# Basic Pitch vs Melody Scanner

The clearest difference is price: Melody Scanner at Free against Basic Pitch's $1.99. Melody Scanner also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (35 vs 11). Basic Pitch's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 1.7) and review sentiment (67% vs 28%). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Melody Scanner is free to download; Basic Pitch costs $1.99 up front. Melody Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Basic Pitch asks for nothing beyond the download.

Basic Pitch holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 35 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Basic Pitch's written reviews are positive against 28% of Melody Scanner's.

Basic Pitch ships an update every 5 weeks, Melody Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Pitch | Melody Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-pitch/id6448245188/reviews)** | [1.7 (35 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **35** |
| Positive reviews | **66.7% of reviews** | 27.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 27 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Carlos DeSoto](https://appshunter.io/developer/1505427949) | [Klangio GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588721120) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Pitch

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-pitch/id6448245188)

This app makes music education engaging for all skill levels. It offers a gamified approach to ear training and sight-singing, essential skills for musicians. Learn to identify pitches, intervals, scales, chords, and rhythms through interactive exercises.

**Highlights:** Gamified music education, Ear training exercises, Sight-singing practice, Learn music theory concepts, Identify pitches and intervals, Chord and rhythm recognition

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

**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 Basic Pitch free?

Basic Pitch costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Melody Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Basic Pitch or Melody Scanner?

Basic Pitch is rated higher. Basic Pitch averages 5.0 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Melody Scanner averages 1.7 from 35 ratings.

### Do Basic Pitch or Melody Scanner have ads?

Neither Basic Pitch nor Melody Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Pitch or Melody Scanner?

Basic Pitch ships an update every 5 weeks, and Melody Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, Basic Pitch was updated on October 15, 2026 and Melody Scanner on October 18, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*