Comparison

MIDI Scribe vs Clockworks

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

Head to head
About

MIDI Scribe

Read full description

MIDI Scribe is a free productivity app for capturing and organizing practice takes from your MIDI-capable musical instrument. Run it while you practice, and it will automatically start new takes after every session break, with a configurable auto-take idle time, as well as support for specific MIDI commands (such as a middle or left piano pedal press) to manually start and end takes. A piano roll is provided to review and scrub individual takes. Star the takes that you want to keep indefinitely, while unstarred takes are cleaned up over time based on a configurable retention policy. All takes can be exported as MIDI files for use in other programs. MIDI Scribe is completely private. Connect your instrument, capture your takes, and keep everything securely on your device . No ads, no analytics, no snooping on your usage, and nothing ever leaves your device unless you export it. MIDI Scribe is completely free and open source for you to enjoy.

About

Clockworks

Create complex polyrhythms visually by layering geometric shapes on a clockface. Explore diverse instruments, scales, and effects to generate intricate musical patterns without needing music theory knowledge. Export your creations as MIDI, audio, or sheet music.

Highlights
  • Visual polyrhythm creation
  • Layered shape system
  • 10 sampled instruments
  • Built-in drum kits
  • Dozens of scales
  • Scene-based arrangement
  • Export to MIDI, WAV, PDF
Features
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Clockworks turns rhythm into geometry. Build polyrhythms by layering rotating shapes on a clockface — each shape's sides become evenly-spaced beats, so a triangle and a pentagon played together weave intricate cross-rhythms with zero math. • Layer multiple shapes, each its own voice • 10 instruments — sampled piano, e-piano, guitars, plus synth keys, organ, marimba, vibes and more • Built-in drum kits with a step sequencer • Dozens of scales across many categories for instant melodic results • Scene-based arrangement to evolve your loop over time • Pro FX: 3-band EQ and BPM-synced echo • Export to MIDI, audio (WAV), or sheet music PDF No theory required — just add shapes and listen.

Screenshots

MIDI Scribe4 screens
Clockworks4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Clockworks at 15.1 against MIDI Scribe's 18.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
MIDI Scribe versus Clockworks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI ScribeClockworks
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS18.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size39 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJames RansonDylan Cantor

In-app purchases

None

MIDI Scribe

No in-app purchases

None

Clockworks

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MIDI Scribe free?
MIDI Scribe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clockworks free?
Clockworks is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do MIDI Scribe or Clockworks have ads?
Neither MIDI Scribe nor Clockworks shows ads.

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