# Sounds Essentials vs Hearoes

The clearest difference is rating: Hearoes at 4.2 against Sounds Essentials's 1.0. Hearoes also leads on ratings volume (86 vs 1). Sounds Essentials's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 11 days). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sounds Essentials sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hearoes sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Hearoes holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Hearoes has 86 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Sounds Essentials ships an update every 2 days, Hearoes every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Sounds Essentials | Hearoes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-essentials/id1264473472/reviews) | **[4.2 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearoes/id1328912282/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **86** |
| Positive reviews | — | 73.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 65 MB | 347 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nabeel Ahmed Khan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1178548011) | [Games 4 Hearoes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1328912281) |

## What reviewers say

### Sounds Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sounds-essentials/id1264473472)

This app helps children develop sound recognition and listening skills through engaging activities. It's designed for early learners to improve auditory discrimination and memory, making learning fun and interactive.

**Highlights:** Sound recognition activities, Auditory discrimination training, Auditory memory building, Matching objects and sounds, Categorized sound games, Multiple user support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Sounds Essentials Full Access | $1.99 | one-time |


### Hearoes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hearoes/id1328912282)

This app offers interactive auditory training for individuals with cochlear implants, hearing aids, or hearing loss. It helps users familiarize themselves with environmental sounds and vocabulary through gamified activities and proven assessments, making rehabilitation more engaging.

**Highlights:** Interactive auditory training, Environmental sound familiarization, Vocabulary learning (Ling's Sounds, vowels, consonants), Gamified activities, Proven rehabilitation assessments, Dynamic learning modules, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Hearoes 1 Month Subscription | $9.99 | per month |
| Hearoes 6 Months Subscription | $52.99 | per 6 months |
| Hearoes 12 Months Subscription | $99.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Helpful exercises for CI recipients
- 💡 Unique and engaging for hearing retraining
- 🚀 Accelerates hearing improvement
- 👍 Makes hearing journey fun
- 👍 Adjusts to focus on struggling sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy
- 🐛 Audio static issues
- 🐛 Audio to one ear function never works
- 🐛 Scoring changes make progress hard to follow
- 🐛 Scoring is confusing and meaningless

**Reported bugs**

- App not letting user exit, requires phone shut down
- Audio is a wall of static
- Audio to one ear function does not work
- Errors in levels 3 & 4 missing background noise
- Environmental sounds in review mode do not play

**Requested features**

- Option to replay sounds when unsure
- Add section for identifying emotion in speech
- More flexibility in pricing, e.g., monthly payments
- Make scoring configurable (by week/day)
- Add email option for feedback


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Sounds Essentials free?

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

### Is Hearoes free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Sounds Essentials or Hearoes?

Hearoes is rated higher. Sounds Essentials averages 1.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Hearoes averages 4.2 from 86 ratings.

### Do Sounds Essentials or Hearoes have ads?

Neither Sounds Essentials nor Hearoes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Sounds Essentials or Hearoes?

Sounds Essentials ships an update every 2 days, and Hearoes every 11 days. Most recently, Sounds Essentials was updated on October 4, 2026 and Hearoes on October 19, 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.*