Comparison

MusiClock vs SmartScales

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

Head to head
About

MusiClock

This app simplifies music theory and scales for guitar and piano players. It helps users practice improvisation, soloing, and jamming with interactive tools and backing tracks. Learn scales and transpose to different keys instantly, even without prior music theory knowledge.

Highlights
  • Scale charts for guitar
  • Interactive piano
  • 8 different scales
  • Professional backing tracks
  • Instant key transposition
  • Jamming and soloing practice
Features
Read full description

*** Featured by Apple in "Best New Apps" *** *** #1 Paid Music App in 9 countries *** *** #1 Prize in Expressing Category, Interaction Awards 2017, New York *** WHAT GLOBAL APP REVIEWERS SAY ABOUT MUSICLOCK: “This app is pure genius, and in my 20 years of playing music I have never seen anything like it.” - apptreasurehunter.com "Apple loves this music app. You will too." - MacLife "This is incredibly useful, it teaches you how to play in all the different keys and scales... Super duper idea, fabulous for jamming and great for learning as well.. brilliant" - thesoundtestroom "If you want to teach improvisation to students of any age, this is a wonderful app" - techinmusiced.com "Slice of genius – Musiclock nails making music theory and scales far more approachable, providing a helping first step for total beginners, and a useful resource tool for musicians to dip into" - TapSmart "The key to making music that sounds good (–) is rooted in first finding (and playing) all those correct notes. MusiClock can definitely help in this regard" - iPhoneLife "As a rock and blues guitar player whose idea of relaxation is just having a good noodle, Musiclock is a pleasure to use. It can give your practice sessions a little bit of structure but without it feeling like a classroom music theory session" - musicappblog.com ------ *The ultimate scale tool & jam buddy for guitar and piano players* MusiClock is an easy-to-use improvisation tool that makes it dead easy to practice scales, jamming and soloing with a guitar or piano. Our award-winning approach helps you to hit all the right notes so that you can get jamming within seconds without any prior music theory training. REVOLUTIONARY LOGIC MusiClock transforms the complexity of different notes, scales and keys into a simple and powerful jam tool.The beautifully simple MusiClock enables you to jam with piano or guitar right away without prior knowledge of music theory. With the help of the revolutionary design, you can master all the scales you need for jamming in no time. Practice and expand your playing skills easily to more challenging keys – just rotate the wheel and you can transpose your jam instantly to any key. PLAY THE LEADS WITH PROFESSIONAL BACKING TRACKS Practice and play along with professional backing tracks. MusiClock features multiple tunes from various genres. Choose your favorite from pop, rock, heavy metal and more. Start playing leads with your favorite musical style in seconds. SPICE UP YOUR GROOVE Create new melodies by mixing different scales and backing tracks together. How would those delicious blues licks merge with heavy metal? What about mashing up bepop melodies with pop? However you choose to explore your creativity, MusiClock takes your jamming to the next level. FEATURES - Over 1000 easy-to-read guitar charts (require iOS 8 or higher!) - Interactive piano - 8 scales: Major, Natural Minor, Major Pentatonic, Minor, Pentatonic, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Blues, Dominant Bepop - 12 different keys for every scale and backing track - Professional backing tracks (pop, rock, blues, metal, jazz, dance, classical) - Staff showing notes and scales - Intuitive & beautifully simple design Follow us on - Facebook www.facebook.com/mymusiclock - Twitter https://twitter.com/mymusiclock - Instagram https://instagram.com/musiclock/ - Website www.getmusiclock.com FEEDBACK What was your jamming experience like? Let us know! Feel free to send us any questions/feedback at hello@mymusiclock.com.

About

SmartScales

This app transforms scale and arpeggio practice into an engaging experience with specially composed backing tracks. It closely aligns with the ABRSM syllabus, offering interactive scores, adjustable tempos, and a built-in metronome. Explore various music styles and practice with looping exercises for instruments like piano, violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

Highlights
  • Interactive scale and arpeggio practice
  • ABRSM syllabus alignment
  • Specially composed backing tracks
  • Adjustable tempo control
  • Looping exercises
  • Built-in metronome
  • Toggleable audio tracks
Features
Read full description

