MixSurface vs Midiboard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
MixSurface
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MixSurface is a wireless control surface for the REAPER digital audio workstation. Set it up once and mix, tweak, and perform from your iPhone or iPad. REQUIRES REAPER running on your Mac or PC on the same local network, plus a small free extension. MixSurface is a remote controller, not a copy of REAPER. No REAPER handy? Tap Try Demo on the connect screen and explore the app with a simulated session, no setup required. * FADERS THAT FEEL GREAT Faders, pan, mute, solo and metering, with touch response tuned for real mixing: fast, precise and smooth under your fingers. Bank across every track, or group them into custom layers you switch in a tap. * SENDS ON FADER, INCLUDED FREE Flip the whole mixer into send mode and ride one destination across every channel, the classic console monitor-mix workflow. Pin the buses you reach for most so they are always one tap away. * BUILT-IN EQ ADAPTERS A multi-touch parametric EQ, pre-mapped to popular EQ plugins. Drag bands on the curve, pinch to set Q, and read live values straight from REAPER, with no per-plugin setup. * CUSTOM TEMPLATES Control any plugin with knobs and faders that read and write in real time, including gain-reduction metering for compressors that report it. Use the built-in templates, or map your own in seconds with listen mode: touch a control in REAPER and it binds. * GLOBAL CONTROL SURFACES Build your own pages from plugin controls, transport and one-tap REAPER actions, then make them global so they follow you into every project. * AUTOMATION AND TRACK SETUP Read and write automation from the surface, with each fader showing the automation value rather than just the trim. Name tracks, set colours, choose record inputs and set monitoring without going back to the computer. * KEEP THE VIEWS IN STEP Show only the tracks REAPER is showing, or drive REAPER's mixer from a layer you tap. Run several phones and tablets on one session and they all stay in sync. * FREE, PLUS ONE PURCHASE The mixer, track layers and Sends on Fader are free, forever. One purchase, no subscription, unlocks Channel Details, the multi-touch EQ, plugin control, custom templates and the global Control View. Family Sharing supported. Built for people who run REAPER and want a control surface that just works. Requires REAPER 7 or later on macOS or Windows, the free MixSurface extension, and a shared local network (Wi-Fi or wired). MixSurface connects over your local network only, with no account and no cloud. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Cockos Incorporated. "REAPER" is a trademark of Cockos Incorporated.
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 update cadence: Midiboard at every 2 days against MixSurface's every 5 days. MixSurface's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. MixSurface sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Midiboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MixSurface ships an update every 5 days, Midiboard every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MixSurface | Midiboard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 2 days ā better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod ā better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 ā better | 17.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 24 MB | 3 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Soulful Music | MAHMUT SAFA BULAT |
In-app purchases
MixSurface
- Unlock REAPER Features$29.99
Midiboard
- Midiboard Editor$9.99









