# the Clave vs Complete Rhythm Trainer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: the Clave at none against Complete Rhythm Trainer's 3. the Clave also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.5). Complete Rhythm Trainer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Complete Rhythm Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. the Clave asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for the Clave against 4.7 for Complete Rhythm Trainer. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 220 and 105 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 88% and 88% positive.

the Clave ships an update every 6 months, Complete Rhythm Trainer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | the Clave | Complete Rhythm Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (220 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-clave/id328220389/reviews)** | [4.7 (105 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-rhythm-trainer/id1550799056/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **220** | 105 |
| Positive reviews | 87.9% of reviews | **88.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 22 MB | 66 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple TV** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Drew Milloy](https://appshunter.io/developer/328220392) | [Binary Guilt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012455470) |

## What reviewers say

### the Clave

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-clave/id328220389)

This app provides a metronome with five selectable clave patterns for practicing Latin American music and other styles. It displays patterns in traditional notation, allows tempo adjustment, and offers background playback. Users can customize sound options for a personalized practice experience.

**Highlights:** Five selectable clave patterns, Traditional notation display, 3:2 and 2:3 clave switching, Variable tempo (40-200 BPM), Background playback, Customizable sound options

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Great for practice
- 👍 Simple and straightforward
- 👍 Helps internalize clave
- 👍 Good for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 App disappears
- 🐛 Sound quality issues
- 🐛 Tempo slider difficult

**Reported bugs**

- App disappears after a few months
- App crashes when opened
- App bombs out after clearing tempo adjustment screen
- Battery draining quickly
- App using high percentage of battery

**Requested features**

- Customize claves with manual rhythms
- Option to change metronome by one bpm
- Type in tempo instead of slider
- Add 2:3 Son Clave
- Add 6/8 bell pattern


### Complete Rhythm Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-rhythm-trainer/id1550799056)

Master musical rhythm with this comprehensive training app. It offers progressive drills, diverse rhythm exercises, and interactive modes designed to make learning enjoyable. Track your progress and compete with others.

**Highlights:** 252 progressive drills, Multiple time signatures and note values, 5 drill types (imitation, reading, dictation), Arcade and polyrhythm modes, Custom drill creation, Teacher-student program features, Cloud sync

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $0.99 | per month |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $9.99 | per year |
| Full Version | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Clave free?

the Clave is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Complete Rhythm Trainer free?

Complete Rhythm Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, the Clave or Complete Rhythm Trainer?

the Clave is rated higher. the Clave averages 4.8 out of 5 from 220 ratings, while Complete Rhythm Trainer averages 4.7 from 105 ratings.

### Do the Clave or Complete Rhythm Trainer have ads?

Neither the Clave nor Complete Rhythm Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, the Clave or Complete Rhythm Trainer?

the Clave ships an update every 6 months, and Complete Rhythm Trainer every 2 weeks. Most recently, the Clave was updated on October 21, 2026 and Complete Rhythm Trainer on October 17, 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.*