Comparison

KeyPad MIDI Controller vs PadLab

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

Head to head
About

KeyPad MIDI Controller

Transform your device into a professional MIDI controller with touch-optimized piano keys, drum pads, and performance controls. It supports SFZ, SF2, WAV, and M4A samples, and can control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired.

Highlights
  • Touch-optimized piano keyboard
  • 9-pad drum grid
  • XY performance pad
  • Built-in sound engine (SF2, SFZ, WAV, M4A)
  • AUv3 plugin support
  • Network MIDI for Mac control
  • Aftertouch and MPE expression
Features
Read full description

Transform your iPad or iPhone into a professional MIDI controller with a touch-optimized piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, drum pads, and XY performance controls. Control iOS apps, hardware synths, and Mac software wirelessly or wired, as a standalone app or an AUv3 plugin in your favorite DAW. Perfect for mobile producers, live performers, beat makers, and sound designers. CORE FEATURES • Built-in sound engine for SF2, SFZ, WAV, and M4A. • Piano keyboard, isomorphic grid, 9-pad drum grid, and XY performance pad. • Scale mode with 12 scales and any root key, on both piano and grid. • Aftertouch and MPE with Mono AT, Poly AT, and XY MPE modes. • Aftertouch and Mod Wheel remapping to any MIDI CC or Pitch Bend. • Velocity, Pitch Bend, and Modulation faders, plus a latching sustain button. • AUv3 plugin for GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, and Drambo. • Network MIDI, OSC output, and 16 MIDI channels + Omni. • Adaptive interface for all iPad and iPhone sizes. VIEW MODES Switch between five layouts from the View menu: Piano: a familiar 2-octave keyboard with height-based velocity. Grid: Isomorphic: every row and column keeps the same interval, so chords and scales have one shape anywhere. Grid: 2 Rows: a piano-style pair of rows, naturals below, sharps above. Grid: Minor Thirds: columns step up by 3 semitones, rows move chromatically. Grid: Big Piano: large naturals with quarter-size sharps. Your view, layout, and root note persist across sessions. SCALE MODE Choose from 12 scales - Major, Natural Minor, Harmonic Minor, Melodic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, Pentatonic Major, Pentatonic Minor, Blues, and Whole Tone - in any of the 12 root keys. On the grid, cells remap so only in-scale notes are laid out, putting every note under your fingers. On the piano, the keyboard keeps its familiar shape - the black and white pattern is how you find your place without looking. Rather than move notes around, out-of-scale keys dim and stop responding to touch, so only the keys in your key are labelled and playable. Wrong notes are simply out of reach. Switch back to Chromatic anytime for the full keyboard. GRID EXPRESSION Every grid layout includes a dedicated mod-wheel row. A vibrant gradient highlights roots and notes, optional labels show note names, and per-note MPE with pitch bend gives each finger independent control. BUILT-IN SOUND ENGINE Play sounds directly without any external app. Load SF2 SoundFonts with multi-preset selection, or import SFZ, WAV, and M4A samples. The low-CPU engine maps samples across the keyboard automatically, and sound files persist across sessions. AFTERTOUCH & MPE EXPRESSION Add expressive depth with four aftertouch modes. Mono AT applies uniform pressure across chords, Poly AT sends independent pressure per note, and XY MPE allocates per-note MIDI channels (2-16) with Y on CC74 and X on Pitch Bend. Remap aftertouch or mod wheel to any MIDI CC or Pitch Wheel. A green gradient on pressed keys shows pressure in real time. CONNECT TO YOUR MAC Control Logic Pro, Ableton Live, or any Mac music software from your iPad or iPhone. Connect wirelessly over your local network with Bonjour, or plug in via USB for a rock-solid, zero-latency link. STANDALONE OR AUV3 Load KeyPad inside GarageBand, AUM, Cubasis, BeatMaker, Drambo, or any AUv3 host to play your instruments without switching apps, with settings saved in your project. Or run it standalone to drive hardware synths, route MIDI to other iOS apps, or control your Mac. TOUCH-OPTIMIZED PERFORMANCE Height-Based Velocity: Touch keys at different vertical positions for dynamic velocity, with three curves to shape the response. XY Performance Pad: Control two parameters at once with multi-touch. Assign any MIDI CC to each axis for filter sweeps, effect morphing, or live sound manipulation. Smart Layout: Scales to the window, keeping the full layout with controls and pads on iPhone, iPad, Split View, and AUv3 plugin.

