# Polychord vs ScaleGen

The clearest difference is update cadence: Polychord at every 2 months against ScaleGen's every 29 months. Polychord also leads on ratings volume (39 vs 12). ScaleGen's advantage is price ($3.99 vs $9.99) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Polychord costs $9.99 and ScaleGen $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScaleGen holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 39 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 75% of Polychord's written reviews are positive against 71% of ScaleGen's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Polychord ships an update every 2 months, ScaleGen every 29 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Polychord | ScaleGen |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **$3.99** |
| Rating | [4.4 (39 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polychord-chord-instrument/id402625491/reviews) | **[4.7 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalegen/id908056629/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **39** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **74.8% of reviews** | 70.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 29 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Size | 23 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPad | iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Apposite](https://appshunter.io/developer/481890610) | [Gestrument AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/576235485) |

## What reviewers say

### Polychord

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/polychord-chord-instrument/id402625491)

Create music with an intuitive interface that makes playing chords easy for everyone. Explore songwriting, strum and solo with confidence, and even add auto-accompaniment. Advanced MIDI features allow integration with popular music production software.

**Highlights:** Play chords from diverse palettes, Strum and solo in key, Auto-accompaniment band feature, MIDI control for DAWs, Songwriting tools

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎵 Intuitive chord progression interface
- 🎹 Excellent MIDI controller functionality
- 🎸 Digital Omnichord replacement
- 📱 Audiobus integration support
- 🎼 Great for music theory learning

**What reviewers complain about**

- ⚠️ App no longer actively developed
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and stability issues
- 📦 Limited built-in sound variety
- 🔄 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🎚️ Limited chord selection at once (3x3 grid)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes during recording
- Incompatible with iOS 8+ on older devices
- MIDI off messages not sent properly
- Sporadic glitches with Logic Pro and GarageBand
- Sound occasionally disappears until app restart

**Requested features**

- Custom chord creation and palette selection
- Copy and paste functionality
- Save and load configurations/presets
- Additional instrument sounds and drum kits
- Retina display support


### ScaleGen

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scalegen/id908056629)

Generate and edit musical scales with intricate detail. Explore traditional and experimental tunings, audition your creations, and export them as MIDI files or to other applications. Ideal for composers and students seeking to expand their musical horizons.

**Highlights:** Generate and manipulate musical scales, Detailed scale definition and editing, Audition scales within the app, Export as MIDI or to Gestrument, Predefined scales from various traditions, Explore microtonal and experimental tunings

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Polychord free?

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

### Is ScaleGen free?

ScaleGen costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Polychord or ScaleGen?

ScaleGen is rated higher. Polychord averages 4.4 out of 5 from 39 ratings, while ScaleGen averages 4.7 from 12 ratings.

### Do Polychord or ScaleGen have ads?

Neither Polychord nor ScaleGen shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Polychord or ScaleGen?

Polychord ships an update every 2 months, and ScaleGen every 29 months. Most recently, Polychord was updated on October 24, 2026 and ScaleGen on October 26, 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.*