# iBone vs Brass Notes!

The clearest difference is price: Brass Notes! at Free against iBone's $2.99. Brass Notes! also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 7) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 15.0). iBone's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (84% vs 50%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Brass Notes! is free to download; iBone costs $2.99 up front. iBone sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Brass Notes! asks for nothing beyond the download.

iBone holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 21 and 23 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of iBone's written reviews are positive against 50% of Brass Notes!'s.

iBone ships an update every 4 months, Brass Notes! every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iBone | Brass Notes! |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (21 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibone-the-pocket-trombone/id306629300/reviews)** | [4.0 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brass-notes/id508528461/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 21 | **23** |
| Positive reviews | **84.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 18 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Spoonjack, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/306629303) | [Daniel Sykes-Turner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1037585849) |

## What reviewers say

### iBone

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibone-the-pocket-trombone/id306629300)

This app offers a virtual trombone experience, allowing users to play melodies by touching or blowing into their device and sliding to change pitch. It includes a songbook with guided play-along options and the ability to practice scales and songs.

**Highlights:** Virtual trombone instrument, Touch and blow to play, Slide to change pitch, Adjust volume with bell movement, Practice scales and songs, Play-along with iPod music, Guided learning with roboBone

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

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Jesu with Dreidel Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| First Noel at Midnight Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| O, O Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Hark, Joy! Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bells and Rest Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Sloop and Sorrow Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| House of the Rising Sun and John Barleycorn Song Pack | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Accurate sound and simulation
- 👍 Great for learning trombone
- 👍 Fun and entertaining
- 👍 Realistic slide action
- 👍 Good for practicing improvisation

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Some users experience crashes
- 🐛 App sometimes doesn't work
- 🐛 Sound issues (silent app)
- 🐛 Limited note range (lower/higher)
- 🐛 Tone quality not always realistic

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes in settings
- App crashes on Verizon iPhones
- App disables microphone
- App randomly deletes itself
- Sound doesn't work (silent app)

**Requested features**

- Add more types of trombones (Bass, Valve, Alto, Soprano, Piccolo)
- Add more songs to the songbook
- Ability to input custom notes for playback
- Integrate with music apps for playback
- Add iTunes music control within the app


### Brass Notes!

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brass-notes/id508528461)

Quickly find note positions and fingerings for various brass instruments. Ideal for musicians practicing new notes or transposing music. Access information instantly without needing external resources.

**Highlights:** Note position lookup, Fingering charts, Trombone, Euphonium, Trumpet, Tuba, French horn

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iBone free?

iBone costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Brass Notes! free?

Brass Notes! is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iBone or Brass Notes!?

iBone is rated higher. iBone averages 4.7 out of 5 from 21 ratings, while Brass Notes! averages 4.0 from 23 ratings.

### Do iBone or Brass Notes! have ads?

Neither iBone nor Brass Notes! shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iBone or Brass Notes!?

iBone ships an update every 4 months, and Brass Notes! every 2 months. Most recently, iBone was updated on September 24, 2026 and Brass Notes! on June 9, 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.*