# EarMaster vs Sonofield Ear Trainer

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sonofield Ear Trainer at every 9 days against EarMaster's every 2 months. Sonofield Ear Trainer also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.6) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EarMaster sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Sonofield Ear Trainer sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Sonofield Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 429 and 392 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of EarMaster's written reviews are positive against 89% of Sonofield Ear Trainer's.

EarMaster ships an update every 2 months, Sonofield Ear Trainer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EarMaster | Sonofield Ear Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (429 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earmaster-music-theory/id1105030163/reviews) | **[4.9 (392 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonofield-ear-trainer/id6740409139/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **429** | 392 |
| Positive reviews | 80.9% of reviews | **88.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 306 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [EarMaster ApS](https://appshunter.io/developer/412621345) | [Sonofield Ear Trainer Education Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789801335) |

## What reviewers say

### EarMaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earmaster-music-theory/id1105030163)

Enhance your musical abilities with comprehensive ear training, sight-singing, and rhythm exercises. This app offers thousands of lessons for all skill levels, from beginners to advanced musicians, and is used by top music schools.

**Highlights:** Ear training exercises, Sight-singing practice, Rhythm training, Vocal training, Beginner's course, Customizable exercises, Detailed progress stats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| General: Interval Singing | $1.99 | one-time |
| General: Interval Identification | $1.99 | one-time |
| General: Chord Progressions | $1.99 | one-time |
| Jazz: Chord Identification | $1.99 | one-time |
| Beginner's Course: Modules 5 to 13 | $3.99 | one-time |
| Beginner's Course bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Customized Exercises bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| General Workshops bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Jazz Workshops bundle | $14.99 | one-time |
| Vocal Trainer | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent for sight reading and vocal singing
- 👍 Helpful for improving musicianship and sharpening ears
- 💡 Customizable exercises and lessons
- 🚀 Systematic and progressive approach
- 👍 Covers a wide range of topics (intervals, chords, rhythm, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Pitch recognition issues, especially for lower voices
- 🐛 Rhythm playback issues on some devices
- 💰 Expensive, with in-app purchases required for full access
- 🤔 Forced landscape mode on mobile devices

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes and errors when loading certain exercises
- Inconsistent behavior with metronome and rhythm playback
- Issues with saving progress and restoring purchased content

**Requested features**

- Allow users to specify their vocal range
- Add more chord and chord progression options
- Implement a jazz-focused curriculum
- Improve feedback and error analysis for users
- Add support for different tuning systems


### Sonofield Ear Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonofield-ear-trainer/id6740409139)

This app helps musicians develop their ear by focusing on the feeling of individual notes within a key, rather than traditional interval training. It uses sustained drones and offers various modes like identifying scale degrees, melodies, and singing exercises. The app adapts to your skill level with an intuitive interface and progression path.

**Highlights:** Feeling-based note recognition, Scale degree identification, Melody recognition training, Singing exercises, Hands-free training mode, Interactive exploration instrument

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Pro | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro | $17.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro | $19.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime Pro | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent ear training tool
- 👍 Intuitive and user-friendly design
- 🎶 Effective for improving relative pitch
- 💡 Innovative use of drone and scale degrees
- 🎯 Helpful for aural skills development

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Challenging for true beginners
- 💭 Desire for more customization options

**Reported bugs**

- None reported

**Requested features**

- Option to switch between 12TET and just intonation
- Ability to reduce octave range
- Incorporate more timbre options for drone and notes
- Tracking and visualization of progress and learned skills
- Add interactive tutorial for level 1


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EarMaster free?

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

### Is Sonofield Ear Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, EarMaster or Sonofield Ear Trainer?

Sonofield Ear Trainer is rated higher. EarMaster averages 4.6 out of 5 from 429 ratings, while Sonofield Ear Trainer averages 4.9 from 392 ratings.

### Do EarMaster or Sonofield Ear Trainer have ads?

Neither EarMaster nor Sonofield Ear Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EarMaster or Sonofield Ear Trainer?

EarMaster ships an update every 2 months, and Sonofield Ear Trainer every 9 days. Most recently, EarMaster was updated on November 6, 2026 and Sonofield Ear Trainer on November 8, 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.*