Comparison

Knob Lab vs WiDI MIDI Studio

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

Head to head
About

Knob Lab

This application transforms your iOS device into a versatile MIDI controller. It allows you to manage various DAWs and music software remotely via USB, WiFi, or Bluetooth. Create intricate control setups with a single rotary knob, affecting multiple MIDI destinations simultaneously.

Highlights
  • Remote DAW control
  • USB, WiFi, Bluetooth connectivity
  • Virtual MIDI support
  • Audiobus integration
  • Complex control mapping
  • iPad support
  • MIDI logger
Features
Read full description

Knob Lab turns your iPhone or iPad into a MIDI controller built around one idea: a single knob can do many things at once. ONE KNOB. MANY MOVES. Map a knob to up to 8 MIDI destinations. Each has its own range, direction, channel and color, so one turn can open a filter, pull the resonance back and bring the delay in over the second half of the sweep. BUILD YOUR OWN MACROS • Control Change, Program Change and Pitch Bend destinations • Name every knob and every destination, so a setup reads at a glance • Invert any range, or start a destination part-way through the turn • Rotate completely, snap to middle, pan left/right, or return to origin on release • A colored lane for every destination shows where each one is A LAYOUT FOR EVERY SETUP Start with one big knob, or unlock layouts with 2, 6 or 12 knobs on a single screen. PLAYS WITH EVERYTHING • Music apps on the same device, through Knob Lab's virtual MIDI output • Computers over Wi-Fi, with a network MIDI session • A Mac over USB or Bluetooth, with Sonic Logic Central • Class-compliant USB MIDI interfaces and synths plugged into your iPhone or iPad MADE FOR TOUCH Large, precise knobs, a quick guided start, Dark, Light and Neon themes, and full support for iPhone Duo in portrait and landscape. The one-knob layout is free. The 2, 6 and 12 knob layouts are in-app purchases, available one at a time or all together.

About

WiDI MIDI Studio

Create custom MIDI control surfaces and sequences for your music production. Map buttons, pads, knobs, and faders to send MIDI events and control instruments or DAWs. Features an integrated step sequencer for composing musical ideas.

Highlights
  • Customizable MIDI control surface
  • Integrated step sequencer
  • MIDI CC and Note generation
  • MIDI network session support
  • Automate CC values
  • Group sequences for synchronized playback
Features
Read full description

WiDI is a control surface with an integrated step sequencer in which you create controls such as buttons, pads, knobs and faders to send MIDI events and play sequences. • CONTROL SURFACE AND SEQUENCER: A control is bound to a channel and a specific MIDI Control Change. You can either specify the CC number if you know it, or let the app learn it. Once placed on the surface, use this control to interact with your MIDI device. Alternatively, any CC event sent by your device will be shown live by the control(s) bound to this CC. Pads are special controls: they can either produce MIDI CC events, Notes or Program changes. If bound to a CC, the pad can act as an on/off switch (you specify the values for each state.) If bound to a note, each tap produces the specified MIDI note. This is especially useful to operate MIDI instruments without keyboards such as synthesizer modules or drum machines. A sequence can hold as many tracks as you wish, and send notes to different MIDI channels. Sequences can play in sync or running freely. You may also group sequences together to start or pause them at the same time. • MIDI: To interface WiDI with any MIDI instruments/devices connected to your Mac or PC, connect to a MIDI Network Session on your Mac or your PC. On a Mac, this is natively supported by macOS, and you do not need to install third party software (use Audio MIDI Setup.) On a PC running Windows, you might want to install rtpMIDI. As an alternative to MIDI Network Sessions, you may use the WiDI Desktop Application. It acts as a MIDI bridge between the network and your MIDI hardware. You can install the desktop application on as many computers as you want (it's free!). It's a very lightweight package that doesn't need to perform any installation procedure whatsoever. You may download the WiDI Desktop Application for macOS on the Mac App Store, or go to : https://www.hypertide.com/widi/ for both macOS and Windows archives. Additionally, any class-compliant MIDI interface natively supported by iOS can also be used directly by WiDI without the need of a network connection. • FEATURES: ○ Use any CoreMIDI-supported MIDI interface connected to your device ○ MIDI network session: use WiDI as an external control surface for any DAW such as Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Cubase, ... ○ Multiple iPhone and iPad can connect to your computer, allowing different control surfaces simultaneously ○ Integrated step sequencer: create sequences, each one holding as many tracks as needed ○ Sequences can run freely or in sync and start simultaneously if grouped together in fire groups ○ Auto discover MIDI CC : you don't need to know each one to add controls, WiDI learns CC numbers sent by your devices ○ Automate CC : sweep ranges or use the step modulator to design patterns to modulate controls values, supporting various advanced options like step-by-step or smooth variations, bouncing, repeating, changing speed ○ Add as many pads as you want to generate MIDI Notes, Control Changes or Program Changes ○ Flexible control surface : set layout and grid size for both portrait and landscape orientations ○ Re-arranging controls is as simple as drag & drop ○ Fully customizable user interface : themes, colors, display of values and labels, aspect ratios, grid spacing, grid coloring, background, ... ○ Integrated File Manager to load and save your surfaces, which are also accessible in the iOS Files app and your computer's iTunes connection ○ Exchange surfaces between devices with the integrated QR code generator and scanner ○ Or use the share feature, so you may import them on any device. We'd love to hear from you! Should you be in need of support or eager to request a new feature, please contact us at support+widi@hypertide.com

Screenshots

Knob Lab4 screens
WiDI MIDI Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: WiDI MIDI Studio at 5.0 against Knob Lab's 4.3. WiDI MIDI Studio also leads on monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). Knob Lab's advantage is ratings volume (12 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Knob Lab sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and WiDI MIDI Studio sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

WiDI MIDI Studio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Knob Lab has 12 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Knob Lab ships an update every 4 months, WiDI MIDI Studio every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Knob Lab versus WiDI MIDI Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKnob LabWiDI MIDI Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (12 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings12 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.010.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size66 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUri NachmiasHYPERTIDE SAS

Customer experience

Knob Lab

All ratings12 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative8.3%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.4%

WiDI MIDI Studio

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Knob Lab

One-time4
  • Two Knob Layout$0.99
  • Four/Six Knob Layout$0.99
  • Nine/Twelve knob layout.$0.99
Show 1 more
  • Unlock all layouts$1.99
1 purchases

WiDI MIDI Studio

One-time1
  • WiDI Fully Unlocked Version$1.99

Questions

Is Knob Lab free?
Knob Lab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is WiDI MIDI Studio free?
WiDI MIDI Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Knob Lab or WiDI MIDI Studio?
WiDI MIDI Studio is rated higher. Knob Lab averages 4.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while WiDI MIDI Studio averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Knob Lab or WiDI MIDI Studio have ads?
Neither Knob Lab nor WiDI MIDI Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Knob Lab or WiDI MIDI Studio?
Knob Lab ships an update every 4 months, and WiDI MIDI Studio every 3 months. Most recently, Knob Lab was updated on October 24, 2026 and WiDI MIDI Studio on October 12, 2026.

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