# Piano Notes Pro vs Music Reading Essentials

The clearest difference is rating: Music Reading Essentials at 4.6 against Piano Notes Pro's 3.8. Music Reading Essentials also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). Piano Notes Pro's advantage is update cadence (every 2 months vs every 20 months) and review sentiment (86% vs 63%). On price, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Piano Notes Pro costs $2.99 and Music Reading Essentials $2.99 up front. Piano Notes Pro sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Music Reading Essentials asks for nothing beyond the download.

Music Reading Essentials holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 16 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Piano Notes Pro's written reviews are positive against 63% of Music Reading Essentials's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Piano Notes Pro ships an update every 2 months, Music Reading Essentials every 20 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piano Notes Pro | Music Reading Essentials |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-notes-pro/id374011376/reviews) | **[4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reading-essentials/id501483486/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **16** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **85.5% of reviews** | 63.4% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 20 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 29 MB | 122 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Patrick Chan](https://appshunter.io/developer/374011379) | [Notagram, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198431817) |

## What reviewers say

### Piano Notes Pro

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-notes-pro/id374011376)

This app helps users learn and practice reading piano music notes. It offers various modes, including a teaching mode and engaging game modes, to improve sight-reading skills. It's suitable for both beginners and experienced players looking to enhance their musical understanding.

**Highlights:** Full 88-key keyboard range, Teaching and game modes, Adjustable note range, Multiple quiz types, Support for all key signatures, Tutor mode for beginners, Colored keys as hints

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 3 Quiz Types, Interval Finder & Scale Marks | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Helps improve sight reading skills
- 💡 Customizable settings
- 👍 Engaging and motivating
- 🚀 Effective for beginners and experienced players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional sound issues
- 🐛 Unreliable Bluetooth MIDI connection
- 👎 Confusing interface for some users
- 👎 Lack of actual music/songs to practice with

**Reported bugs**

- No sound output on some devices
- Occasional freezing or crashing

**Requested features**

- Display notes per second metric
- Ability to display both treble and bass clefs simultaneously
- Option to record and play back user's performance
- Inclusion of actual musical pieces to practice sight reading
- Tracking of weak notes to focus practice on problem areas


### Music Reading Essentials

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reading-essentials/id501483486)

This app aids in learning and practicing sheet music reading, covering musical signs, symbols, note names, rhythms, and intervals. It features flashcards divided into stages with a smart shuffling algorithm to reinforce learning, and offers clef selection and timer modes for comprehensive practice.

**Highlights:** Sheet music reading practice, Musical signs and symbols, Note names and rhythms, Intervals learning, Flashcards with stages, Clef selection (Treble, Bass, Alto), Timer mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Piano Notes Pro free?

Piano Notes Pro costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Music Reading Essentials free?

Music Reading Essentials costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Piano Notes Pro or Music Reading Essentials?

Music Reading Essentials is rated higher. Piano Notes Pro averages 3.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Music Reading Essentials averages 4.6 from 11 ratings.

### Do Piano Notes Pro or Music Reading Essentials have ads?

Neither Piano Notes Pro nor Music Reading Essentials shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Piano Notes Pro or Music Reading Essentials?

Piano Notes Pro ships an update every 2 months, and Music Reading Essentials every 20 months. Most recently, Piano Notes Pro was updated on October 2, 2026 and Music Reading Essentials on October 17, 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.*