# iReal Pro vs Scales & Modes

The clearest difference is price: Scales & Modes at $1.99 against iReal Pro's $21.99. Scales & Modes also leads on iOS requirement (10.3 vs 16.6). iReal Pro's advantage is rating (4.9 vs 4.5) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 4 months). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

iReal Pro costs $21.99 and Scales & Modes $1.99 up front. iReal Pro sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Scales & Modes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iReal Pro holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iReal Pro has 11K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of iReal Pro's written reviews are positive against 74% of Scales & Modes's.

iReal Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, Scales & Modes every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iReal Pro | Scales & Modes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $21.99 | **$1.99** |
| Rating | **[4.9 (11K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireal-pro/id298206806/reviews)** | [4.5 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scales-and-modes/id357172313/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11K** | 13 |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 74.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | — |
| Size | 179 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **10.3** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Technimo LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/298206809) | [Smappsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/333262587) |

## What reviewers say

### iReal Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ireal-pro/id298206806)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Paid · Music, #38 Top Paid, #116 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

This app provides a virtual band accompaniment for musicians to practice with, offering realistic sounding instruments and a variety of styles. It also functions as a digital chord chart book, allowing users to create, edit, and share their own song charts.

**Highlights:** Virtual band accompaniment, Create, edit, and share chord charts, Thousands of downloadable songs, Chord diagrams and scale recommendations, Practice exercises and transposition, Export charts and audio, Cloud synchronization

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Blues style backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |
| Salsa style backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |
| Brazilian backing tracks | $6.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app for practicing and reading charts
- 👍 Versatile with ability to change keys, tempos, and styles
- 👍 Excellent community and support
- 🚀 Efficient for gigs and rehearsals
- 👍 Indispensable tool for jazz musicians

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Issues with chord voicings and playback
- 🔧 Limited editing capabilities
- 🔧 Clunky interface for some users
- 💰 Expensive for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Occasional skipping or timing issues with playback
- Trouble with registration and login process
- Compatibility issues with newer devices or operating systems

**Requested features**

- Add ability to write rhythm notation
- Integrate with Real Books
- Improve sound quality and add more instrument options
- Add melodies and lyrics support
- Improve chord editing and customization


### Scales & Modes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scales-and-modes/id357172313)

Explore diatonic scales and modes with interactive visual and audio references. View notes on a musical staff, see fingerings for keyboard and guitar, and listen to scales in any key. Additional instrument fingerings are available via in-app purchase.

**Highlights:** Visual staff notation, Audio playback of scales, Keyboard fingerings, Guitar fingerings, Diatonic scale reference, Mode exploration

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Violin & Bass Add-on | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iReal Pro free?

iReal Pro costs $21.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Scales & Modes free?

Scales & Modes costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iReal Pro or Scales & Modes?

iReal Pro is rated higher. iReal Pro averages 4.9 out of 5 from 11K ratings, while Scales & Modes averages 4.5 from 13 ratings.

### Do iReal Pro or Scales & Modes have ads?

Neither iReal Pro nor Scales & Modes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iReal Pro or Scales & Modes?

iReal Pro ships an update every 3 weeks, and Scales & Modes every 4 months. Most recently, iReal Pro was updated on November 8, 2026 and Scales & Modes on November 6, 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.*