SmartScales vs Jam
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SmartScales
This app transforms scale and arpeggio practice into an engaging experience with specially composed backing tracks. It closely aligns with the ABRSM syllabus, offering interactive scores, adjustable tempos, and a built-in metronome. Explore various music styles and practice with looping exercises for instruments like piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass.
- Interactive scale and arpeggio practice
- ABRSM syllabus alignment
- Specially composed backing tracks
- Adjustable tempo control
- Looping exercises
- Built-in metronome
- Toggleable audio tracks
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SmartScales makes practising scales and arpeggios interactive and fun! A collaboration between highly experienced music educators and leading music software developers, SmartScales ensures you’ll be making beautiful music thanks to specially-composed backing tracks in a broad range of styles. The graded exercise packs, available as in-app purchases, closely follow the syllabus of the ABRSM, the UK’s largest music education body and the world’s leading provider of music exams. Free content allows you to try exercises in each grade before buying. Content for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass available today, more instruments coming soon! • Follows the complete ABRSM syllabus*, including all exercise variations • Choice of music styles for every exercise • Fully interactive score follows the music • Adjustable tempo as you build towards ABRSM's suggested playing speed • Loop the exercise so the music goes on while you play • Built-in metronome helps you keep in time • Toggle lead, backing and metronome tracks on and off • Music can be used as jam along tracks * The syllabus on which SmartScales is based is © by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is reproduced by permission of the copyright owner.
Jam
Practice and play along with original backing tracks for guitar, piano, bass, and ukulele. Visualize chord progressions and musical scales on interactive fretboards and keyboards. Adjust tempo and key, and loop sections for focused practice.
- Original backing tracks
- Visual chord progressions
- Fretboard and keyboard display
- Adjustable tempo and key
- Looping practice sections
- 31 musical scales
- 140+ chords
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Jam-Master helps guitar, piano, ukulele, bass plays to play and practice with high-quality original backing tracks and visual notes progression. Features : - Wide variety of original backing tracks for you to play along . You can see their live chord progression on a guitar fretboard or piano so you know the right notes to hit ! - 4 instruments supported: Guitar, Piano, Bass, Ukulele - Shift the key and tempo of any of your songs .- Loop any part of your song for better practice .- Guitar / Piano display of 31 musical scales in any key and more than more than 140 chords - All kinds of scales of Modes like Major, Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian etc Backing tracks genres : Rock, Blues, Metal, Ambient, Jazz etc Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Jam at 4.8 against SmartScales's 4.2. Jam also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). SmartScales's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (38 vs 6). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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. SmartScales sells 17 one-off in-app purchases and Jam sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Jam holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SmartScales has 38 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.
SmartScales ships an update every 5 months, Jam every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SmartScales | Jam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.2 (38 ratings) | 4.8 (6 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 38 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Greater Heights Media Ltd | 群 丁 |
Customer experience
SmartScales
Jam
Bugs and requests
SmartScales
Reported bugs
10 issues- Cannot delete app from iPad
- In-app purchase server connection issues
- App crashes after purchase
- App crashes after opening
- Unable to locate in-app purchases
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- App crashes after 1 second
- App crashes on iPad
- App doesn't load
- App keeps re-downloading
- Doesn't get past unpacking files screen
Requested features
22 requests- Add ABRSM clarinet options
- Add ABRSM piano syllabus updates
- Pro version for school use with all grades enabled
- Search for key signature and browse octaves
- Add MIDI support
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- Add guitar as an instrument
- Add brass instruments
- Add wind instruments
- Add band instruments
- Add classical guitar
- Add woodwind instruments (clarinet)
- Add tuba
- Add more instruments (orchestra)
- Add tuner
- Add drone (chord or single tone)
- Include all three and four scale octaves
- Offer alternative backing tracks (e.g., piano sound)
- Check intonation and provide analysis
- Highlight or change note head color
- Add fingerings or display pitches
- Create new rhythm patterns
- More than 2 note slur option (3,4,6,8)
Jam
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
SmartScales
- Cello Grade 1$0.99
- Violin Grade 1$0.99
- Piano Grade 1$0.99
Show 14 moreShow fewer
- Piano Grade 2$1.99
- Double Bass Grade 3$1.99
- Violin Grade 5$2.99
- Viola Grade 5$2.99
- Violin Grade 7$3.99
- Cello Grades 1 to 4$4.99
- Violin Grades 1 to 4$4.99
- Piano Grades 1 to 4$4.99
- Double Bass Grade 8$4.99
- Cello Grades 5 to 8$9.99
- Violin Grades 5 to 8$9.99
- Cello Grades 1 to 8$12.99
- Violin Grades 1 to 8$12.99
- Viola Grades 1 to 8$12.99
Jam
- Subscribe Weekly$4.997 Days
- Subscribe Monthly$17.991 Month
