Flashnote Derby vs StaffWars
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Flashnote Derby
This app transforms music note learning into an engaging game for young musicians. It offers various ways to practice and play, with customizable drills to suit any student's level. Track progress and make learning fun, whether at home or in lessons.
- Gamified note recognition races
- Practice mode with no timer
- Play notes on instrument or MIDI
- On-screen piano keyboard input
- Customizable clefs and note ranges
- Multiple engaging themes
- Teacher tools for assignments and progress tracking
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Flashnote Derby is a fun, effective way for kids to learn to read music through fast-paced note flashcard games. Perfect for piano, guitar, band, orchestra, and general music students, this teacher-created app turns note recognition into an engaging game that works equally well at home or in music lessons. ———— Learn to Read Music — Fast Each race is a fast-paced challenge: identify notes correctly as you learn to read music faster and speed your horse toward the finish line. Missed or slow answers allow the other horse to catch up. After each round, students can review the notes they missed— turning every race into a meaningful learning opportunity. ———— New! Practice Mode (No Timer, No Stress) Students can now choose a relaxed 'practice mode' with unlimited time for each note. Perfect for beginners, this mode builds accuracy and confidence before racing competitively. ———— Multiple Ways to Answer Players can answer flashcards in a variety of ways: • Play the note on any instrument. Flashnote Derby listens and recognizes what you play (including transposing instruments). • Use a MIDI instrument • Tap on-screen letter names • Or play notes on the on-screen piano keyboard ———— Fully Customizable for Any Student Tailor each drill to match your student’s level: • Treble, bass, alto, or tenor clef • Select specific note ranges or individual notes • Add sharps, flats, or full key signatures • Adjust time limits (or remove them entirely in Practice Mode) • Expand difficulty all the way up to five-and-a-half ledger lines above and below the staff. As skills grow, you can increase the challenge. Higher difficulty earns higher scores—keeping students motivated. ———— Multiple themes keep practice fresh In addition to the classic horse race, students can take flight with the whimsical Pretty Pegasus course, blast through an arcade-style space challenge in Ecliptic Encounter, or switch to the seasonal Reindeer Race during the holidays. ———— Built for Teachers, Loved by Students Flashnote Derby is designed to fit easily into lessons: • Quick to set up and perfect for a 1–2 minute warm-up • Send homework assignments directly to students • Track progress automatically • See which notes need more review Teachers see real improvement. Students stay engaged. Parents appreciate the progress. ———— Why Flashnote Derby Works Many students struggle because drilling note names feels boring and difficult. Flashnote Derby turns this essential skill into a game—one they’ll want to keep playing. A little daily practice adds up quickly, and students learn to read music with confidence. ———— Get on the road to confident music reading today! Download Flashnote Derby and help your young musician master notes with joy—not frustration.
StaffWars
Master musical clefs with this interactive game. Practice note names on the grand staff, treble, alto, and bass clefs. Ideal for musicians of all levels looking to improve their sight-reading skills.
- Learn note names on grand staff
- Practice treble clef
- Master alto clef
- Woodshed bass clef
- Interactive musical game
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StaffWars is a game designed to help beginning and intermediate musicians learn, practice and woodshed the note names on the grand staff, treble, alto and bass clefs. THE APP for anyone who wants to master these clefs.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: StaffWars at 4.3 against Flashnote Derby's 3.8. StaffWars also leads on price ($1.99 vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.6). On review sentiment, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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
Flashnote Derby costs $4.99 and StaffWars $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
StaffWars holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 105 and 132 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 71% of Flashnote Derby's written reviews are positive against 74% of StaffWars's.
Flashnote Derby ships an update every 6 months, StaffWars every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Flashnote Derby | StaffWars |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (105 ratings) | 4.3 (132 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 70.7% of reviews | 74.1% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 105 | 132 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 6 months | Every 4 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #29 | #26 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 110 MB | 32 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Luke Bartolomeo | TMI Media, LLC |
Customer experience
Flashnote Derby
StaffWars
User reviews
Flashnote Derby
From 105 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎮 Engaging gamified learning experience with racing themes
- 🎵 Effective tool for learning note reading and music literacy
- 🎨 Customizable themes and visual designs
- ⚙️ Highly customizable settings for notes, speed, and difficulty
- 👨🏫 Teacher-friendly features with student tracking and presets
Room to improve
- 🐛 Frequent crashes and app freezing issues
- 🔊 Harsh negative feedback sounds (booing) discourages learners
- 🎵 Inaccurate note detection, especially for E note and lower instruments
- 📱 Poor mobile responsiveness and slider controls on phones
- ⚠️ Data loss after updates without warning
StaffWars
From 132 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🎯 Highly effective for learning note reading
- 👨🏫 Excellent tool for music teachers and students
- 🎮 Engaging and addictive gameplay mechanics
- ⚡ Increasing difficulty keeps users motivated
- 🎼 Supports multiple clefs (treble, alto, bass, tenor)
Room to improve
- 🐛 Double-click detection issues causing missed points
- ⚠️ Game pace too fast for beginners
- 🎯 Unresponsive tap detection at times
- ❌ Note location accuracy problems reported
- 😤 Frustrating difficulty curve for some users
Bugs and requests
Flashnote Derby
Reported bugs
15 issues- App crashes on launch or during use
- White screen on startup that auto-closes
- Note recognition fails, particularly for E note
- Low instrument octave recognition issues
- Data and student names lost after updates
Show 10 moreShow fewer
- Settings menu disappears or becomes inaccessible
- Speed selection buttons unresponsive
- Email preset sending feature non-functional
- Password reset system broken
- Master device cloning feature not working
- Audio detection marks answers before notes are played
- Incorrect display scaling on iPad and tablets
- Slider controls difficult to use on mobile devices
- App incompatible with Safari and some browsers
- Family sharing not recognized despite being enabled
Requested features
16 requests- Restore previous speed options (Walk, Trot, Canter, Gallop)
- Option to customize number of test notes (return 10/20 options)
- Remove or tone down negative feedback sounds
- Add more theme options (animals, seasonal themes)
- Untimed mode without racing element
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- Two-octave keyboard display for better note differentiation
- Support for sharps and flats
- Alto and tenor clef options
- Female jockey character option
- Combined treble and bass clef exercises
- Better search visibility in app stores
- Family sharing support improvements
- External audio interface compatibility
- Improved mobile responsiveness for sliders and controls
- Better instructional videos with audio/visual note examples
- Personalized high scores for multiple users
StaffWars
Reported bugs
5 issues- Double-click registration causing unintended note selections
- Incorrect note location detection preventing proper learning
- App fails to close properly on iPhone X
- Unresponsive touch input
- Occasional app crashes reported
Requested features
13 requests- Extended note range for ledger lines (especially for cello and violin)
- Piano keyboard interface instead of letter buttons
- Microphone/instrument input feature for actual note playing
- Note names displayed in note heads
- Slow mode option for beginners
Show 8 moreShow fewer
- Sound feedback for incorrect answers
- Multiple clef practice mode (switching between clefs)
- Separate range settings for treble and bass staves
- Teacher account system to track student progress
- Different background music themes
- Instrument-specific transposition settings
- Audio playback of correct pitches
- Account system for home practice tracking
In-app purchases
Flashnote Derby
No in-app purchases
StaffWars
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Flashnote Derby free?
Is StaffWars free?
Which has better reviews, Flashnote Derby or StaffWars?
Do Flashnote Derby or StaffWars have ads?
Which is updated more often, Flashnote Derby or StaffWars?
Which is more popular, Flashnote Derby or StaffWars?
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