Comparison

Ear Trainer vs Theory Lessons

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

Head to head
About

Ear Trainer

This app is designed to enhance your musical listening skills. It offers a comprehensive set of over 260 exercises across nine study areas, plus custom exercise creation. Suitable for all levels, it helps musicians and students improve their ear training.

Highlights
  • Over 260 built-in exercises
  • Nine areas of musical study
  • Custom exercise creation
  • Interval, chord, and scale identification
  • Melody and chord progression training
  • Progress tracking and statistics
  • Virtual piano and note view
Features
Read full description

With an overall 4.8 out of 5 rating in it is a must to try out this ear training app. What our users says: Awesome ear training app ***** One of the most in depth apps out there for ear training and a easy to use interface. You can even make your own exercises. I wish you could undo a note entry in the melodic exercises, a lot of the times iv just pressed the wrong note because of my fat fingers but I guess it’s part of the challenge to not make a mistake(wish you could change it in the settings or something). Still a must buy for ear training. Guy ***** You guys deserve 1000000 stars thank you Everything You Need **** It took a while for me to appreciate this app. It wasn't until I had a bit of ear training done that I could see the limitations in other apps and how this one would take me further and teach more of what I could actually use versus simpler apps. Once I could hear intervals up to an octave and major vs minor chords, this app had plenty more for me to study. Great app. ---- Listening is the most important skill in music, and this app will help you to listen better. Ear Trainer is an educational tool designed for musicians, music students and anyone interested in improving ones musical ear. It has over 260 individual exercises that are conveniently placed into nine different areas of study. It is also possible to create custom exercises so that you can practice exactly what you need. No need to be an expert, Ear Trainer is suitable for all users from beginner to very advanced. No matter what level your musical hearing skills are, Ear Trainer will help to hone them. * Built-in Exercises * - Interval Comparison (48 different exercises) - Interval Identification (30 different exercises) - Chord Identification (48 different exercises) - Chord Inversions (24 different exercises) - Chord Progressions (25 different exercises) - Scales (24 different exercises) - Note relative to chord (18 different exercises) - Relative Pitch (12 different exercises) - Melody Exercises (38 different exercises) Each exercise has a short description of its purpose and optional preview. A virtual piano keyboard and note view in each exercise helps you visually understand and analyze the notes that have been played. To aid your progression you can compare the different options after answering. (You can even play the virtual piano if you like!) As you work through the exercises, statistics are collected so that you can see your progress. The questions in the exercises are randomly generated so you can do them over and over again as many times as you like to continue to hone your skills. * Custom Exercises * Users can create their own custom exercises to match their desired areas of study and/or skill level. The following areas are available for custom exercises: - Interval Comparison - Interval Identification - Chord Identification - Chord inversion - Chord Progression - Scale Identification - Note after chord * Share Custom Exercises * Custom exercises can be shared with friends and class mates through Email, AirDrop and iMessage. What our users says: ------ ***** Must Have!!! This is the best Ear Trainer of all I tried in App Store, everything works just perfectly. If you are interested in improving your musical hearing you must have it. ------ ***** Amazing I have been using this app every day for just about a year now and the result are simply amazing. ------ **** I'm in my second third semester as a music major and I have to say, this is a great app for any music major, or anyone looking for ear training. I like that I'm able to switch between different instruments, it makes hearing the notes on the instrument you're use to a bit easier for me. ------ For more information please see: www.dev4phone.com

About

Theory Lessons

Explore 39 animated music theory lessons covering fundamental concepts like scales, chords, and intervals. Deepen your understanding of musical structure and analysis with this comprehensive resource.

Highlights
  • 39 animated music theory lessons
  • Covers staff, clefs, and ledger lines
  • Explains note and rest duration
  • Details major and minor scales
  • Teaches intervals and chord inversions
  • Includes Roman numeral analysis
  • Features musical analysis examples
Read full description

