# Active Ear vs Sonofield Ear Trainer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Active Ear at none against Sonofield Ear Trainer's 5. Sonofield Ear Trainer's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs monthly) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Sonofield Ear Trainer sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Active Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

Sonofield Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sonofield Ear Trainer has 376 ratings behind it against 50, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of Active Ear's written reviews are positive against 89% of Sonofield Ear Trainer's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Active Ear ships an update monthly, Sonofield Ear Trainer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on June 10, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Ear | Sonofield Ear Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221/reviews) | **[4.9 (376 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sonofield-ear-trainer/id6740409139/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 50 | **376** |
| Positive reviews | **93.8% of reviews** | 88.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 105 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MCPHERSON'S MUSIC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541508223) | [Sonofield Ear Trainer Education Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1789801335) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### 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 Active Ear free?

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

### Is Sonofield Ear Trainer free?

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

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

Sonofield Ear Trainer is rated higher. Active Ear averages 4.7 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Sonofield Ear Trainer averages 4.9 from 376 ratings.

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

Neither Active Ear nor Sonofield Ear Trainer shows ads.

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

Active Ear ships an update monthly, and Sonofield Ear Trainer every 9 days. Most recently, Active Ear was updated on June 10, 2026 and Sonofield Ear Trainer on September 27, 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.*