# Functional Ear Trainer vs Sostenuto

The clearest difference is rating: Functional Ear Trainer at 4.9 against Sostenuto's 3.0. Functional Ear Trainer also leads on ratings volume (3.9K vs 2). Sostenuto's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Functional Ear Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Sostenuto sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Functional Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Functional Ear Trainer has 3.9K ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 97% of Functional Ear Trainer's written reviews are positive against 100% of Sostenuto's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Functional Ear Trainer ships an update every 7 months, Sostenuto every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Functional Ear Trainer | Sostenuto |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (3.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926/reviews)** | [3.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sostenuto-music-practice/id6760582882/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.9K** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 96.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Size | 41 MB | 54 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Serhii Korchan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088761925) | [Valerio De Feo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885163113) |

## What reviewers say

### Functional Ear Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Functional Ear Trainer Plus | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective ear training
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable exercises
- 🎉 Noticeable improvement with regular practice
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional audio glitches
- 💡 Lack of support for other instruments besides piano
- 💡 Desire for more advanced features (e.g. chord recognition)

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Sostenuto

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sostenuto-music-practice/id6760582882)

This app helps musicians build a lasting repertoire by using spaced repetition and AI coaching. It intelligently schedules practice sessions to combat forgetting and provides personalized feedback based on your progress.

**Highlights:** Intelligent practice scheduling, AI practice coach, Repertoire management, Audio/video recording, Practice streaks and achievements, Sheet music storage

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sostenuto Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Sostenuto Pro Annual | $29.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Functional Ear Trainer free?

Functional Ear Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Sostenuto free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Functional Ear Trainer or Sostenuto?

Functional Ear Trainer is rated higher. Functional Ear Trainer averages 4.9 out of 5 from 3.9K ratings, while Sostenuto averages 3.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Functional Ear Trainer or Sostenuto have ads?

Neither Functional Ear Trainer nor Sostenuto shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Functional Ear Trainer or Sostenuto?

Functional Ear Trainer ships an update every 7 months, and Sostenuto every 3 weeks. Most recently, Functional Ear Trainer was updated on November 11, 2026 and Sostenuto on October 31, 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.*