REAmo is a free, open-source REAPER remote by an independent developer, Conor Kelly. What I say about it comes from its GitHub README, its releases and issue tracker, and the developer’s own launch thread on r/Reaper. Checked October 2026. I haven’t used it myself, I found it through a post on Reddit.
MixSurface is not affiliated with Cockos or with REAmo. REAPER is a trademark of Cockos.
The short answer
REAmo is a nice project if you like open source and want to explore and tinker. But it’s an alpha, it has open crash reports, and there hasn’t been a release or a commit since April 2026.
If you want a REAPER remote you can rely on in a session or at a gig, that’s what MixSurface is built for. The mixer is free, so trying it costs nothing. And if you only want something free and basic, REAPER’s own built-in Web Remote is maintained by Cockos and needs no install.
Side by side
| MixSurface | REAmo | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Native app plus a REAPER extension | Browser app plus a REAPER extension |
| Runs on | iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets (App Store, Google Play) | Any phone or tablet browser, add to home screen |
| REAPER side | Mac, Windows, Linux in beta | Mac, Windows, Linux builds in the releases |
| Price | Free mixer, $29.99 one-time unlock | Free, MIT licence, open source |
| Connect | Open the app, it finds REAPER. USB or IP if discovery fails | Scan a QR code. WiFi or USB tethering |
| Version | 1.0, on the stores since autumn 2026 | v0.7.3 (April 2026), alpha by its own description |
| Last update | Regular releases, the latest in October 2026 | Last release and last commit April 2026 |
What both do
A lot overlaps. Both give you a mixer with faders, meters, pan, mute, solo and record arm, a timeline with regions and markers, transport and tap tempo, sends and receives, plugin parameters, buttons for any REAPER action, and more than one device at once.
What REAmo has that MixSurface doesn’t
Touch instruments: drum pads, a piano keyboard and chord pads that send MIDI. A tuner. Project notes. A big clock view. And streaming REAPER’s master output to the phone, so you can check a mix on the phone speaker or headphones. I don’t have instruments, a tuner, notes or a clock view. Streaming the master output is coming to MixSurface.
It’s also free and open source, so you can read the code and change it.
What MixSurface is built around
Most of my time went into how the fader feels and into plugin control. In MixSurface:
- Faders and pan are tuned for touch: slow moves are fine, fast throws cover the range, and there’s a Fine mode for small moves.
- Grab a fader in Touch or Latch and it writes automation, and the fader follows the automation back on playback.
- Layers: pick the tracks you need into a named layer and switch between layers. Pin master or a bus so it stays in view.
- Sends on Fader: flip the big faders to a send and ride it.
- Channel Detail shows the whole FX chain, every plugin as a layout of controls, and you can build your own layout by touching the parameter in the plugin.
- A multi-touch EQ surface for a growing set of EQ plugins: grab a band, drag it, pinch for Q. The list is in the EQ docs.
- Control View: your own pages of plugin parameters, actions and meters from across the project, including loudness, spectrum and gain-reduction meters.
- Arrange (in beta): waveforms, plus trim, split, fades and moving items.
The free part is the mixer, layers and Sends on Fader. The one-time unlock adds Channel Detail, the EQ surface, Control View and Arrange.
It’s a native app from the store, with a Keep screen awake setting for long takes.
Setup
REAmo: download the zip, run the install script in REAPER, restart, then scan the QR code from Extensions > REAmo. Its README says that’s it. If your computer has several network interfaces you pick the right QR code, and a firewall can block the port (9224 by default).
MixSurface: install the extension from the setup page, restart REAPER, open the app on the same network. It finds REAPER on its own. If it doesn’t, connect over USB or type the IP.
Both are a couple of minutes.
Where REAmo stands now
As of October 2026, from its releases and issues:
- The last release, v0.7.3, came out on 11 April 2026, five days after the launch. The last commit is from 12 April. Nothing since.
- The developer calls it alpha and wrote in the launch post: “don’t trust it for critical live sessions just yet”.
- Open issues include REAPER crashing after installing 0.7.3 on Windows 10 (#31), no support for older Intel CPUs (#32), and the extension not loading on macOS Catalina (#2).
- In the launch thread, users reported crashes on startup and when recording, extra REAPER processes left running in the background, and phones that couldn’t load the page from the QR code. Some of these were fixed in the April releases, some are still open.
- In June 2026 the developer wrote that they’re working on a ground-up rewrite with native mobile apps, with no date yet.
That’s normal for a one-person open-source project, and the rewrite may well fix it. But today, if a remote has to work every time, I wouldn’t build a session or a show around it.
Which I’d pick
MixSurface, for anything you need to work every time: mixing, plugins, EQ, live shows, recording yourself from the booth. The mixer is free, so try it on your own setup.
REAmo, if you like open source and want to explore, read the code, or wait for the rewrite. Back up your projects first, as its developer asks.
REAPER’s built-in Web Remote, if you only want something free and basic, like musicians’ headphone mixes. I wrote about that in MixSurface vs REAPER Web Remote.
FAQ
Is REAmo free? Yes. It’s MIT licensed and open source, and runs in your phone’s browser.
Is MixSurface free? The mixer, layers and Sends on Fader are free. Channel Detail, the EQ surface, Control View and Arrange are a one-time $29.99 unlock, no subscription.
Is REAmo still being developed? There’s been no release or commit since April 2026. In June 2026 the developer said a ground-up rewrite with native apps is in progress, with no release date.
Does REAmo need an app from the App Store? No, it runs in the browser. You can add it to your home screen.
Which one works on iPad? Both. REAmo’s developer says its layout is more geared toward phones. MixSurface was designed for tablets first and also runs on phones.
If I got something wrong about REAmo, tell me at support@mixsurface.app and I’ll fix it.
Toms