# variant vs MPEdie

The clearest difference is rating: MPEdie at 4.9 against variant's 4.4. MPEdie also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). variant's advantage is iOS requirement (8.0 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

MPEdie holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 8 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of variant's written reviews are positive against 100% of MPEdie's.

variant ships an update fortnightly, MPEdie every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | variant | MPEdie |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variantblue/id996684408/reviews) | **[4.9 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mpedie-mpe-controller/id6797221668/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **8** |
| Positive reviews | 80.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 92 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Interval Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/364824624) | [Diego Capoccitti](https://appshunter.io/developer/1650005470) |

## What reviewers say

### variant

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/variantblue/id996684408)

This audiovisual artwork generates evolving music and imagery based on user interaction and randomness. Explore a unique generative art experience where sound influences visuals, offering a new composition with every tap.

**Highlights:** Generative audiovisual artwork, Evolving music and imagery, User-controlled music flow, Sound-influenced visuals, Interactive generative art, Screenshot capture

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### MPEdie

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mpedie-mpe-controller/id6797221668)

This app is an expressive MIDI keyboard controller for mobile devices. It allows for detailed per-note expression, enabling unique sound manipulation. It can be used standalone or as an AUv3 plugin with other music applications.

**Highlights:** MPE keyboard controller, Per-note MIDI channel control, Four playing surfaces (Piano, Isomorphic, Ribbon, Scale Grid), Customizable expression matrix, AUv3 plugin support, Standalone operation, 26 presets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is variant free?

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

### Is MPEdie free?

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

### Which has better reviews, variant or MPEdie?

MPEdie is rated higher. variant averages 4.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while MPEdie averages 4.9 from 8 ratings.

### Do variant or MPEdie have ads?

Neither variant nor MPEdie shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, variant or MPEdie?

variant ships an update fortnightly, and MPEdie every 6 days. Most recently, variant was updated on November 1, 2026 and MPEdie on November 6, 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.*