# Viola by Ear vs Melody Scanner

The clearest difference is price: Melody Scanner at Free against Viola by Ear's $4.99. Melody Scanner also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 25 months). Viola by Ear's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Melody Scanner is free to download; Viola by Ear costs $4.99 up front. Melody Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Viola by Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

Viola by Ear ships an update every 25 months, Melody Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Viola by Ear | Melody Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[1.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **36** |
| Positive reviews | — | 27.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 25 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 166 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Sokolov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628122395) | [Klangio GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588721120) |

## What reviewers say

### Viola by Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/viola-by-ear/id6443979093)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Melody Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068)

Convert audio recordings and YouTube videos into musical scores. View transcriptions as classical scores, piano rolls, or guitar tabs, and play them back. Download your creations in various formats or share them with friends.

**Highlights:** Transcribe audio to sheet music, Support for piano, flute, violin, and guitar, Multiple transcription views (score, piano roll, tab), Playback functionality, Download sheet music (PDF, MIDI, MusicXML), Share compositions, Desktop version synchronization

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Melody Scanner Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Melody Scanner Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Quick transcription
- 💡 Helps learn music
- ✅ Good for basic songs
- ✨ Clean sheet music layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate transcriptions
- 💸 Premium features not working
- ❌ YouTube import issues
- 🤷‍♂️ Poor sound quality
- 🚫 No free trial for basic function

**Reported bugs**

- Upload function not working
- App doesn't recognize stave lines/notation
- App gives too many notes at once or notes octaves apart
- Errors when generating sheet music
- Premium features not unlocked after payment

**Requested features**

- Single instrument mode on app
- Full song transcription (not just 1 min)
- Ability to export full transcriptions
- More accurate transcription for complex music
- Improved MIDI playback accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Viola by Ear free?

Viola by Ear costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Melody Scanner free?

Melody Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Viola by Ear or Melody Scanner have ads?

Neither Viola by Ear nor Melody Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Viola by Ear or Melody Scanner?

Viola by Ear ships an update every 25 months, and Melody Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, Viola by Ear was updated on November 7, 2026 and Melody Scanner on November 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.*