SmartScales makes practising scales and arpeggios interactive and fun! A collaboration between highly experienced music educators and leading music software developers, SmartScales ensures you’ll be making beautiful music thanks to specially-composed backing tracks in a broad range of styles. The graded exercise packs, available as in-app purchases, closely follow the syllabus of the ABRSM, the UK’s largest music education body and the world’s leading provider of music exams. Free content allows you to try exercises in each grade before buying. Content for Piano, Violin, Viola, Cello and Double Bass available today, more instruments coming soon! • Follows the complete ABRSM syllabus*, including all exercise variations • Choice of music styles for every exercise • Fully interactive score follows the music • Adjustable tempo as you build towards ABRSM's suggested playing speed • Loop the exercise so the music goes on while you play • Built-in metronome helps you keep in time • Toggle lead, backing and metronome tracks on and off • Music can be used as jam along tracks * The syllabus on which SmartScales is based is © by The Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and is reproduced by permission of the copyright owner.

Screenshots

MusiClock4 screens
SmartScales4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SmartScales at Free against MusiClock's $8.99. SmartScales also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.6). MusiClock's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 17) and update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads 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

SmartScales is free to download; MusiClock costs $8.99 up front. SmartScales sells 17 one-off in-app purchases. MusiClock asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SmartScales holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 31 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of MusiClock's written reviews are positive against 67% of SmartScales's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MusiClock ships an update every 5 weeks, SmartScales every 5 months. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
MusiClock versus SmartScales: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMusiClockSmartScales
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating3.6 (31 ratings)4.2 (38 ratings) — better
Positive reviews59.5% of reviews66.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings3138 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS7.1 — better15
Further details — not scored
Size102 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperperTunes OyGreater Heights Media Ltd

Customer experience

MusiClock

All ratings31 ratings
Positive64.5%
Neutral9.7%
Negative25.8%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive59.5%
Neutral10.8%
Negative29.7%

SmartScales

All ratings38 ratings
Positive84.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative15.8%
Written reviews60 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral15.0%
Negative18.3%

Bugs and requests

MusiClock

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SmartScales

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Cannot delete app from iPad
  • In-app purchase server connection issues
  • App crashes after purchase
  • App crashes after opening
  • Unable to locate in-app purchases
Show 5 more
  • App crashes after 1 second
  • App crashes on iPad
  • App doesn't load
  • App keeps re-downloading
  • Doesn't get past unpacking files screen

Requested features

22 requests
  • Add ABRSM clarinet options
  • Add ABRSM piano syllabus updates
  • Pro version for school use with all grades enabled
  • Search for key signature and browse octaves
  • Add MIDI support
Show 17 more
  • Add guitar as an instrument
  • Add brass instruments
  • Add wind instruments
  • Add band instruments
  • Add classical guitar
  • Add woodwind instruments (clarinet)
  • Add tuba
  • Add more instruments (orchestra)
  • Add tuner
  • Add drone (chord or single tone)
  • Include all three and four scale octaves
  • Offer alternative backing tracks (e.g., piano sound)
  • Check intonation and provide analysis
  • Highlight or change note head color
  • Add fingerings or display pitches
  • Create new rhythm patterns
  • More than 2 note slur option (3,4,6,8)

In-app purchases

None

MusiClock

No in-app purchases

17 purchases

SmartScales

One-time17
  • Cello Grade 1$0.99
  • Violin Grade 1$0.99
  • Piano Grade 1$0.99
Show 14 more
  • Piano Grade 2$1.99
  • Double Bass Grade 3$1.99
  • Violin Grade 5$2.99
  • Viola Grade 5$2.99
  • Violin Grade 7$3.99
  • Cello Grades 1 to 4$4.99
  • Violin Grades 1 to 4$4.99
  • Piano Grades 1 to 4$4.99
  • Double Bass Grade 8$4.99
  • Cello Grades 5 to 8$9.99
  • Violin Grades 5 to 8$9.99
  • Cello Grades 1 to 8$12.99
  • Violin Grades 1 to 8$12.99
  • Viola Grades 1 to 8$12.99

Questions

Is MusiClock free?
MusiClock costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SmartScales free?
SmartScales is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MusiClock or SmartScales?
SmartScales is rated higher. MusiClock averages 3.6 out of 5 from 31 ratings, while SmartScales averages 4.2 from 38 ratings.
Do MusiClock or SmartScales have ads?
Neither MusiClock nor SmartScales shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MusiClock or SmartScales?
MusiClock ships an update every 5 weeks, and SmartScales every 5 months. Most recently, MusiClock was updated on September 23, 2026 and SmartScales on September 23, 2026.

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