Theory Lessons features 39 music theory lessons from musictheory.net, presented in their original animated versions. Complete lesson list: • The Staff, Clefs, and Ledger Lines • Note Duration • Measures and Time Signature • Rest Duration • Dots and Ties • Steps and Accidentals • Simple and Compound Meter • Odd Meter • The Major Scale • The Minor Scales • Scale Degrees • Key Signatures • Key Signature Calculation • Generic Intervals • Specific Intervals • Writing Intervals • Interval Inversion • Introduction to Chords • Triad Inversion • Seventh Chords • More Seventh Chords • Seventh Chord Inversion • Diatonic Triads • Roman Numeral Analysis: Triads • Diatonic Seventh Chords • Roman Numeral Analysis: Seventh Chords • Composing with Minor Scales • Voicing Chords • Analysis: O Canada • Nonharmonic Tones • Phrases and Cadences • Circle Progressions • Common Chord Progressions • Triads in First Inversion • Triads in Second Inversion • Analysis: Auld Lang Syne • Building Neapolitan Chords • Using Neapolitan Chords • Analysis: Moonlight Sonata

Screenshots

Ear Trainer4 screens
Theory Lessons4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Ear Trainer at 4.8 against Theory Lessons's 4.4. Ear Trainer also leads on ratings volume (1.2K vs 126) and review sentiment (95% vs 83%). Theory Lessons's advantage is price ($2.99 vs $7.99) and chart position (#9 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Ear Trainer costs $7.99 and Theory Lessons $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ear Trainer has 1.2K ratings behind it against 126, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of Ear Trainer's written reviews are positive against 83% of Theory Lessons's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 4 months. Both last shipped on October 15, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Ear Trainer versus Theory Lessons: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEar TrainerTheory Lessons
Price$7.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.8 (1.2K ratings) — better4.4 (126 ratings)
Positive reviews94.8% of reviews — better83.1% of reviews
Number of ratings1.2K — better126
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank—#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.1 — better15.8
Further details — not scored
Size90 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerthoor software ABmusictheory.net

Customer experience

Ear Trainer

All ratings1,200 ratings
Positive97.3%
Neutral1.4%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews386 reviews
Positive94.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative1.6%

Theory Lessons

All ratings126 ratings
Positive84.1%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews154 reviews
Positive83.1%
Neutral5.8%
Negative11.0%

User reviews

Ear Trainer

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Simple and effective
  • 🚀 Accessible and easy to use
  • 🚀 Customizable exercises
  • 🚀 Comprehensive training
  • 🚀 Steady progress and improvement

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Incorrect note/interval spellings
  • 🐛 Lack of melody dictation exercises
  • 🐛 Limited chord progression exercises
  • 🐛 Cumbersome note deletion in melody exercises

Theory Lessons

From 126 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient and easy to use
  • 👍 Clear and concise explanations
  • 💡 Helpful visual aids and animations
  • 🤩 Excellent learning tool for beginners
  • 🔍 Comprehensive coverage of music theory

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Audio issues on some devices
  • 🔍 Limited content compared to website
  • 🤔 Keyboard-centric approach may not suit non-pianists
  • 💰 Paid app when website is free

Bugs and requests

Ear Trainer

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Incorrect chord quality identification
  • Inconsistent note layout in some exercises

Requested features

7 requests
  • Add more chord types (diminished, half-diminished, etc.)
  • Include more modes and scale types
  • Implement MIDI connectivity for external instruments
  • Add a random exercise mode
  • Provide more detailed progress tracking and statistics
Show 2 more
  • Introduce a timed test mode
  • Offer a dark mode option

Theory Lessons

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Directional arrows and guidance symbols not working on iPad
  • Text panels cut off at the bottom and unable to be resized

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add more advanced theory topics
  • Incorporate practice exercises and quizzes
  • Include support for other instruments beyond piano
  • Integrate with the Tenuto app for a more complete experience

In-app purchases

None

Ear Trainer

No in-app purchases

None

Theory Lessons

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ear Trainer free?
Ear Trainer costs $7.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Theory Lessons free?
Theory Lessons costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ear Trainer or Theory Lessons?
Ear Trainer is rated higher. Ear Trainer averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while Theory Lessons averages 4.4 from 126 ratings.
Do Ear Trainer or Theory Lessons have ads?
Neither Ear Trainer nor Theory Lessons shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ear Trainer or Theory Lessons?
Ear Trainer ships an update every 4 months, and Theory Lessons every 4 months. Most recently, Ear Trainer was updated on October 15, 2026 and Theory Lessons on October 15, 2026.

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