Comparison

Stackwax vs Playlist Maker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” 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
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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

Playlist Maker

Features
Read full description

Tell it a moment. It makes the playlist. Type what you want to hear, in your own words. "Monsoon evening on the balcony." "Shoegaze, but gentle." "Like Fleetwood Mac." "90s Bollywood drive." Mixtape builds a playlist for it and saves it to your Apple Music library, where it stays. MADE FROM WHAT YOU ACTUALLY LISTEN TO Mixtape reads your Apple Music listening and builds around it. Ask for a rainy evening and you get the artists you already love, not a generic mood playlist that could belong to anybody. Ask for something new and it stretches, but it stretches from you. SAY ANYTHING A moment. A mood. An artist you want more of. A genre. A decade. A language. A thing you are about to do. If you can describe it, it is a valid request. HEAR IT BEFORE YOU KEEP IT Every playlist arrives complete, and you can play any song from it right there, thirty seconds at a time. Remove what does not fit. Drag songs into the order you want. Keep it only when it is right. IT IS A REAL PLAYLIST Saved mixtapes go into your Apple Music library as proper playlists, with their own artwork. They play on your phone, your Mac, your car, your speaker, your watch. They work when Mixtape is not open and they stay if you delete it. YOUR SHELF Every mixtape you keep stays in Mixtape too, as a cassette you can start with one tap. Put them in folders once there are enough to sort. ASK SIRI "Make a playlist with Mixtape." Siri asks what you want to hear, builds it, and starts playing, without opening the app. ON YOUR HOME SCREEN One small widget holding one mixtape: the latest one you made, or a particular one you pin there. Tap it and the music starts. NO SUBSCRIPTION Mixtape does not charge a monthly or yearly fee. Making playlists is free and unlimited. Keeping one costs a tape, tapes are bought once, and they never expire. Nothing renews, and nothing is taken away if you stop. An Apple Music subscription is required to save playlists to your library. Terms of Use: https://playlistmaker.app/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://playlistmaker.app/privacy/

Screenshots

Stackwax4 screens
Playlist Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Playlist Maker at daily against Stackwax's every 5 days. Stackwax's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Stackwax sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Playlist Maker sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stackwax ships an update every 5 days, Playlist Maker daily. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
Stackwax versus Playlist Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStackwaxPlaylist Maker
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size18 MB18 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMartin AllaisMohit Nandwani

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
3 purchases

Playlist Maker

One-time3
  • 10 Tapes$2.99
  • 25 Tapes$5.99
  • 50 Tapes$9.99

Questions

Is Stackwax free?
Stackwax is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Playlist Maker free?
Playlist Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Stackwax or Playlist Maker have ads?
Neither Stackwax nor Playlist Maker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stackwax or Playlist Maker?
Stackwax ships an update every 5 days, and Playlist Maker daily. Most recently, Stackwax was updated on October 11, 2026 and Playlist Maker on October 14, 2026.

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