Web MIDI Browser vs ShowMIDI
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Web MIDI Browser
This app functions as a web browser specifically designed for Web Apps utilizing the Web MIDI API. It enables Bluetooth MIDI connectivity for iOS devices, allowing interaction with compatible musical instruments through web applications.
- Web browser for Web MIDI API
- Bluetooth MIDI functionality
- Connects to Bluetooth MIDI instruments
- Bridges web and MIDI worlds on iOS
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Web MIDI Browser is a web browser for browsing Web Apps made with Web MIDI API. Web MIDI Browser can activate the Bluetooth MIDI functionality which is a new function of iOS 8. Instruments which support Bluetooth MIDI connectivity can be connected to Web Apps by using this App. Web MIDI API is a new web client API. It's being standardized as a part of HTML5. By utilizing the API, you can build web apps that interact with MIDI instruments, for example, keyboards, DJ controllers and so on. Originally, MIDI is a physical interface for connecting electric musical instruments to heighten expressiveness of playing music. But now it's used in many ways. Nowadays, web apps are a keystone of great services. If its power comes into the MIDI world, the usability of MIDI is likely to expand. Web MIDI browser can bridge both worlds in iOS.
ShowMIDI
This application provides a real-time, glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. It visualizes various MIDI messages and allows you to pause the flow for a data snapshot. It can be used as a standalone tool or an AUv3 plugin within your DAW.
- Real-time MIDI visualization
- Auto-hides irrelevant messages
- Pause and snapshot data
- Standalone application
- AUv3 plugin support
- Supports MPE configuration
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ShowMIDI is an open-source multi-platform GUI application to effortlessly visualize MIDI activity. Instead of wading through logs of MIDI messages to correlate relevant ones and identify what is happening, ShowMIDI visualizes the current activity and auto-hides what you don't care about anymore. It provides you with a real-time glanceable view of all MIDI activity on your computer. ShowMIDI is designed to be always on, using the spacebar or play/pause button you can pause the flow and focus on a data snapshot with the latest state of any MIDI entity. ShowMIDI can be ran as a standalone application that automatically detects all your MIDI devices, or as an AUv3 plugin in your DAW or host to visualize MIDI data in your sessions. ShowMIDI visualizes: * MIDI ports * channels * program change * note on/off * channel pressure * polyphonic pressure * continuous control change * pitchbend * RPN and NRPN * MPE configuration and channel modes ShowMIDI supports: * themes * standalone operation * AUv3 operation
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: ShowMIDI at 4.8 against Web MIDI Browser's 3.1. ShowMIDI also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%). Web MIDI Browser's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 12.0). On price, ratings volume, 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ShowMIDI holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 18 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Web MIDI Browser's written reviews are positive against 88% of ShowMIDI's.
Web MIDI Browser ships an update fortnightly, ShowMIDI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Web MIDI Browser | ShowMIDI |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (16 ratings) | 4.8 (18 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 87.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 16 | 18 — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 9.0 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 8 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Takashi Mizuhiki | Uwyn, LLC |
Customer experience
Web MIDI Browser
ShowMIDI
In-app purchases
Web MIDI Browser
No in-app purchases
ShowMIDI
No in-app purchases
