Akai APC Key 25 MK2 vs Akai MPK Mini IV
Two of our picks from Best 25-Key MIDI Keyboard Under $100 in 2026, compared side by side on the specs and trade-offs that actually matter.
Short answer
Between the Akai MPK Mini IV and the Akai APC Key 25 MK2, we recommend the Akai MPK Mini IV ($99 when we checked it on 2026-10-19) as the better 25-key midi keyboard for most people. A beatmaker on a $100 budget who wants drum pads, knobs, wheels and a screen in one 25-key board that also talks to hardware. The Akai APC Key 25 MK2 ($79 when we checked it on 2026-10-19) still makes sense if an Ableton Live user who wants to launch clips and play parts from one small board without buying a separate grid controller.
Akai Professional APC Key 25 MK2 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
$79.00observed
Lowest we have recorded: $79.00 on (6 weekly checks)
Akai Professional MPK Mini IV 25-Key USB-C MIDI Keyboard Controller, Black
$99.00observed
Lowest we have recorded: $99.00 on (6 weekly checks)
Specs head to head
| Spec | Akai APC Key 25 MK2 | Akai MPK Mini IV |
|---|---|---|
| Keys | 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys | 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys |
| Key action | Gen 2 dynamic keybed, synth-action | Third-generation Akai keybed |
| Pads | 40 RGB clip-launch pads, 5 x 8 grid | 8 RGB MPC pads, velocity and pressure, 2 banks |
| Knobs / faders | 8 endless 360 degree knobs | 8 endless knobs, pitch and mod wheels, push encoder |
| DAW integration | Ableton Live 11.2.7 and later, one-to-one | Pre-mapped for Ableton Live, Logic Pro, FL Studio |
| Connectivity | USB | USB-C, 5-pin MIDI out, 1/4 in sustain input |
| Size / weight | 315 x 193 x 48 mm, 952.5 g | 347.5 x 192 x 45.7 mm, 1.05 kg |
| Bundled software | Ableton Live Lite, Hybrid 3, Mini Grand, Velvet | Studio Instrument Collection, Ableton Live Lite, Melodics and Splice trials at the time of writing |
Our take on each
Akai APC Key 25 MK2
Best for: An Ableton Live user who wants to launch clips and play parts from one small board without buying a separate grid controller.
The Akai APC Key 25 MK2 is two controllers in one chassis, at $79 when mid1 last checked it on Oct 19, 2026, down from $99 earlier in the tracking window. Retailers rate it 4.5 stars.
The top half is a 5 x 8 grid of 40 RGB pads that mirror Ableton Live's Session View. Each pad lights in its clip's color, and arrow buttons scroll across tracks and scenes. Akai lists one-to-one mapping for Ableton Live 11.2.7 and later, and Live Lite comes in the box along with the Hybrid 3, Mini Grand and Velvet instruments.
Below the grid sit 8 endless knobs for volume, pan, sends or device macros, and 25 mini keys on Akai's Gen 2 keybed with octave buttons and a sustain button. Retailer specs list it at 315 x 193 x 48 mm and 952.5 g, and it runs on USB bus power.
The catch is focus. The grid is built for launching clips, not finger drumming, and outside Ableton Live it becomes a generic MIDI surface you map by hand. There are no pitch or mod wheels. And its 655 retailer ratings are the smallest base of the three.
Akai MPK Mini IV
Best for: A beatmaker on a $100 budget who wants drum pads, knobs, wheels and a screen in one 25-key board that also talks to hardware.
The Akai MPK Mini IV is the 25-key board to buy under $100, at $99 on every mid1 check from Aug 18 to Oct 19, 2026. Its listing shows a 4.6-star retailer rating across 18,747 ratings, a count the listing may share with earlier MPK Mini models.
The fourth version answers the common complaints about the MK3. The joystick is gone, replaced by real pitch and mod wheels. A color screen with a push encoder shows presets and knob assignments. Akai describes the 25 velocity-sensitive mini keys as a third-generation keybed.
The 8 RGB MPC pads respond to velocity and pressure across two banks, and 8 endless knobs sit above them. An arpeggiator with pattern, freeze and mutate, plus chord and scale modes, covers idea generation. Akai lists pre-mapped integration with Ableton Live, Logic Pro and FL Studio, and bundles a Studio Instrument Collection of 1,000-plus sounds from AIR, Akai and Moog.
The rear panel is the bigger upgrade: USB-C, a 5-pin MIDI out and a 1/4 in sustain jack, on bus power. Retailers list 347.5 x 192 x 45.7 mm and 1.05 kg.
The tradeoffs: 8 pads is half of what larger controllers offer, the keys are still mini keys, and the $99 price uses up the whole budget.
More from this guide
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Commissions never change our picks.