# StaffWars Live vs DroneTones

The clearest difference is price: DroneTones at Free against StaffWars Live's $2.99. DroneTones also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and rating (4.9 vs 4.4). StaffWars Live's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (894 vs 20). On ads, monetization model, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

DroneTones is free to download; StaffWars Live costs $2.99 up front. DroneTones sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. StaffWars Live asks for nothing beyond the download.

DroneTones holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: StaffWars Live has 894 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of StaffWars Live's written reviews are positive against 100% of DroneTones's.

StaffWars Live ships an update every 4 months, DroneTones every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | StaffWars Live | DroneTones |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (894 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffwars-live/id1071622918/reviews) | **[4.9 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dronetones/id6447811468/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **894** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 58.1% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#77** | — |
| Size | 123 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TMI Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/810405579) | [Thanh Nguyen](https://appshunter.io/developer/1621588107) |

## What reviewers say

### StaffWars Live

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffwars-live/id1071622918)

**Currently charting:** #77 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Enhance instrumental practice with this engaging game. Play notes as they appear on the staff to score points and improve your skills. Customize your practice experience with various instruments, scales, and key signatures.

**Highlights:** Instrumental practice aid, Customizable instrument, key, and scale, Adjustable note range and speed, Score tracking, Transposition practice, MIDI device support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful for practicing notes
- 🚀 Great for improving sight reading
- 💡 Customizable to different instruments
- 😊 Fun and engaging game-like experience

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Note recognition issues, especially for certain instruments
- 🐛 Problems with bass clef and transposing instruments
- 🔧 Difficulty settings could be improved
- 🔧 Occasional crashes and bugs

**Reported bugs**

- Notes not registering correctly
- Bass clef not working as expected
- App crashing on launch for some users
- Misalignment of note graphics

**Requested features**

- Add support for more instruments, including piano
- Implement a speed/difficulty slider
- Add an option for the grand staff
- Improve bass clef and transposition accuracy


### DroneTones

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/dronetones/id6447811468)

This app provides a steady, warm cello drone to help musicians of all levels improve their intonation. By training your ear against a continuous reference tone, you can learn to play and sing more accurately. It offers all 12 chromatic notes with a clean interface, making practice more effective.

**Highlights:** Warm cello drone tones, All 12 chromatic notes, Clean, distraction-free interface, Free to use, Optional tip jar

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Grace Note | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crescendo | $4.99 | one-time |
| Standing Ovation | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StaffWars Live free?

StaffWars Live costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DroneTones free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StaffWars Live or DroneTones?

DroneTones is rated higher. StaffWars Live averages 4.4 out of 5 from 894 ratings, while DroneTones averages 4.9 from 20 ratings.

### Do StaffWars Live or DroneTones have ads?

Neither StaffWars Live nor DroneTones shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StaffWars Live or DroneTones?

StaffWars Live ships an update every 4 months, and DroneTones every 2 months. Most recently, StaffWars Live was updated on November 6, 2026 and DroneTones on November 7, 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.*