# ScalePlay vs Mandolin by Ear

The clearest difference is price: ScalePlay at $9.99 against Mandolin by Ear's $12.99. Mandolin by Ear's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

ScalePlay costs $9.99 and Mandolin by Ear $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScalePlay ships an update every 3 months, Mandolin by Ear every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ScalePlay | Mandolin by Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$9.99** | $12.99 |
| Rating | **[4.9 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scaleplay/id1140530163/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **10** | — |
| Positive reviews | 71.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 14 MB | 140 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [RoGame Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/285831223) | [Oleg Sokolov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628122395) |

## What reviewers say

### ScalePlay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scaleplay/id1140530163)

This app generates intricate musical patterns and sequences using complex scale theory. It's a powerful tool for both music production and education, offering scale references, virtual instruments, and interactive playback features.

**Highlights:** Generates intricate ostinatos and sequences, Applies complex scale patterns, User-defined songforms and chord changes, Scale references for hundreds of scales, Nine virtual instruments and 128 sounds, Visualizes scale relations, Interactive playback with generated patterns

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Mandolin by Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandolin-by-ear/id1635587336)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ScalePlay free?

ScalePlay costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mandolin by Ear free?

Mandolin by Ear costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ScalePlay or Mandolin by Ear have ads?

Neither ScalePlay nor Mandolin by Ear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ScalePlay or Mandolin by Ear?

ScalePlay ships an update every 3 months, and Mandolin by Ear every 6 months. Most recently, ScalePlay was updated on October 10, 2026 and Mandolin by Ear on October 12, 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.*