# Sheet Music Scanner vs Melody Scanner

The clearest difference is rating: Sheet Music Scanner at 4.5 against Melody Scanner's 1.6. Sheet Music Scanner also leads on review sentiment (61% vs 28%) and ratings volume (6.5K vs 36). Melody Scanner's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sheet Music Scanner sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Melody Scanner sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sheet Music Scanner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 1.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sheet Music Scanner has 6.5K ratings behind it against 36, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of Sheet Music Scanner's written reviews are positive against 28% of Melody Scanner's.

Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, Melody Scanner fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sheet Music Scanner | Melody Scanner |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.5 (6.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-scanner/id884984324/reviews)** | [1.6 (36 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **6.5K** | 36 |
| Positive reviews | **61.0% of reviews** | 27.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#138** | — |
| Size | 77 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [App Sub 1 LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1667982354) | [Klangio GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1588721120) |

## What reviewers say

### Sheet Music Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sheet-music-scanner/id884984324)

**Currently charting:** #138 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Instantly listen to scanned sheet music with this app. It recognizes musical notation and plays it back on your device with various instruments and adjustable speeds. Learn music by hearing it come alive from the page.

**Highlights:** Scan printed sheet music with camera, Playback from photo library or PDF, Tap to play specific measures, Recognizes melody, harmony, and rhythm symbols, Supports multiple instruments and voices, Adjustable playback speed, Export as MIDI, MusicXML, and audio

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Notation Scanner | $4.99 | per month |
| Notation Scanner | $9.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $14.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $17.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $22.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $24.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $29.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $34.99 | per year |
| Notation Scanner | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Game changing app
- 👍 Helpful for learning music
- 💡 Useful for singers and musicians
- 🚀 Accurate scanning and playback
- 👍 Great value for the price

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Misses notes, rhythms, and symbols
- 🐛 Struggles with complex music
- 🔒 Requires subscription to fully use
- 🐛 Inconsistent performance

**Reported bugs**

- Misses key signatures and accidentals
- Struggles with handwritten or low-quality sheet music
- Separates hands/voices incorrectly in multi-staff scores

**Requested features**

- Add ability to manually edit scanned music
- Improve support for repeats, codas, and complex rhythms
- Allow selecting/isolating individual instrument/voice parts
- Add count-in and metronome features
- Improve export options (e.g. separate instrument tracks)


### Melody Scanner

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/melody-scanner/id6472921068)

Convert audio recordings and YouTube videos into musical scores. View transcriptions as classical scores, piano rolls, or guitar tabs, and play them back. Download your creations in various formats or share them with friends.

**Highlights:** Transcribe audio to sheet music, Support for piano, flute, violin, and guitar, Multiple transcription views (score, piano roll, tab), Playback functionality, Download sheet music (PDF, MIDI, MusicXML), Share compositions, Desktop version synchronization

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Melody Scanner Premium Monthly | $5.99 | per month |
| Melody Scanner Premium Yearly | $44.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🚀 Quick transcription
- 💡 Helps learn music
- ✅ Good for basic songs
- ✨ Clean sheet music layout

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate transcriptions
- 💸 Premium features not working
- ❌ YouTube import issues
- 🤷‍♂️ Poor sound quality
- 🚫 No free trial for basic function

**Reported bugs**

- Upload function not working
- App doesn't recognize stave lines/notation
- App gives too many notes at once or notes octaves apart
- Errors when generating sheet music
- Premium features not unlocked after payment

**Requested features**

- Single instrument mode on app
- Full song transcription (not just 1 min)
- Ability to export full transcriptions
- More accurate transcription for complex music
- Improved MIDI playback accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sheet Music Scanner free?

Sheet Music Scanner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Melody Scanner free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sheet Music Scanner or Melody Scanner?

Sheet Music Scanner is rated higher. Sheet Music Scanner averages 4.5 out of 5 from 6.5K ratings, while Melody Scanner averages 1.6 from 36 ratings.

### Do Sheet Music Scanner or Melody Scanner have ads?

Neither Sheet Music Scanner nor Melody Scanner shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sheet Music Scanner or Melody Scanner?

Sheet Music Scanner ships an update every 3 weeks, and Melody Scanner fortnightly. Most recently, Sheet Music Scanner was updated on November 11, 2026 and Melody Scanner on November 9, 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.*