Comparison

Pitch Perfector vs Functional Ear Trainer

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

Head to head
About

Pitch Perfector

Features
Read full description

This is a simple app for improving your sense of pitch. ■ Course (NEW) Train step by step by clearing levels in order. All levels are free. ・Absolute Pitch (8 levels) Start with white keys in the mid range, then gradually widen the range and add black keys. ・Relative Pitch (10 levels) Practice 2nds → 3rds → 4ths, 5ths & tritone → 6ths & octave → 7ths, ascending and then descending. You can choose a separate answer method for courses (keyboard or fretboard, plus multiple choice for intervals). ■ Custom Combine modes and answer methods freely. ・Absolute Pitch Training  Single 1 Note: Guess a single note.  Single 3 Notes: Guess three consecutive notes.  Poly 3 Notes: Guess three overlapping notes. ・Relative Pitch Training  Listen to two notes and guess the interval between them. Choose ascending or descending. ・Free Mode  Play the keyboard freely. ■ Weak-Spot Drills (NEW) The result screen shows which notes or intervals you always got right and which need review. Practice only the ones that need review, or start a drill from the Grades tab that focuses on your weakest items. ■ Answer Modes Besides the keyboard and 4-choice buttons, you can answer directly on a guitar fretboard — available in both Absolute Pitch and Relative Pitch training. ■ Grades Check your daily results and your accuracy for each note and interval. We plan to add new features over time. We're actively working to improve the app's features, so if you have any suggestions, please leave a review.

About

Functional Ear Trainer

Develop your musical ear by learning to recognize tones within the context of a specific musical key. This app helps you understand the function of each note, improving your ability to transcribe, improvise, and play music by ear. Suitable for all ages and skill levels, with just 10 minutes of daily practice.

Highlights
  • Recognize tones in musical key context
  • Understand note function
  • Improve transcription skills
  • Enhance improvisation
  • Develop perfect pitch
  • Daily 10-minute practice
Features
Read full description

Have you (or maybe one of your friends) ever wanted to learn to transcribe or play music by ear? It is so important for a musician to know what you are hearing. A good musical ear helps when you are composing, improvising, transcribing melodies, or playing with others. Most likely you have already tried different programs to learn to recognize intervals or even to acquire perfect pitch. However, although such programs develop your ear, but can you actually play any melody you hear as soon as you listen to it? Imagine you could understand music... It is like when somebody is talking to you, you not only hear pleasant sounds, but you recognize words and their meaning. One day I came across Alain Benbassat's program called "Functional Ear Trainer" and have been using it ever since. It is based on Alain's method to learn to recognize tones. The main difference between the Functional Ear Trainer and other methods is that it teaches you to distinguish between tones in the context of a particular musical key. You begin to recognize the role (or function) of each tone in this key, which is incredibly similar to its role in other keys of the same scale. And it is *guaranteed* anyone can gradually develop this skill. It does not matter: - who you are - an absolute beginner in music or a virtuoso professional musician; - how old you are - a 3 yo kid or a 90+ adult; - what musical instrument you play (you don't even have to play one). The only requirement is to practice for 10 minutes a day. I was so excited about this ear trainer that I have developed a mobile app based on the Alain Benbassat method. I hope you will find it useful.

Screenshots

Pitch Perfector4 screens
Functional Ear Trainer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pitch Perfector at none against Functional Ear Trainer's 1. Pitch Perfector also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 7 months). Functional Ear Trainer's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. Functional Ear Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pitch Perfector asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pitch Perfector ships an update every 2 days, Functional Ear Trainer every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Pitch Perfector versus Functional Ear Trainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPitch PerfectorFunctional Ear Trainer
PriceFreeFree
Rating—4.9 (3.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews—96.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—3.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 7 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size155 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMICHIHIRO SATOSerhii Korchan

Bugs and requests

Pitch Perfector

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Functional Ear Trainer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Keyboard display issues when selecting all chromatic notes
  • Inconsistent note resolutions in some exercises

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for multiple notes/chords at once
  • Implement a mode for training key recognition
  • Provide more customization options for exercises
  • Include voice input to play the notes
  • Add support for German/Norwegian key names

In-app purchases

None

Pitch Perfector

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Functional Ear Trainer

One-time1
  • Functional Ear Trainer Plus$19.99

Questions

Is Pitch Perfector free?
Pitch Perfector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Functional Ear Trainer free?
Functional Ear Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pitch Perfector or Functional Ear Trainer have ads?
Pitch Perfector shows ads; Functional Ear Trainer does not.
Which is updated more often, Pitch Perfector or Functional Ear Trainer?
Pitch Perfector ships an update every 2 days, and Functional Ear Trainer every 7 months. Most recently, Pitch Perfector was updated on October 29, 2026 and Functional Ear Trainer on November 5, 2026.

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