# Scaler 3 vs Rithmatic

The clearest difference is price: Rithmatic at Free against Scaler 3's $12.99. Rithmatic also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (67% vs 57%). Scaler 3's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (171 vs 9). On rating, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Rithmatic is free to download; Scaler 3 costs $12.99 up front. Rithmatic sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Scaler 3 asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Scaler 3 against 4.6 for Rithmatic. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scaler 3 has 171 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 57% of Scaler 3's written reviews are positive against 67% of Rithmatic's.

Scaler 3 ships an update fortnightly, Rithmatic every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scaler 3 | Rithmatic |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (171 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scaler-3/id6749147552/reviews)** | [4.6 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rithmatic-fm-synth/id6794107110/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **171** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | 56.7% of reviews | **66.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1.1 GB | 61 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Scaler Music](https://appshunter.io/developer/1603180477) | [MADE WITH BEST PRACTICE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779338119) |

## What reviewers say

### Scaler 3

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scaler-3/id6749147552)

This music theory workstation helps you discover chords, explore harmony, and build complete musical ideas. It offers a redesigned workflow, expanded creative potential, and powerful new capabilities for songwriting and music production.

**Highlights:** Discover music's key with MIDI and audio detection, Access over 1,000 chord sets, keys, and modes, Build intelligent chord progressions with automatic voice-leading, Structure full musical ideas with Scenes and Arrange Page, Transform chords into melodies, basslines, and phrases, Explore harmony with Circle of Fifths and modulation tools, Host AUv3 plugins and interoperate with desktop versions

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Rithmatic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rithmatic-fm-synth/id6794107110)

This app is an FM synthesizer with a vast library of classic voices. It allows users to explore, learn, build, and blend sounds, and can be used as a standalone instrument or an AUv3 plugin within DAWs. It offers a visual representation of sound and a patch builder for understanding FM synthesis.

**Highlights:** 36,118 classic DX7 voices included, AUv3 plugin for DAWs, Patch Builder for learning FM synthesis, Sound blending feature, On-screen and MIDI keyboard support, Arpeggiator and latch functionality, WAV recording and export

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $9.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| Extra Large Tip | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Scaler 3 free?

Scaler 3 costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Rithmatic free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Scaler 3 or Rithmatic?

Scaler 3 is rated higher. Scaler 3 averages 4.7 out of 5 from 171 ratings, while Rithmatic averages 4.6 from 9 ratings.

### Do Scaler 3 or Rithmatic have ads?

Neither Scaler 3 nor Rithmatic shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scaler 3 or Rithmatic?

Scaler 3 ships an update fortnightly, and Rithmatic every 2 days. Most recently, Scaler 3 was updated on November 5, 2026 and Rithmatic on November 1, 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.*