# Play By Ear vs Ear Training App

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Play By Ear at none against Ear Training App's 1. Play By Ear also leads on ads (none vs shown) and rating (4.4 vs 4.0). On price, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Ear Training App sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Play By Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

Play By Ear holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play By Ear has 82 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, Ear Training App every 54 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play By Ear | Ear Training App |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621/reviews)** | [4.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ear-training-app/id1321375983/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 54 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 7 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SuperNonstop.com, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/361203624) | [Andrii Pirumov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1301462412) |

## What reviewers say

### Play By Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621)

Develop your musical ear with this call-and-response ear training app. It uses pitch recognition, allowing you to play notes back on your instrument instead of pressing buttons. Practice melodies, chords, and intervals in a way that mirrors real musical performance.

**Highlights:** Pitch recognition for instrumental interaction, Hands-free, continuous play, Interval, chord, and melody exercises, Customizable tempo, Multiple key centers, Microphone calibration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for ear training
- 👍 Helps learn to read music
- 👍 Excellent for musicians
- 👍 Good for piano teachers
- 👍 Pitch recognition accuracy

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inconsistent pitch detection
- 🐛 Issues with low notes
- 🐛 Glitchy chord recognition
- 🐛 False errors reported
- 🐛 Not ideal for beginners

**Reported bugs**

- No audio output
- App crashes frequently
- Pitch detection not working
- Plays single tone only
- Loses sound with timer/calls

**Requested features**

- Repeat option for phrases
- Limit scale patterns to selected scales/keys
- Profiles for multi-instrumentalists
- Test from the same root note sometimes
- Sign in and save practice data


### Ear Training App

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ear-training-app/id1321375983)

Develop your musical ear with this app that helps you identify pitches, intervals, chords, and rhythms by listening. It offers various modes for different instruments and skill levels, tracking your progress with accuracy percentages.

**Highlights:** Pitch recognition, Interval identification, Chord and rhythm training, Piano, guitar, and bass modes, Scale and interval modes, Beginner-friendly mode, Progress tracking

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play By Ear free?

Play By Ear is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Ear Training App free?

Ear Training App is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Play By Ear or Ear Training App?

Play By Ear is rated higher. Play By Ear averages 4.4 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Ear Training App averages 4.0 from 4 ratings.

### Do Play By Ear or Ear Training App have ads?

Ear Training App shows ads; Play By Ear does not.

### Which is updated more often, Play By Ear or Ear Training App?

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, and Ear Training App every 54 months. Most recently, Play By Ear was updated on October 23, 2026 and Ear Training App on October 28, 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.*