neither AirBending nor Mobile MIDI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AirBending or Mobile MIDI?
AirBending ships an update every 3 weeks, and Mobile MIDI every 2 months. Most recently, AirBending was updated on September 20, 2026 and Mobile MIDI on September 18, 2026.

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