# Better Ears vs iHarmony

The clearest difference is rating: iHarmony at 4.8 against Better Ears's 4.6. iHarmony also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 5 months) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). Better Ears's advantage is ratings volume (79 vs 12) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Better Ears costs $4.99 and iHarmony $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iHarmony holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Better Ears has 79 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Better Ears's written reviews are positive against 77% of iHarmony's.

Better Ears ships an update every 5 months, iHarmony every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Better Ears | iHarmony |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **$2.99** |
| Rating | [4.6 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-ears-ear-trainer/id284444548/reviews) | **[4.8 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iharmony/id292413210/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **79** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | 70.9% of reviews | **77.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#191** |
| Size | 86 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 26.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | +4 | 4+ |
| Developer | [MAMP GmbH](https://appshunter.io/developer/1451068672) | [Alberto De Bortoli](https://appshunter.io/developer/292413213) |

## What reviewers say

### Better Ears

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/better-ears-ear-trainer/id284444548)

Enhance your musical abilities with a comprehensive ear training application. It offers 13 diverse exercises, from interval recognition to chord progressions, suitable for all skill levels. Customize your learning path with user-defined levels and instruments.

**Highlights:** 13 ear training exercises, Customizable chords, scales, and progressions, 6 instrument sound options, Virtual keyboard and fretboard, Vocal or instrument input, Preset and custom training levels, Cross-device synchronization

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for ear training
- 🚀 Flexibility to customize exercises
- 💡 Helpful for music students and professionals
- 🎓 Improves aural skills and music theory knowledge

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and glitches on some devices
- 🔊 Poor sound quality of instrument samples
- 💰 Expensive for the limited features
- 🤔 Confusing chord and interval naming conventions

**Reported bugs**

- Note recognition issues on lower strings
- Inconsistent behavior when customizing lessons
- Dropbox sync feature not working as expected

**Requested features**

- Add chord inversions and progressions
- Include melodic and rhythmic dictation exercises
- Provide more instrument sound options
- Improve statistics tracking and personalization
- Add support for bass clef and multiple clefs


### iHarmony

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/iharmony/id292413210)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

This music theory reference app provides instant access to scales, chords, and harmonizations with audio playback. It supports multiple notation systems and offline use, making it a comprehensive tool for musicians of all levels.

**Highlights:** 1500+ scales, chords, and harmonizations, Chord harmonizations for every scale, Audio playback for every entry, Four notation systems, Full-text search, Offline functionality

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Quick and easy to use
- 🎶 Great for learning scales and chords
- 💡 Useful for songwriting and composition
- 🎵 Provides audio playback of scales/chords
- 📚 Comprehensive music theory reference

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Audio issues (no sound, distorted sound)
- 🎛️ Some incorrect notation/spelling
- 🎨 Outdated UI/design
- ❓ Confusing navigation/layout
- 🔊 Sound not matching notes

**Reported bugs**

- Audio not working on iPhone
- Database null error
- Speaker distortion at high volume
- Playback sounds stilted/uneven
- Info link works irregularly or doesn't appear

**Requested features**

- Save favorite scales
- Add more exotic scales
- Allow harmonic playback (all notes simultaneously)
- Provide other theory features (harmonic substitutions, polychords, inversions)
- Add a search function for chords/scales


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Better Ears free?

Better Ears costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is iHarmony free?

iHarmony costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Better Ears or iHarmony?

iHarmony is rated higher. Better Ears averages 4.6 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while iHarmony averages 4.8 from 12 ratings.

### Do Better Ears or iHarmony have ads?

Neither Better Ears nor iHarmony shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Better Ears or iHarmony?

Better Ears ships an update every 5 months, and iHarmony every 5 weeks. Most recently, Better Ears was updated on November 6, 2026 and iHarmony on November 6, 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.*