Comparison

Stackwax vs Lacquer

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

Head to head
About

Stackwax

Instantly identify music playing around you, detect its BPM and key, and add it to your digital library. Organize your music by key or BPM, plan DJ sets, and discover vinyl versions through integrated Discogs listings.

Highlights
  • Real-time track identification
  • BPM and key detection
  • Camelot code generation
  • Digital music library
  • DJ set planning
  • Discogs vinyl integration
Features
Read full description

Stackwax is the shelf for DJs. You hear a track. You need the BPM, the key, the Camelot code. You need it in your library before the night is over. You want to buy it on vinyl. StackWax does all of it in one tap. Hold your phone up. StackWax identifies the track, detects the BPM and key in real time, gives you the Camelot code, and shelves it directly into your library. Then the library works for you. Sort by BPM, by key, by Camelot. Drag tracks into playing order and sketch your next set before you step behind the decks. When you find something you want on vinyl, tap through to the Discogs listing and buy it without leaving the app. Connect your existing Discogs collection and import your records. Everything in one place, organised the way DJs think. Built for DJs who take music seriously. Works in clubs, record shops, at home, anywhere music is playing. Free to start. No credit card required. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Lacquer

Features
Read full description

Lacquer turns your iPad or iPhone into a bulletproof recorder for your DJ sets. Park it at the end of your chain — mixer master out → USB audio interface → iPad — and capture the whole night in pristine 24-bit. Its one promise: it will not lose your set. RECORDING IS FREE, AND UNCAPPED No time limit. No limit on how many sets you keep. No watermark, no trial countdown, nothing withheld from the recording itself. Record a six-hour night and take the full-quality 24-bit WAV master home — free, forever. A recorder you can't trust before you've paid isn't worth trusting after, so the entire capture path is free: the durability engine, the markers, the crate, playback, and your master file. Lacquer Pro is a single one-time purchase for the work that happens after the gig. No subscription — the DJ tools you already pay monthly for cost more in a quarter than Lacquer costs once. THE SET IS SACRED A DJ set is a once-only, irreplaceable event. Lacquer's recording engine is decoupled from the audio hardware, so if a cable gets pulled, a call comes in, or the system hiccups mid-set, it keeps writing and resumes the instant the signal returns — and clearly flags any take that dropped out, so you always know exactly what you captured. The master file is written continuously and is never modified, so it stays playable even in the worst case. CAPTURE • True 24-bit at your interface's native rate (up to 96 kHz), in stereo — record with headroom and never ride gain again • Works with any class-compliant USB audio interface (e.g. Focusrite Scarlett), or the built-in mic • 12+ hour recordings, with live level meters, a free-space countdown, and a charging check • Drop markers live with one tap to bookmark each DJ change or moment YOUR CRATE Every set lands in the Crate as a record. Browse your collection, play sets back, scrub the waveform, and jump between markers. EXPORT — ALWAYS FREE • Your 24-bit WAV master, the whole take, out via the share sheet • Trim and fades, so you can top and tail the night • Recordings appear in the Files app for drag-and-drop, with human file names like "2026-06-22 Club X" LACQUER PRO — ONE PAYMENT, NO SUBSCRIPTION Everything that turns a capture into deliverables: • Split at markers — one file per DJ, in a single pass • Loudness processing — normalize to a target for SoundCloud / Mixcloud, or gently flatten the night's loudness creep while leaving the drops intact, plus a safety limiter • The full loudness report — LUFS, true-peak and clipping. Lacquer measures every take as you record it, so unlocking reveals the analysis of sets you have already recorded, with nothing to re-process • ALAC and AAC export, with artwork and tags baked in • Gig profiles — venue, genre and artwork presets, stamped on every take Your original 24-bit master is never touched by any of it. LIVESTREAM (OPTIONAL) Go live over RTMP to a destination you choose, such as Mixcloud Live. Audio-only and best-effort — a dropped stream never affects your recording. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Everything stays on your device. No account, no tracking, nothing uploaded unless you choose to stream or share. Lacquer — record, master & livestream.

Screenshots

Stackwax4 screens
Lacquer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Stackwax at 15.0 against Lacquer's 18.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Stackwax sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Lacquer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stackwax ships an update every 5 days, Lacquer every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 7 level
Stackwax versus Lacquer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStackwaxLacquer
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size18 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMartin AllaisChristian Weinmayr

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Stackwax

Subscriptions2
  • Stackwax Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Stackwax Pro Annual$34.991 Year
One-time1
  • Stackwax Pro Lifetime$49.99
1 purchases

Lacquer

One-time1
  • Lacquer Pro$22.99

Questions

Is Stackwax free?
Stackwax is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lacquer free?
Lacquer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stackwax or Lacquer have ads?
Neither Stackwax nor Lacquer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stackwax or Lacquer?
Stackwax ships an update every 5 days, and Lacquer every 6 days. Most recently, Stackwax was updated on October 11, 2026 and Lacquer on October 18, 2026.

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