# Teach Note vs Piano 101

The clearest difference is monetization model: Teach Note at free with in-app purchases against Piano 101's subscription. Teach Note also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and review sentiment (90% vs 77%). Piano 101's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (weekly vs every 5 weeks). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Teach Note sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and Piano 101 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Teach Note holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 198 and 219 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Teach Note's written reviews are positive against 77% of Piano 101's.

Teach Note ships an update every 5 weeks, Piano 101 weekly. Both last shipped on October 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Teach Note | Piano 101 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (198 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teach-note-sight-reading/id1303295012/reviews)** | [4.4 (219 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-101/id1459824423/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 198 | **219** |
| Positive reviews | **90.2% of reviews** | 77.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 213 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **10.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [炯龙 吴](https://appshunter.io/developer/596409525) | [逢 刘](https://appshunter.io/developer/1457533677) |

## What reviewers say

### Teach Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/teach-note-sight-reading/id1303295012)

Enhance your musical abilities with this app designed to improve staff notation reading and music theory knowledge. It offers structured courses, extensive practice exercises, and helpful tools to boost your sight-reading speed and understanding of musical concepts.

**Highlights:** 30+ sight-reading and music theory courses, 400+ sight-reading exercises, Intelligent error-correction practice, Multiple practice modes (built-in piano, MIDI/Bluetooth), Support for multiple clefs, Includes common musical tools (metronome, chord lookup)

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

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 月度会员 | $2.99 | per month |
| 季度会员 | $9.99 | per 3 months |
| 年度会员 | $22.99 | per year |
| 高级识谱训练包2 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 初级识谱训练包 | $0.99 | one-time |
| 练耳训练包 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 音符识谱训练包 | $1.99 | one-time |
| 高级识谱训练包 | $2.99 | one-time |
| 去除广告 | $3.99 | one-time |
| 终身会员 | $39.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface, easy to learn
- 📚 Comprehensive and well-structured curriculum
- 🎯 Effective for beginners and self-learners
- ✅ Clear and simple explanations
- 🔄 Unlimited practice exercises

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💵 Paywall for premium content
- 🔊 Video tutorials lack audio on some devices
- 📺 Limited free content before requiring subscription
- 🎯 Requires 5-star review to unlock some features
- 📱 Occasional app crashes and stability issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when accessing membership/subscription features
- Video tutorials have no sound on iPad
- Bluetooth MIDI connection not working despite pairing
- VIP recovery/restore purchase causes crashes
- App crashes after recent updates

**Requested features**

- More free practice content
- Ad-supported free tier alternative
- Wider keyboard interface
- Bluetooth MIDI connectivity improvements
- Additional features and functionality


### Piano 101

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-101/id1459824423)

Learn to play piano with a vast library of pop and classical songs. Follow numbered musical notation on each key to play along. Record your performances and explore a guided playing experience.

**Highlights:** Large song collection, Numbered musical notation, Guided playing with blue key, Performance recording, Pop and classical music

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| VIP Yearly Access | $4.99 | per year |
| VIP | $7.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good for learning piano
- 👍 Great for beginners
- 👍 Simple and practical
- 👍 Good for practicing music theory
- 👍 Nice interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 👎 Limited song selection
- 👎 Some songs require payment
- 👎 Can be difficult to read for non-Chinese speakers
- 👎 Occasional freezing
- 👎 Inconsistent prompts for reviews

**Reported bugs**

- App freezes on consecutive taps
- No beat/rhythm
- Floating snowflakes when playing piano
- Inconsistent prompts for reviews

**Requested features**

- Add Bluetooth connectivity
- Add English version
- Option to adjust size
- Improve rhythm/beat feature
- More free songs


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Teach Note free?

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

### Is Piano 101 free?

Piano 101 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Teach Note or Piano 101?

Teach Note is rated higher. Teach Note averages 4.7 out of 5 from 198 ratings, while Piano 101 averages 4.4 from 219 ratings.

### Do Teach Note or Piano 101 have ads?

Teach Note shows ads; Piano 101 does not.

### Which is updated more often, Teach Note or Piano 101?

Teach Note ships an update every 5 weeks, and Piano 101 weekly. Most recently, Teach Note was updated on October 26, 2026 and Piano 101 on October 26, 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.*