# EarForge vs Active Ear

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Active Ear at none against EarForge's 2. Active Ear also leads on review sentiment (94% vs 63%). EarForge's advantage is ratings volume (292 vs 50) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EarForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Active Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for EarForge against 4.7 for Active Ear. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: EarForge has 292 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of EarForge's written reviews are positive against 94% of Active Ear's.

EarForge ships an update every 5 weeks, Active Ear monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and June 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | EarForge | Active Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (292 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earforge-learn-ear-training/id1429049063/reviews) | **[4.7 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **292** | 50 |
| Positive reviews | 62.7% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 93 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patcharapon Phasukdee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1156091836) | [MCPHERSON'S MUSIC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541508223) |

## What reviewers say

### EarForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earforge-learn-ear-training/id1429049063)

This app offers a structured ear training program designed to improve your sense of pitch and ability to recognize musical notes and chords. It features progressive lessons, personalized quizzes, and detailed progress tracking. Advanced users can create custom training sessions for specific musical elements.

**Highlights:** 30-level note recognition program, Chord identification lessons, Customizable note and chord training, Progress tracking with profile statistics, Ad-free experience (PRO), Exclusive themes (PRO)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


### Active Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221)

Develop your musical ear with a comprehensive ear training app. It offers various exercises to help musicians identify pitches, intervals, chords, and progressions. Customize your learning with practice modes and test your knowledge with quizzes.

**Highlights:** Pitch Recognition, Interval Training, Chord Quality Identification, Bassline Training, Progression Training, Chord Inversions, Customizable Practice Mode, Quiz Mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is EarForge free?

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

### Is Active Ear free?

Active Ear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, EarForge or Active Ear?

Active Ear is rated higher. EarForge averages 4.6 out of 5 from 292 ratings, while Active Ear averages 4.7 from 50 ratings.

### Do EarForge or Active Ear have ads?

Neither EarForge nor Active Ear shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, EarForge or Active Ear?

EarForge ships an update every 5 weeks, and Active Ear monthly. Most recently, EarForge was updated on September 8, 2026 and Active Ear on June 10, 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.*