Comparison

Connecting The Dots vs CS++ AP CSP

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Connecting The Dots

Learn to improvise jazz music with progressive exercises designed for musicians of all levels. Develop musical vocabulary, understand chord changes, and practice with play-along backing tracks. This app simplifies complex concepts through a call-and-response method.

Highlights
  • Play-along backing tracks
  • Call & response exercises
  • Progress tracker
  • 169 exercises in 12 keys
  • Instrument-specific transpositions
  • Integration with iReal Pro
Features
Read full description

Connecting The Dots (CTD) is a fun and effective series of progressive exercises that will get musicians of any level improvising immediately! The program allows aspiring soloists to quickly develop vocabulary, understand voice leading, and successfully navigate chord changes. And the best part? It’s so simple you can get started today! Powerful features include: · Play-along backing tracks · Call & response exercises · Progress tracker · 169 exercises in all 12 keys · Range specific transpositions for 11 instruments · Tempo and zoom controls · Integration with iReal Pro Learn improvisation the same way you learn a language - in small, understandable pieces. Ideal for students and educators alike, Connecting The Dots (CTD) uses call and response exercises which utilize the “bones” of the chords - the arpeggio notes - to help you understand how the vertical chords and horizontal melodies relate in music. CTD teaches voice leading principles and how to apply them to chord progressions. The exercises are organized into three sections: One Chord, Two Chord and Twelve Bar Blues. They demonstrate simple voice leading from the root, 3rd, 5th, and 7th degrees of one chord to another, using seventh chords and their inversions. Simple tunes and improvisations by Jeff using the material presented are featured at the end of each section. The app includes range specific transpositions in all 12 keys for tenor, alto & baritone sax, clarinet, flute, trumpet, trombone, bass, piano, vibes & guitar. All exercises have an iReal Pro backing track, the user can play along with the in-app audio or open the backing track in iReal Pro with one tap. Learn from the best! Play along with Jeff Coffin, creator of Connecting The Dots. Jeff is is a globally recognized saxophonist, composer, educator, and is a member of the legendary U.S. rock group, Dave Matthews Band. You may also know him from his 14 years, and 3 Grammy Awards, with the genre-defying Bela Fleck & the Flecktones. Jeff fronts numerous groups when not touring with DMB and has released 15+ solo CD's on Ear Up Records. “An educator asked me during a clinic presentation what information I wish I had when I was first learning about improvisation…I told him, ‘Everything in the Connecting The Dots app’. I feel this information and these exercises clarify and connect so many elements dealing with the fundamentals of improvisation. I created this easy to use app to help players of all genres & styles, classical players, jazz players, rock players, novices, educators, weekend warriors, soloists, ensembles, etc… Anyone can use this and they WILL benefit from it. Everyone can improvise!!” - Jeff Coffin

About

CS++ AP CSP

This app provides a comprehensive, offline AP Computer Science Principles course. It covers all 11 units with clear lessons, practice questions, and exam preparation. Progress is saved locally, ensuring uninterrupted study.

Highlights
  • Complete AP CSP curriculum
  • Offline access
  • Hundreds of practice questions
  • Clear, conversational lessons
  • Progress tracking
  • Exam preparation
Features
Read full description

CS++ AP CSP is the complete AP Computer Science Principles course in your pocket — fully offline. WHAT YOU GET • 11 units covering every topic in the College Board AP CSP Course and Exam Description (CED) • Hundreds of inline multiple-choice "Check Your Understanding" questions, with hints and explanations • Lesson text written for high school students — clear, conversational, no jargon walls • Worked examples, common-error callouts, and AP-prep notes throughout • Progress saved on-device, persistent across sessions • Unit 1 (The Computer) is free; full course unlocks for $9.99 (one-time) THE 11 UNITS 1. The Computer 2. Data Representation 3. Compression & Encryption 4. Data Analysis & Visualization 5. Algorithms 6. Programming Languages & Abstraction 7. The Internet & HTML 8. JavaScript Basics 9. Procedures & Lists 10. Create Performance Task Prep 11. Impact of Computing & Exam Strategies WHY OFFLINE All lesson content is shipped inside the app — no streaming, no fetching. Use it on a plane, a Chromebook with restricted Wi-Fi, or anywhere with no signal. WHY CS++ We've taught AP CSP online at csplusplus.com to teachers and students across the United States. This app distills the full course into a focused study tool — same content, same alignment to the 2025-26 College Board CED, packaged for the device you carry every day. VIDEOS NOT INCLUDED The course videos that accompany each lesson on csplusplus.com are not bundled in the app (to keep the download small and fully offline). Each lesson includes a "Watch on csplusplus.com" link that opens the corresponding video in a browser. PRIVACY No account creation. No sign-in. No analytics or tracking. All progress lives in app storage on your device. No data is sent to our servers. THE PURCHASE The free tier covers Unit 1 — enough to evaluate the lesson format and inline checks. The full unlock is a one-time $9.99 purchase that unlocks all 11 units forever, with no subscription. AP, Advanced Placement, and AP Computer Science Principles are registered trademarks of the College Board, which is not affiliated with and does not endorse this app. Built by Yellow Dart Publishing.

Screenshots

Connecting The Dots4 screens
CS++ AP CSP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CS++ AP CSP at Free against Connecting The Dots's $9.99. CS++ AP CSP also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 67%) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). Connecting The Dots's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

CS++ AP CSP is free to download; Connecting The Dots costs $9.99 up front. CS++ AP CSP sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Connecting The Dots asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CS++ AP CSP holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Connecting The Dots has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 67% of Connecting The Dots's written reviews are positive against 100% of CS++ AP CSP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Connecting The Dots ships an update every 3 months, CS++ AP CSP every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Connecting The Dots versus CS++ AP CSP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterConnecting The DotsCS++ AP CSP
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.8 (9 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings9 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.1 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size224 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJeff Coffin LLCKevin Hare

Customer experience

Connecting The Dots

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral11.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%

CS++ AP CSP

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Connecting The Dots

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

CS++ AP CSP

One-time1
  • Unlock Full AP CSP Course$9.99

Questions

Is Connecting The Dots free?
Connecting The Dots costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CS++ AP CSP free?
CS++ AP CSP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Connecting The Dots or CS++ AP CSP?
CS++ AP CSP is rated higher. Connecting The Dots averages 4.8 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while CS++ AP CSP averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Connecting The Dots or CS++ AP CSP have ads?
Neither Connecting The Dots nor CS++ AP CSP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Connecting The Dots or CS++ AP CSP?
Connecting The Dots ships an update every 3 months, and CS++ AP CSP every 3 weeks. Most recently, Connecting The Dots was updated on November 3, 2026 and CS++ AP CSP on November 9, 2026.

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