StiNT app vs SoundSteps
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StiNT app
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StiNT app is a free app (no account required) for people with auditory processing disorders and people fitted with hearing aids, who want to maximize the benefit of using hearing aids beyond simply amplifying sounds. It is used to train the brain to work together with the ears. The app has been co-developed with Professors Doris-Eva Bamiou and Stuart Rosen of University College London, UK. You are listening to 4 selected stories which are narrated in a noisy environment and you need to select words that you heard from the presented list. You can select amount of noise and number talkers that will narrate the stories, which randomly change over time. The recommended training duration is 30 minutes per day. This application is not a medical tool and cannot be used as such. Please verify with your clinician that this kind of training is right for you. The application is free to be used by anyone who wants to train the brain to work better with the ears. At the moment it is available only in English, but there are thoughts to include more languages in the future. Studies have shown that hearing loss is connected to increased social isolation and depression, as well as cognitive decline. Listening can be exhausting, and when your brain is working overtime to hear and understand what’s being said, that makes it difficult to pay attention to other things in your environment. Auditory Training can train the brain to improve a) the auditory working memory, the ability to keep words in short-term memory so the meaning of the word and its linguistic context can be processed b) the auditory processing speed, our ability to recognize speech quickly, which is important during everyday conversation, where one word follows another in rapid succession c) the auditory attention: our ability to extract meaningful speech from a background of competing background noise, as might be required to do when trying to listen in a noisy restaurant
SoundSteps
This app offers daily listening exercises designed to improve speech comprehension, especially in noisy environments. It provides structured practice with word pairs, sentences, and conversations, allowing users to gradually increase background noise levels and choose from various voices. Progress tracking and language options are available.
- Daily listening practice
- Speech comprehension in noise
- Word pair exercises
- Sentence and conversation practice
- Gradual background noise introduction
- Multiple voice options
- Progress tracking
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SoundSteps is daily listening practice for adults with cochlear implants and hearing aids. It also suits anyone who finds speech hard to follow when there is noise around, and the family members who help. Many people get a new hearing aid or cochlear implant and hear the same advice: "just listen more." SoundSteps turns that into a few guided minutes a day, one step at a time. START WITH A QUICK LISTENING CHECK A short, friendly check finds the right starting point for you. It takes about two minutes and needs no account. PRACTICE THAT BUILDS, STEP BY STEP Short exercises that get harder as you get better: • Word pairs. Hear the small difference between words like "sip" and "ship". • Sentences and everyday conversations. • Stories you follow word by word, with the text on screen. • Everyday scenes, like ordering coffee or answering the phone. BACKGROUND NOISE, AT YOUR OWN PACE Noisy rooms are the hard part, so noise is never forced on you. When you feel ready, add a little background sound and turn it up slowly. You decide how loud it gets. MANY VOICES, NOT JUST ONE Practice with women's and men's voices in American, British, Australian and Canadian accents. Pick one you like, or switch between them as you go. WORKS WITH WHAT YOU HAVE No clinic code, no hearing care account, nothing to pair. Listen through your iPhone or iPad speaker, with headphones, or stream to your hearing aids or cochlear implant processor. SEE YOUR PROGRESS Your accuracy over time, the sound pairs you find easiest and hardest, your practice streak, and a simple suggestion for what to do next. You can share a progress summary with your audiologist whenever you like. ON IPHONE AND IPAD The same practice and the same progress on both. On iPad, the buttons and text are bigger. MORE THAN ENGLISH Practice in Spanish, German, French, Japanese and more. Each language has its own voices, not English audio with subtitles. Switch any time in Settings. FREE TO START The listening check needs no account. Your first week includes full access, and you don't need a card to start. After that, keep practicing for free, or choose Premium for the whole library: every voice and story, plus conversations, everyday scenes and guided paths. SoundSteps Premium is an auto-renewing subscription (monthly or yearly). Payment is charged to your Apple Account. Your subscription renews unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel any time in your App Store account settings. Privacy: https://soundsteps.app/privacy Terms: https://soundsteps.app/terms SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice. Questions? support@soundsteps.app
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: StiNT app at none against SoundSteps's 2. StiNT app also leads on iOS requirement (10.0 vs 15.0). SoundSteps's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. SoundSteps sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. StiNT app asks for nothing beyond the download.
StiNT app ships an update every 3 months, SoundSteps every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | StiNT app | SoundSteps |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 49 MB | 33 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Ioannis Kouris | Roady Roads LLC |
In-app purchases
StiNT app
No in-app purchases
SoundSteps
- SoundSteps Premium$9.991 Month
- SoundSteps Premium$89.991 Year








