Comparison

Scales Lexicon vs IMSLP

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

Head to head
About

Scales Lexicon

This app provides a comprehensive library of musical scales with detailed notation and playback. It allows for transposition across various instruments and clefs, offering customizable rhythmic patterns and playback options. Users can generate printable PDF scores for practice and sharing.

Highlights
  • Over 100 musical scales
  • Interactive notation and playback
  • Transposition for multiple instruments
  • Customizable rhythmic patterns
  • PDF score generation
  • Multiple octaves and playback modes
Read full description

Over 100 scales notated and played for you, including note names diatonic and melodic intervals. Transposition for instruments in Ab, Eb, Bb, F, C, G, D, A, and E. Play along! Create a pdf of the notation and piano key markings for sharing or printing. Listen and watch the notes and piano keys highlight as it plays. Notation in treble, alto, tenor or bass clef. See the scale notated correctly, with double sharps and flats as needed. For example, Gb minor has a B double flat, not an A. Concert key signatures are supported to the common seven sharps or flats. Transposing key signatures can contain twelve sharps or flats or if selected, use the preferred enharmonic equivalent. Have the scale played in a wide variety of ways. • Choose from 11 rhythmic patterns. • Choose 1, 2 or 3 octaves. • Loop continuously, or play just once through. • Select the space between each loop. • Choose if you want the scale played up, up and down, down, or down and up. • Includes an optional 2 or 4 beat count-off. Drive your own software or hardware synth via MIDI to hear what you want, or use the app's own acoustic piano. A quick and easy reference tool for practicing your instrument. Broaden your knowledge and technique. Included scales: • Common: Major Natural Minor Harmonic Minor Melodic Minor - Up & Down Whole-Half Diminished Half-Whole Diminished Whole-tone Chromatic • Modes: Ionian Dorian Phrygian Lydian Mixolydian Aeolian Locrian • Jazz: Major Pentatonic Minor Pentatonic Blues Blues Modified Blues Phrygian Blues Diminished Bebop Bebop Major Bebop Dominant Bebop Minor Bebop Minor 2 Harmonic Major Phrygian Dominant Lydian Dominant (Overtone) Lydian Augmented Augmented Half Diminished 1 Half Diminished 2 Diminished Whole Tone 6th Mode of Harmonic Minor Neapolitan Major Neapolitan Minor Harmonic Neapolitan Minor Prometheus • Hindustani Thaats: Bilawal Kalyan Khamaj Bhairav Poorvi Marwa Kafi Asavari Bhairavi Todi • World: Algerian Arabian Byzantine Hawaiian Hindu Hungarian or Egyptian Indian Indian Minor Jewish or Spanish Oriental Persian Romanian Bocovia Romanian Major Romanian Minor • China: Bi Yu Chaio Kung Youlan • Japan: Han-kumoi Hira-joshi Honchoshi Plagal Form Iwato Kokin-joshi, Miyakobushi Nohkan Ritsu Sakura Pentatonic Sansagari Taishikicho, Ryo • Composers: Prokofiev Scriabin Shostakovich Verdi Enigmatic Verdi Enigmatic - Up & Down • Messiaen Modes: Mode 1 - Whole Tone Mode 2 - Half-Whole Diminished Mode 3 Mode 3 Inverse Mode 4 Mode 4 Inverse Mode 5 Mode 5 Inverse Mode 6 Mode 6 Inverse Mode 7 Mode 7 Inverse Truncated Mode 2 Truncated Mode 3 Truncated Mode 3 Inverse Truncated Mode 5 Truncated Mode 5 Inverse Truncated Mode 6 Truncated Mode 6 Inverse

About

IMSLP

Access a vast digital library of classical music scores on your iOS device. Enjoy full access to commercial recordings, instant downloads, and new uploads with a membership subscription. Support the music community while exploring a comprehensive collection.

Highlights
  • Browse IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
  • View musical scores
  • Access commercial recordings
  • Instant downloads
  • Access new uploads instantly
  • Membership subscription benefits
Features
Read full description

Browse IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library and view scores from the comfort of your iOS device. IMSLP Membership Subscription Length of subscription: 1 month. Benefits include: • Full access to commercial recordings • Access all features in this app • No waiting for downloads • Access new uploads instantly • Knowing that you helped keep IMSLP running and serving the music community 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 publication, where applicable. Terms of Service and Privacy policy - https://imslp.org/wiki/IMSLP:Terms_of_Service_and_Privacy_policy_(app)

Screenshots

Scales Lexicon4 screens
IMSLP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: IMSLP at Free against Scales Lexicon's $2.99. IMSLP also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 19 months) and ratings volume (515 vs 6). Scales Lexicon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On ads 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

IMSLP is free to download; Scales Lexicon costs $2.99 up front. IMSLP sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Scales Lexicon asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Scales Lexicon holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: IMSLP has 515 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Scales Lexicon's written reviews are positive against 70% of IMSLP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, IMSLP every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
Scales Lexicon versus IMSLP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScales LexiconIMSLP
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (6 ratings) — better4.6 (515 ratings)
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews — better70.1% of reviews
Number of ratings6515 — better
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.513.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB232 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPatrick Q. KellyProject Petrucci LLC

Customer experience

Scales Lexicon

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

IMSLP

All ratings507 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews298 reviews
Positive70.1%
Neutral11.4%
Negative18.5%

Bugs and requests

Scales Lexicon

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

IMSLP

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Crashes when opening scores
  • Scores disappearing from library
  • Login issues and lost data
  • Incompatibility with older devices after updates
  • Annotation issues causing loss of data
Show 1 more
  • Inability to edit file information after import

Requested features

11 requests
  • Predictive text for score annotations
  • Ability to restore original zoom settings
  • Metric to indicate device performance during page turns
  • Folder-like organization system
  • Color wheel and custom pen/highlighter options
Show 6 more
  • Ability to rename music files
  • Different color folder options
  • Split view support
  • Easier way to import scores from other sources
  • Instrumentation information for scores
  • Sorting by instrumentation

In-app purchases

None

Scales Lexicon

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

IMSLP

Subscriptions1
  • Membership Subscription$3.991 Month

Questions

Is Scales Lexicon free?
Scales Lexicon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is IMSLP free?
IMSLP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Scales Lexicon or IMSLP?
Scales Lexicon is rated higher. Scales Lexicon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while IMSLP averages 4.6 from 515 ratings.
Do Scales Lexicon or IMSLP have ads?
Neither Scales Lexicon nor IMSLP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scales Lexicon or IMSLP?
Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, and IMSLP every 10 days. Most recently, Scales Lexicon was updated on November 1, 2026 and IMSLP on November 2, 2026.

Other comparisons