# Scales Lexicon vs Tenuto

The clearest difference is update cadence: Tenuto at every 3 months against Scales Lexicon's every 19 months. Tenuto also leads on ratings volume (668 vs 6) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). Scales Lexicon's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $4.99). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Scales Lexicon costs $2.99 and Tenuto $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Scales Lexicon against 4.7 for Tenuto. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tenuto has 668 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Scales Lexicon's written reviews are positive against 94% of Tenuto's.

Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, Tenuto every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scales Lexicon | Tenuto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$2.99** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[4.8 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scales-lexicon/id428590294/reviews)** | [4.7 (668 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tenuto/id459313476/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **668** |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **94.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 19 months | **Every 3 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#9** |
| Size | 40 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | **15.8** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick Q. Kelly](https://appshunter.io/developer/310068987) | [musictheory.net](https://appshunter.io/developer/459313479) |

## What reviewers say

### Scales Lexicon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scales-lexicon/id428590294)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Tenuto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tenuto/id459313476)

**Currently charting:** #9 Top Paid · Music, #37 Top Paid (US App Store)

Enhance your musicality with a comprehensive suite of 24 customizable theory exercises and six essential musical calculators. Practice note and chord identification, ear training, and construct musical elements. Tools include accidentals, intervals, scales, chords, analysis symbols, and twelve-tone matrices.

**Highlights:** 24 customizable theory exercises, Note and chord identification, Ear training for intervals and scales, Musical construction exercises, Accidental calculator, Interval calculator, Chord calculator

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Essential for musicians
- 👍 Great app
- 👍 Perfect app
- 👍 Wonderful app
- 👍 Highly recommend

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Wrong billing
- 🐛 Piano tone is so bad
- 🐛 Not good
- 🐛 Great but buggy
- 🐛 All sounds stopped working

**Reported bugs**

- Sound cuts out
- Unresponsive at times
- Freezes up
- Doesn't work well for guitar
- Incorrect chord/key associations

**Requested features**

- Cadences and inversions for ear training
- Chord progressions for ear training
- Melodic and harmonic minor modes for scale recognition
- 6th, 9th, 11th and 13th chord extensions for chord recognition
- Melodic dictation


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scales Lexicon free?

Scales Lexicon costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tenuto free?

Tenuto costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Scales Lexicon or Tenuto?

Scales Lexicon is rated higher. Scales Lexicon averages 4.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Tenuto averages 4.7 from 668 ratings.

### Do Scales Lexicon or Tenuto have ads?

Neither Scales Lexicon nor Tenuto shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scales Lexicon or Tenuto?

Scales Lexicon ships an update every 19 months, and Tenuto every 3 months. Most recently, Scales Lexicon was updated on November 1, 2026 and Tenuto on November 10, 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.*