Syntien 2 vs Midiboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Syntien 2
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Syntien 2 recognizes a variety of input sources, including touch, movement, and sound, and converts them into data for your creative work. Syntien 2 can connect to other devices and software via MIDI, OSC, and BLE. It comes with all the standard controls you'd expect -- buttons, labels, sliders, knobs, etc. -- plus a unique set of tools that go far beyond the basics. ⢠Use an adjustable, resizable Keyboard control to send MIDI note and velocity data, in addition to pitch bend, expression, and more. ⢠The Touch Pad control takes full advantage of your device's multi-touch capabilities. Track multiple touches independently. Use a stylus like an Apple Pencil to send highly-expressive data with pressure and tilt sensitivity. ⢠The IMU control uses data from your device's accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer to transmit your device's acceleration, rotation, or nearby magnetic field strength. ⢠Use the Level Meter to track audio input levels, and use the Pitch Detector control to detect pitch. ⢠Transform and scale outputs directly in Syntien 2 without any complex scripting! ⢠Connect controls to each other using Macros. Use buttons to toggle a Keyboard's sustain pedal, set up a Slider to modulate the frequency of an LFO, and more! ⢠Create your own interfaces and modify the behavior of controls in-app, on any iPhone or iPad, without the need for a separate desktop editor! Place and resize controls exactly how you want them using intuitive drag-and-drop gestures. ⢠Modify controls mid-performance by sending data from your computer to Syntien. Incoming OSC messages are displayed on the screen and color-coded, so you'll know exactly what messages Syntien is receiving and whether or not they're being interpreted. Works with Ableton, Max/MSP, SuperCollider, TouchDesigner, and any MIDI- or OSC-compatible software.
Midiboard
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Your phone, as the controller you actually wanted. Midiboard turns an iPhone into a Bluetooth MIDI controller you lay out yourself. Drop a widget on the grid, drag it where your hand goes, size it to the reach you actually have. Save the screen, build the next one, and flip between them with one tap while the song is running. Every other phone controller hands you someone else's idea of a surface. This one hands you the grid. BUILD THE SURFACE ⢠Pad grids of any size, tuned chromatically or in fourths, fifths, thirds or octaves ā a grid in fourths keeps every chord shape the same wherever you move it ⢠Keyboards of any span, starting on any note, with glissando between keys ⢠Chord buttons you write note by note. C, E, G#, D is as valid as a minor triad ⢠Pitch and mod wheels shaped like the ones beside your keyboard, plus 270° arcs and endless rotaries ⢠Faders and two-axis XY pads, with relative pickup so grabbing one mid-song does not throw the sound ⢠Step sequencers where every step names the note it plays, each with its own run button ⢠Footswitch banks where exactly one lamp is lit ā press a switch and the last one goes out, so a glance tells you which preset you are actually on ⢠Transpose controls that move a group of widgets, so a bass bank and a lead move independently on the same page PLAY IT ⢠Set a key per widget: notes outside it either step back but stay playable, or snap into the key ⢠Poly, mono, legato and glide, per widget ⢠A clock with tap tempo, MIDI clock out, note repeat and an arpeggiator ā or follow your computer's tempo instead ⢠Set the travel of any control, so a fader only ever moves between two settings that are useful on the other end ⢠Panic always within reach, and haptics you can tune per control KEEP IT ⢠As many saved layouts as you like. Export one to a file, send it to someone, import theirs ⢠Two colour palettes, and note names that match whatever your software calls them CONNECTS TO WHATEVER YOU PLAY Two routes, and you pick the one your rig has. Over Bluetooth LE MIDI, Mac, iPad and iPhone connect directly and Windows pairs through a Bluetooth MIDI bridge. Over Wi-Fi it is an RTP-MIDI session ā built into macOS, and on Windows through rtpMIDI ā which is the one to reach for when Bluetooth is crowded or the computer has none. It can also open a MIDI port for other apps on this same phone or iPad. No cable, no dongle, no account, and nothing to sign into. Midiboard collects nothing: no analytics, no crash reporting, no accounts, no tracking. Over Wi-Fi it uses your local network to reach the computer you chose, and the only thing it ever puts on it is MIDI. PRO Midiboard is free, with pad grids, keyboards, faders and labels. Pro adds every other widget, and starts with a free trial; after it, a monthly subscription or a one-time purchase keeps it. The subscription renews monthly unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the period. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy: https://safabulat.github.io/midiboard-site/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Syntien 2 at none against Midiboard's 1. Syntien 2 also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Midiboard's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Midiboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Syntien 2 asks for nothing beyond the download.
Syntien 2 ships an update every 3 weeks, Midiboard every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on September 15, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Syntien 2 | Midiboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 days ā better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No ā better | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 ā better | 17.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 35 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Modulii | MAHMUT SAFA BULAT |
In-app purchases
Syntien 2
No in-app purchases
Midiboard
- Midiboard Editor$9.99









