# Active Ear vs Absolute Ear

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Active Ear at none against Absolute Ear's 3. Active Ear also leads on ratings volume (50 vs 7). Absolute Ear's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs monthly) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Absolute Ear sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Active Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

Absolute Ear holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Active Ear has 50 ratings behind it against 7, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of Active Ear's written reviews are positive against 100% of Absolute Ear's.

Active Ear ships an update monthly, Absolute Ear every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Active Ear | Absolute Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (50 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-ear-ear-training/id6758640410/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **50** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 93.8% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 23 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [MCPHERSON'S MUSIC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541508223) | [David Ashworth](https://appshunter.io/developer/1787750006) |

## 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


### Absolute Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/absolute-ear-ear-training/id6758640410)

Master note recognition, melodic dictation, and interval training with a structured course. Progress at your own pace through over 60 units, with intelligent practice focusing on your weakest areas. Supports multiple instrument timbres and detailed statistics.

**Highlights:** Note recognition, Melodic dictation, Interval training, Intelligent practice, Multiple instrument timbres, Detailed statistics, Session history and streak tracking

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Active Ear free?

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

### Is Absolute Ear free?

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

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

Absolute Ear is rated higher. Active Ear averages 4.7 out of 5 from 50 ratings, while Absolute Ear averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Active Ear or Absolute Ear have ads?

Neither Active Ear nor Absolute Ear shows ads.

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

Active Ear ships an update monthly, and Absolute Ear every 3 days. Most recently, Active Ear was updated on October 13, 2026 and Absolute Ear on October 2, 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.*