Comparison

Notation Pad vs Scale Explorer

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Notation Pad

Create, edit, and play sheet music with this comprehensive notation editor. Compose original pieces, transcribe existing music, and even collaborate in real-time. Ideal for musicians of all levels, from beginners learning notes to experienced composers.

Highlights
  • Real-time collaborative editing
  • MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF export
  • High-quality playback sound
  • Support for up to 8 staves
  • Over 100 instrument sounds
  • Lyric editing
  • Multi-voice support
Features
Read full description

A sheet music creator and music notation editor on iOS. For any music lover or composer, Notation Pad gives you the ability to read, compose, edit, playback music scores and write lyrics. With it you can be a talented composer and great sheet music maker anywhere. As long as you have a little knowledge of sheet music, you can write music composition simply by touching and moving. You could use it as your songbook or scoresheet. It is also designed for a beginner who wants to learn music score, music notes and tablature. It can handle ensemble, choir or symphony score, also it supports for a single track piano score. With the help of it you could easily record the flashes of inspiration wherever they strike. Are you ready to compose music in a simple way? ----------------------- Features: -Realtime multi-person collaborative editing via SharePlay. -Export/Import the industry-popular MusicXML file format, allowing for exchanging sheet music with other software (Finale, Sibelius, Encore, MuseScore, etc). -Export MIDI file. -Export PNG image and PDF document. -High quality sound for playback. -Support editing up to 8 staff at the same time. -Support over 100 kinds of musical instrument. Piano, organ, guitar, violin, sax, flute, brass, bass, etc. -Support multi-voice. -A great lyric app. ----------------------- Supported notation: *A variety of music note types, from whole note to 128th note and dotted note *Chord, staff, track *Treble, alto and bass clef *Edit lyrics *A variety of time signatures *All standard key signatures *Adjustable tempo *All accidentals (sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals) *Tie, slur, and tuplet *Many types of ornament *A wide range of dynamics ----------------------- UNLIMITED ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - Support up to 8 staff - Config parts(add, delete, reorder) - Change key for each part - Change beat type and tempo - Config clef for each staff - Config sound for each part - No watermark image export - No Ads - Support 2nd voice part - Transpose instruments - Pickup bar - Import data file - Edit downloaded music score - Unlock all 100+ instruments - The subscription is $6.99 weekly with trial - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/terms_service.html

About

Scale Explorer

Features
Read full description

Description Scale Explorer is a visual, interactive music theory tool for musicians, students, and curious ears. Pick any root note, choose from nine scale families, and instantly see the notes laid out on a piano keyboard or guitar fretboard, with real instrument sound. Nine scale families. 58 scales. From the seven diatonic modes to pentatonic, blues, bebop, symmetric, and exotic scales from around the world. Every scale is one tap away. • Diatonic — Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian • Harmonic minor modes — including Phrygian dominant and Super Locrian • Melodic minor modes — including Lydian augmented and the Altered scale • Double harmonic modes — Hungarian minor, Oriental, and more • Harmonic major modes • Pentatonic — major, minor, Hirajoshi, In sen, Iwato, Yo, Kumoi, Pelog • Blues & Bebop — minor blues, major blues, bebop dominant, major, and minor • Symmetric — whole tone, diminished, and augmented • Exotic — Persian, Neapolitan, Romanian minor, Enigmatic, and more Hear every note. Play the full scale ascending, strum the tonic chord, or tap individual notes. All with real piano and guitar samples. Watch the notes light up as each one plays. Color-coded by role. Root, third, and fifth degrees are highlighted in distinct colors so you can immediately see the chord tones inside any scale. Piano and guitar views. Switch between a piano keyboard and a six-string guitar fretboard to see where scale notes sit on your instrument of choice. Proper music theory spelling. Notes are spelled diatonically. C harmonic minor shows Eb and Ab, not D# and G#. Accidentals up to double-sharp and double-flat are handled correctly. Available in English, Norwegian, and Italian. All preferences are saved automatically so Scale Explorer picks up exactly where you left off.

Screenshots

Notation Pad4 screens
Scale Explorer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Scale Explorer at weekly against Notation Pad's monthly. Notation Pad's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 26.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Notation Pad sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Scale Explorer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Notation Pad ships an update monthly, Scale Explorer weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Notation Pad versus Scale Explorer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNotation PadScale Explorer
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (5.3K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews55.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings5.3K — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS13.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size162 MB9 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer嵩 张Johannes Langoy

Bugs and requests

Notation Pad

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Subscription popup that cannot be closed
  • Instruments turning into drums unexpectedly
  • Inability to delete or modify certain elements

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add more instrument options
  • Improve editing capabilities
  • Allow changing key signatures and time signatures without premium
  • Provide better tutorials and documentation
  • Fix issues with note placement and playback

Scale Explorer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Notation Pad

Subscriptions2
  • Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access Monthly$14.991 Month
One-time8
  • Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
  • Ensemble Instrument Group$0.99
  • Brass Instrument Group$0.99
Show 5 more
  • Reed Instrument Group$0.99
  • Pipe Instrument Group$0.99
  • Strings Instrument Group$1.99
  • All Instruments Pack$4.99
  • Extras Package$19.99
1 purchases

Scale Explorer

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$3.99

Questions

Is Notation Pad free?
Notation Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scale Explorer free?
Scale Explorer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Notation Pad or Scale Explorer have ads?
Neither Notation Pad nor Scale Explorer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Notation Pad or Scale Explorer?
Notation Pad ships an update monthly, and Scale Explorer weekly. Most recently, Notation Pad was updated on September 24, 2026 and Scale Explorer on September 9, 2026.

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