# Play By Ear vs EarForge

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Play By Ear at none against EarForge's 2. Play By Ear also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 63%). EarForge's advantage is ratings volume (292 vs 79). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. EarForge sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Play By Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

EarForge holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 79 and 292 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of Play By Ear's written reviews are positive against 63% of EarForge's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, EarForge every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play By Ear | EarForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621/reviews) | **[4.6 (292 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earforge-learn-ear-training/id1429049063/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 79 | **292** |
| Positive reviews | **81.7% of reviews** | 62.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 24 MB | 93 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SuperNonstop.com, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/361203624) | [Patcharapon Phasukdee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1156091836) |

## 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


### EarForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earforge-learn-ear-training/id1429049063)

This app offers a structured ear training program designed to improve your sense of pitch and ability to recognize musical notes and chords. It features progressive lessons, personalized quizzes, and detailed progress tracking. Advanced users can create custom training sessions for specific musical elements.

**Highlights:** 30-level note recognition program, Chord identification lessons, Customizable note and chord training, Progress tracking with profile statistics, Ad-free experience (PRO), Exclusive themes (PRO)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play By Ear free?

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

### Is EarForge free?

EarForge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Play By Ear or EarForge?

EarForge is rated higher. Play By Ear averages 4.4 out of 5 from 79 ratings, while EarForge averages 4.6 from 292 ratings.

### Do Play By Ear or EarForge have ads?

Neither Play By Ear nor EarForge shows ads.

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

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, and EarForge every 5 weeks. Most recently, Play By Ear was updated on September 16, 2026 and EarForge on September 8, 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.*