About

PadLab

This professional music app provides high-quality worship pads and drum sounds for live performance, worship services, and music production. It features an intuitive interface, MIDI controller support, and a clean design optimized for stage use.

Highlights
  • High-quality ambient worship pads
  • Instant drum sound triggering
  • MIDI controller support
  • Optimized for live performance
  • Professional sound quality
  • Multiple sound kits
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Play high-quality worship pads and drum pads in a simple, modern, and powerful interface built for church services, live shows, rehearsals, and music production. HIGHLIGHT: AUv3 SUPPORT • Use PadLab as an instrument inside AUv3-compatible apps • Integrate your worship pads into hosts, DAWs, and mobile setups • Ideal for music production, recording, and live performances • Bring PadLab sounds into your creative workflow PROFESSIONAL WORSHIP PADS • High-quality atmospheric pads • Smooth continuous playback • Natural transitions between keys • Multiple pad timbres available • Ideal for churches, keyboard players, and live performance PAD TIMBRES • Pad 1 • Pad Shimmer • Pad Shimmer 2 • Analog Pad • Dark Pad • AbbaPad • Pad Reverse • Pad Synth INTEGRATED DRUM PADS • Play sounds and samples instantly • Trigger drums in real time • Different kits for live performance • Individual drum pad control • Customize pad sounds and colors MIDI AND MIDI LEARN • Connect external MIDI controllers • Control pads and drums via MIDI • Map notes and controls with MIDI Learn • Bluetooth MIDI support on compatible devices • Ideal for keyboard players and live musicians SETLISTS AND PERFORMANCE • Save settings for live use • Organize presets for different songs • Switch pads and kits faster • Stage-focused interface METRONOME AND CLICK • Built-in metronome • BPM control • Click options for practice, rehearsals, and live performance BUILT FOR THE STAGE • Fast and responsive interface • Clean and modern design • Optimized for live use • Professional sound quality PadLab combines worship pads, drum pads, MIDI, setlists, metronome, and AUv3 in one app, offering practicality and quality for musicians who need professional performance. Download now and take your sound to the next level.

Screenshots

KeyPad MIDI Controller3 screens
PadLab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: KeyPad MIDI Controller at Free against PadLab's $2.99. KeyPad MIDI Controller also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.3) and ads (none vs shown). PadLab's advantage is chart position (#34 vs unranked) and ratings volume (39 vs 13). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

KeyPad MIDI Controller is free to download; PadLab costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

KeyPad MIDI Controller holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 39 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of KeyPad MIDI Controller's written reviews are positive against 71% of PadLab's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

KeyPad MIDI Controller ships an update every 2 days, PadLab every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
KeyPad MIDI Controller versus PadLab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKeyPad MIDI ControllerPadLab
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating4.9 (13 ratings) — better4.3 (39 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better70.7% of reviews
Number of ratings1339 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#34 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS14.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size13 MB386 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDiscoDSP LLCDaniel Albano

Customer experience

KeyPad MIDI Controller

All ratings13 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PadLab

All ratings39 ratings
Positive79.5%
Neutral5.1%
Negative15.4%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive70.7%
Neutral13.1%
Negative16.2%

In-app purchases

None

KeyPad MIDI Controller

No in-app purchases

None

PadLab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is KeyPad MIDI Controller free?
KeyPad MIDI Controller is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is PadLab free?
PadLab costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, KeyPad MIDI Controller or PadLab?
KeyPad MIDI Controller is rated higher. KeyPad MIDI Controller averages 4.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while PadLab averages 4.3 from 39 ratings.
Do KeyPad MIDI Controller or PadLab have ads?
PadLab shows ads; KeyPad MIDI Controller does not.
Which is updated more often, KeyPad MIDI Controller or PadLab?
KeyPad MIDI Controller ships an update every 2 days, and PadLab every 3 days. Most recently, KeyPad MIDI Controller was updated on September 20, 2026 and PadLab on September 23, 2026.

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