# Play By Ear vs Active Ear

The clearest difference is rating: Active Ear at 4.7 against Play By Ear's 4.4. Active Ear also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (94% vs 82%). Play By Ear's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Active Ear holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 82 and 49 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of Play By Ear's written reviews are positive against 94% of Active Ear's.

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, Active Ear monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Play By Ear | Active Ear |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (82 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-by-ear-ear-training/id361203621/reviews) | **[4.7 (49 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **82** | 49 |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews | **93.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [SuperNonstop.com, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/361203624) | [MCPHERSON'S MUSIC LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1541508223) |

## 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


### Active Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/active-ear-ear-trainer/id1541508221)

Develop your musical ear with a comprehensive ear training app. It offers various exercises to help musicians identify pitches, intervals, chords, and progressions. Customize your learning with practice modes and test your knowledge with quizzes.

**Highlights:** Pitch Recognition, Interval Training, Chord Quality Identification, Bassline Training, Progression Training, Chord Inversions, Customizable Practice Mode, Quiz Mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Play By Ear free?

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

### Is Active Ear free?

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

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

Active Ear is rated higher. Play By Ear averages 4.4 out of 5 from 82 ratings, while Active Ear averages 4.7 from 49 ratings.

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

Neither Play By Ear nor Active Ear shows ads.

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

Play By Ear ships an update every 2 months, and Active Ear monthly. Most recently, Play By Ear was updated on November 1, 2026 and Active Ear on November 3, 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.*