# Theory Lessons vs Complete Ear Trainer

The clearest difference is price: Complete Ear Trainer at Free against Theory Lessons's $2.99. Complete Ear Trainer also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). Theory Lessons's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and chart position (#12 vs unranked). On review sentiment, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Complete Ear Trainer is free to download; Theory Lessons costs $2.99 up front. Complete Ear Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Theory Lessons asks for nothing beyond the download.

Complete Ear Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 199 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Theory Lessons's written reviews are positive against 85% of Complete Ear Trainer's.

Theory Lessons ships an update every 4 months, Complete Ear Trainer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Theory Lessons | Complete Ear Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theory-lessons/id493157418/reviews) | **[4.7 (199 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-ear-trainer/id1012455471/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 126 | **199** |
| Positive reviews | 83.1% of reviews | **85.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#12** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 78 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.8** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [musictheory.net](https://appshunter.io/developer/459313479) | [Binary Guilt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012455470) |

## What reviewers say

### Theory Lessons

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/theory-lessons/id493157418)

**Currently charting:** #12 Top Paid · Music, #117 Top Paid (US App Store)

Explore 39 animated music theory lessons covering fundamental concepts like scales, chords, and intervals. Deepen your understanding of musical structure and analysis with this comprehensive resource.

**Highlights:** 39 animated music theory lessons, Covers staff, clefs, and ledger lines, Explains note and rest duration, Details major and minor scales, Teaches intervals and chord inversions, Includes Roman numeral analysis, Features musical analysis examples

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient and easy to use
- 👍 Clear and concise explanations
- 💡 Helpful visual aids and animations
- 🤩 Excellent learning tool for beginners
- 🔍 Comprehensive coverage of music theory

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio issues on some devices
- 🔍 Limited content compared to website
- 🤔 Keyboard-centric approach may not suit non-pianists
- 💰 Paid app when website is free

**Reported bugs**

- Directional arrows and guidance symbols not working on iPad
- Text panels cut off at the bottom and unable to be resized

**Requested features**

- Add more advanced theory topics
- Incorporate practice exercises and quizzes
- Include support for other instruments beyond piano
- Integrate with the Tenuto app for a more complete experience


### Complete Ear Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-ear-trainer/id1012455471)

Develop your musical ear and music theory knowledge with this comprehensive training app. It offers progressive drills, various sound options, and a gamified learning experience to improve improvisation, composition, and performance skills.

**Highlights:** 150+ progressive drills, 11 drill types, 24 intervals, 36 chord types, Melodic dictations and chord progressions, Gamified learning with star system, Custom drill and program creation, Cloud sync across devices

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $0.99 | per month |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $9.99 | per year |
| Full Version | $6.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Theory Lessons free?

Theory Lessons costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Complete Ear Trainer free?

Complete Ear Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Theory Lessons or Complete Ear Trainer?

Complete Ear Trainer is rated higher. Theory Lessons averages 4.4 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Complete Ear Trainer averages 4.7 from 199 ratings.

### Do Theory Lessons or Complete Ear Trainer have ads?

Neither Theory Lessons nor Complete Ear Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Theory Lessons or Complete Ear Trainer?

Theory Lessons ships an update every 4 months, and Complete Ear Trainer fortnightly. Most recently, Theory Lessons was updated on October 15, 2026 and Complete Ear Trainer 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.*