# MusicTools Music Dictionary vs Functional Ear Trainer

The clearest difference is price: Functional Ear Trainer at Free against MusicTools Music Dictionary's $2.99. Functional Ear Trainer also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.4) and ratings volume (3.8K vs 23). MusicTools Music Dictionary's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Functional Ear Trainer is free to download; MusicTools Music Dictionary costs $2.99 up front. MusicTools Music Dictionary sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Functional Ear Trainer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Functional Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Functional Ear Trainer has 3.8K ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 94% of MusicTools Music Dictionary's written reviews are positive against 96% of Functional Ear Trainer's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | MusicTools Music Dictionary | Functional Ear Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musictools-music-dictionary/id344920107/reviews) | **[4.9 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 23 | **3.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews | **96.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 11 MB | 41 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [OnStage Technologies, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/344920110) | [Serhii Korchan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1088761925) |

## What reviewers say

### MusicTools Music Dictionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/musictools-music-dictionary/id344920107)

This app provides a comprehensive music dictionary with thousands of definitions, abbreviations, and performance notations. It includes quick reference charts for tempo, symbols, and more, with support for multiple language variations. Designed for musicians of all levels, it aids in understanding both modern and historical musical terms.

**Highlights:** Comprehensive music dictionary, Thousands of definitions and abbreviations, Quick reference charts, Multiple language variations, Historical notation support, Fast search engine

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Drum Rudiments Chart | $0.99 | one-time |
| Circle of Fifths | $0.99 | one-time |
| Precision Metronome | $1.99 | one-time |


### Functional Ear Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/functional-ear-trainer/id1088761926)

Develop your musical ear by learning to recognize tones within the context of a specific musical key. This app helps you understand the function of each note, improving your ability to transcribe, improvise, and play music by ear. Suitable for all ages and skill levels, with just 10 minutes of daily practice.

**Highlights:** Recognize tones in musical key context, Understand note function, Improve transcription skills, Enhance improvisation, Develop perfect pitch, Daily 10-minute practice

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Functional Ear Trainer Plus | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Effective ear training
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💡 Customizable exercises
- 🎉 Noticeable improvement with regular practice
- 🎨 Visually appealing design

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional audio glitches
- 💡 Lack of support for other instruments besides piano
- 💡 Desire for more advanced features (e.g. chord recognition)

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard display issues when selecting all chromatic notes
- Inconsistent note resolutions in some exercises

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple notes/chords at once
- Implement a mode for training key recognition
- Provide more customization options for exercises
- Include voice input to play the notes
- Add support for German/Norwegian key names


## Frequently asked questions

### Is MusicTools Music Dictionary free?

MusicTools Music Dictionary costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Functional Ear Trainer free?

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

### Which has better reviews, MusicTools Music Dictionary or Functional Ear Trainer?

Functional Ear Trainer is rated higher. MusicTools Music Dictionary averages 4.4 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Functional Ear Trainer averages 4.9 from 3.8K ratings.

### Do MusicTools Music Dictionary or Functional Ear Trainer have ads?

Neither MusicTools Music Dictionary nor Functional Ear Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, MusicTools Music Dictionary or Functional Ear Trainer?

MusicTools Music Dictionary ships an update every 7 months, and Functional Ear Trainer every 7 months. Most recently, MusicTools Music Dictionary was updated on October 23, 2026 and Functional Ear Trainer on October 22, 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.*