# Music Reading Essentials vs Aural Wiz

The clearest difference is price: Aural Wiz at Free against Music Reading Essentials's $2.99. Aural Wiz also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 20 months) and ratings volume (640 vs 11). Music Reading Essentials's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On rating, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Aural Wiz is free to download; Music Reading Essentials costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Music Reading Essentials against 4.8 for Aural Wiz. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Aural Wiz has 640 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Music Reading Essentials's written reviews are positive against 76% of Aural Wiz's.

Music Reading Essentials ships an update every 20 months, Aural Wiz every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Music Reading Essentials | Aural Wiz |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.6 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/music-reading-essentials/id501483486/reviews) | **[4.8 (640 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aural-wiz/id1216822136/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 11 | **640** |
| Positive reviews | 63.4% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Ad-supported |
| Size | 122 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Notagram, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1198431817) | [Bijoy Thangaraj](https://appshunter.io/developer/453056920) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### Aural Wiz

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aural-wiz/id1216822136)

Enhance your musical ear by learning to identify intervals, scales, modes, chords, and cadences. This app offers two modes: Learn to hear and understand musical elements, and Practice to test your recognition skills. It's designed for music students and musicians aiming to improve their aural abilities.

**Highlights:** Interval recognition, Scale identification, Mode training, Chord and cadence learning, Learn mode, Practice mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎓 Effective ear training and interval identification
- 📚 Teaches music theory concepts comprehensively
- 🆓 Free app with no ads
- 👍 User-friendly and simple to use
- 🎯 Good for exam preparation (GCSE, music exams)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🎯 Not suitable for complete beginners
- 📖 Lacks explanations of music theory terms
- 🔁 Cadence recordings repeat frequently
- 🎵 Timbre changes abruptly mid-scale
- 😴 Can feel boring or repetitive

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot return to main menu after closing ads
- App crashes or requires restart after ad closure
- Minor 7th chord labeled incorrectly (minor-major instead of minor-minor)
- Same intervals/chords/scales play multiple times in succession

**Requested features**

- Descending intervals and scales option
- Speed adjustment for scales
- Chromatic scale option
- Intervals played from top to bottom
- Modes of melodic/harmonic minor


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Music Reading Essentials free?

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

### Is Aural Wiz free?

Aural Wiz is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Music Reading Essentials or Aural Wiz?

Aural Wiz is rated higher. Music Reading Essentials averages 4.6 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Aural Wiz averages 4.8 from 640 ratings.

### Do Music Reading Essentials or Aural Wiz have ads?

Aural Wiz shows ads; Music Reading Essentials does not.

### Which is updated more often, Music Reading Essentials or Aural Wiz?

Music Reading Essentials ships an update every 20 months, and Aural Wiz every 5 weeks. Most recently, Music Reading Essentials was updated on November 1, 2026 and Aural Wiz on November 2, 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.*