# Xkey Plus vs BLEASS Shimmer

The clearest difference is review sentiment: BLEASS Shimmer at 100% against Xkey Plus's 36%. BLEASS Shimmer also leads on rating (4.9 vs 2.9) and device support (3 vs 1). Xkey Plus's advantage is price (Free vs $6.99) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 10 months). On ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Xkey Plus is free to download; BLEASS Shimmer costs $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

BLEASS Shimmer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 2.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 13 and 36 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Xkey Plus's written reviews are positive against 100% of BLEASS Shimmer's.

Xkey Plus ships an update every 3 months, BLEASS Shimmer every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Xkey Plus | BLEASS Shimmer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $6.99 |
| Rating | [2.9 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkey-plus/id698087460/reviews) | **[4.9 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleass-shimmer/id1512190577/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **36** |
| Positive reviews | 35.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 10 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.3** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [ESI Audiotechnik GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1627424644) | [BLEASS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1220444177) |

## What reviewers say

### Xkey Plus

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xkey-plus/id698087460)

This app enhances the functionality of ESI Xkey musical keyboards on mobile devices. It allows users to update firmware, customize velocity curves, and configure key sensitivity and timings for an advanced user experience.

**Highlights:** Check for new Xkey firmware, Velocity curves editor, Configure Xkey sensitivity & timings, Access all Xkey parameters, Configure key & button assignments, Access Xkey documentation & support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### BLEASS Shimmer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bleass-shimmer/id1512190577)

This app offers a unique pitch-shifting reverb effect to enhance musical performances. It allows for creative sound design by emphasizing harmonics and revealing new tonal colors through its versatile processing stages. The intuitive interface and included presets make it easy to explore a wide range of spatial and ambient effects for various instruments and vocals.

**Highlights:** Unique pitch shifting reverb, Harmonic emphasis and tonal color, Multi-mode input filter, Dual pitch shift modules, Clean and rich reverb, Integrated ducker for rhythmic effects, Intuitive user interface

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Xkey Plus free?

Xkey Plus is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is BLEASS Shimmer free?

BLEASS Shimmer costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Xkey Plus or BLEASS Shimmer?

BLEASS Shimmer is rated higher. Xkey Plus averages 2.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while BLEASS Shimmer averages 4.9 from 36 ratings.

### Do Xkey Plus or BLEASS Shimmer have ads?

Neither Xkey Plus nor BLEASS Shimmer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Xkey Plus or BLEASS Shimmer?

Xkey Plus ships an update every 3 months, and BLEASS Shimmer every 10 months. Most recently, Xkey Plus was updated on October 10, 2026 and BLEASS Shimmer on October 7, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*