Comparison

MIDI Scribe vs MIDI Memos

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

Head to head
About

MIDI Scribe

This app automatically records practice sessions from MIDI instruments, segmenting takes by breaks or specific MIDI commands. Review and organize your recordings with a piano roll, star favorites, and export them as MIDI files. It prioritizes user privacy with no ads or data collection.

Highlights
  • Automatic take capture
  • Configurable idle time for new takes
  • Manual take control via MIDI commands
  • Piano roll for reviewing takes
  • Starring favorite takes
  • Configurable retention policy for unstarred takes
  • Export as MIDI files
Read full description

MIDI Scribe is a free productivity app for capturing and organizing practice takes from your MIDI-capable musical instrument. Run it while you practice, and it will automatically start new takes after every session break, with a configurable auto-take idle time, as well as support for specific MIDI commands (such as a middle or left piano pedal press) to manually start and end takes. A piano roll is provided to review and scrub individual takes. Star the takes that you want to keep indefinitely, while unstarred takes are cleaned up over time based on a configurable retention policy. All takes can be exported as MIDI files for use in other programs. MIDI Scribe is completely private. Connect your instrument, capture your takes, and keep everything securely on your device . No ads, no analytics, no snooping on your usage, and nothing ever leaves your device unless you export it. MIDI Scribe is completely free and open source for you to enjoy.

About

MIDI Memos

Quickly capture musical ideas with a single tap. Record MIDI from external keyboards or the built-in on-screen piano, then instantly share clean MIDI files to your favorite DAWs. It's a streamlined tool for songwriters and musicians.

Highlights
  • One-tap MIDI recording
  • On-screen piano keyboard
  • Background recording
  • Automatic take splitting
  • MIDI file sharing to DAWs
  • Take library with search and favorites
  • Adjustable tempo and metronome
Features
Read full description

MIDI Memos is the fastest way to capture a musical idea on your iPhone or iPad. One button, one tap, you're recording. Play your MIDI keyboard or tap the built-in on-screen piano. Tap stop. You've got a clean Standard MIDI File ready to share to GarageBand, Logic, Ableton, Cubase, or any DAW. That's it. No setup, no tracks, no menus to navigate. WHAT IT DOES • Records MIDI from any Bluetooth or USB-C MIDI keyboard, controller, or pad • Built-in on-screen piano — set the exact number of keys, slide the starting note one key at a time, and play full-width in landscape • Background recording keeps capturing while the screen is locked or you switch to another app • Optional auto-split breaks a long session into separate takes at the silences (off by default) • A quick summary after each take — see the note count, length, detected key, and tempo, then rename, favorite, or discard it on the spot • Plays back every take through a high-quality piano so you can audition immediately • Optional metronome click during recording • Adjustable tempo (40–240 BPM), embedded in every exported file so it imports at the right tempo • Share .mid files instantly via AirDrop, Files, Mail, Messages, or directly to any DAW • Take library with favorites, search, and a 30-day trash so accidental deletes are recoverable • Universal — works on iPhone and iPad • No accounts, no tracking, no ads WHO IT'S FOR • Songwriters who want to capture a melody before it slips away • Producers who need a quick MIDI sketchpad away from the studio • Pianists and keyboardists practicing on a digital piano who want to log a take • Teachers and students who want a no-friction way to record an exercise • Anyone who has ever thought "I had an idea, but by the time I opened my DAW it was gone" WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most DAWs are powerful and complex. MIDI Memos is the opposite — a single-purpose utility that does one thing well. There is no project to create, no track to arm, no preset to pick. The big red button is the entire interface. PRIVACY MIDI Memos doesn't collect, transmit, or share any data. Your recordings live on your device. There are no accounts, no analytics, and no tracking. REQUIREMENTS • iOS 18 or later • iPhone or iPad • A MIDI keyboard via Bluetooth or USB is recommended; on-screen keyboard works too

Screenshots

MIDI Scribe4 screens
MIDI Memos4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MIDI Memos at every 4 days against MIDI Scribe's every 3 weeks. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MIDI Scribe against 5.0 for MIDI Memos. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIDI Scribe ships an update every 3 weeks, MIDI Memos every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MIDI Scribe versus MIDI Memos: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI ScribeMIDI Memos
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames RansonMayank Sanganeria

In-app purchases

None

MIDI Scribe

No in-app purchases

None

MIDI Memos

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MIDI Scribe free?
MIDI Scribe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MIDI Memos free?
MIDI Memos is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MIDI Scribe or MIDI Memos?
MIDI Scribe and MIDI Memos are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do MIDI Scribe or MIDI Memos have ads?
Neither MIDI Scribe nor MIDI Memos shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDI Scribe or MIDI Memos?
MIDI Scribe ships an update every 3 weeks, and MIDI Memos every 4 days. Most recently, MIDI Scribe was updated on October 21, 2026 and MIDI Memos on October 13, 2026.

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