Scalewise vs KnowYourNeck
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Scalewise
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Scalewise puts every guitar scale on your fretboard — clean, clear, and instantly interactive. Pick any scale (pentatonic, major, minor, modes, and more), select your key, and choose your tuning. Scalewise maps every note across all six strings so you can see exactly where to play. LIVE NOTE DETECTION Use your microphone to detect the notes you're playing in real time. Notes light up on the fretboard as you play, showing exactly how your playing maps to the scale. ANY SCALE, ANY KEY, ANY TUNING Standard, drop D, open G — Scalewise handles dozens of common and alternate tunings. Switch keys and scales in seconds. Perfect for songwriting, improvising, or learning the neck. SCALE POSITIONS View scales in individual positions or see the full map across every position at once. Build muscle memory and learn the whole fretboard. PRINT YOUR SCALES Print the current scale directly from the app — handy for practice sheets and lesson prep. (Included in the full purchased version.) AD-FREE OPTION Remove ads with a one-time purchase and enjoy Scalewise without interruption, forever.
KnowYourNeck
Explore the interconnectedness of musical scales and arpeggios on a guitar fretboard. Visualize chord tones, target notes, and practice with visual overlays for backing tracks. Offers tools for learning intervals, scales, and chords, with advanced features for Pro users.
- Overlay multiple arpeggios
- Identify target notes between chords
- Play along with visual fretboard overlay
- Visualize intervals and scales
- Display chord voicings and inversions
- Real-time pitch detection
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Most guitar apps show you one scale or arpeggio at a time. KnowYourNeck shows you how everything connects. WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT • Multi Arp — Overlay up to three arpeggios simultaneously. See the chord tones for an entire progression on the neck at once, so you can practice connecting lines and navigating changes instead of just memorizing isolated shapes. • Target Notes — Identify which notes are safe landing points between chord changes. Overlaying a scale against an arpeggio shows you exactly which degrees work as target notes when you land on a new chord — the key to sounding musical instead of mechanical. • Play Along with Visual Overlay — Practice with backing tracks while the fretboard changes with every chord in your progression. A preview shows the upcoming scale or arpeggio before the change hits, so you can prepare your line in advance. Available in Jazz, Blues, Rock, Funk, Bossa, and Drone styles. EVERYTHING ELSE YOU GET • Intervals — Visualize the distance between any two notes across all six strings. • Scales — Every common scale and mode mapped across the full neck with color-coded degrees. • Chords — Triads, Drop 2, Drop 3, and Shell voicings with every inversion drawn as a grip across the neck. • Lick Builder (Pro) — Tap out note sequences on the fretboard and save your lines. • Quiz Mode (Pro) — Test intervals, chord tones, and scale mastery with detailed accuracy and speed stats. • Pitch Detection — Play a note and the app identifies it on the neck in real time. • Zen Mode — Full-screen fretboard with no chrome, for focused practice. BUILT FOR LEARNING Toggle note names or scale degrees. Switch sharps and flats. Show or hide open strings. Chromatic color mode to spot patterns fast. Whether you're working on your first pentatonic or learning to navigate a jazz progression, KnowYourNeck shows you the neck the way it actually works — as a connected system, not a collection of boxes. Free to explore. Upgrade to Pro for the Lick Builder, Quiz Mode, and Play Along.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: KnowYourNeck at none against Scalewise's shown. Scalewise's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Scalewise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and KnowYourNeck sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Scalewise | KnowYourNeck |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | — | Every 11 days |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 27 MB | 79 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Florian Mueller | Adam Rhodes |
In-app purchases
Scalewise
- Scalewise Pro$5.99
KnowYourNeck
- KnowYourNeck Pro$4.991 Month
- KnowYourNeck Pro$49.991 Year
Questions
Is Scalewise free?
Is KnowYourNeck free?
Do Scalewise or KnowYourNeck have ads?
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