# SMA vs Carnatic Raga

The clearest difference is rating: Carnatic Raga at 4.8 against SMA's 1.7. Carnatic Raga also leads on review sentiment (87% vs 60%) and ratings volume (490 vs 6). SMA's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 44 months) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.5). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

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

Carnatic Raga holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 1.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Carnatic Raga has 490 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of SMA's written reviews are positive against 87% of Carnatic Raga's.

SMA ships an update every 6 months, Carnatic Raga every 44 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | SMA | Carnatic Raga |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [1.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sma/id510975381/reviews) | **[4.8 (490 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carnatic-raga/id585566511/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 6 | **490** |
| Positive reviews | 60.0% of reviews | **87.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 44 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 58 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Clood On Music Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/510975384) | [Aspul Studios LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1670473385) |

## What reviewers say

### SMA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sma/id510975381)

This app provides registered students of the Shankar Mahadevan Academy access to their course materials. Students can view video and audio lessons, lyrics, and notations, and submit practice recordings for instructor feedback. It also allows viewing and submitting assessments and class recordings.

**Highlights:** Access course materials, View video and audio lessons, Submit practice recordings, Receive instructor feedback, View and submit assessments, Access class recordings

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Carnatic Raga

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carnatic-raga/id585566511)

Discover and learn about over 950 ragas in Carnatic music, including fundamental and derived types. Search ragas by their notes or names, and view their ascending and descending scales. This app is essential for anyone passionate about Carnatic music.

**Highlights:** Search ragas by swaras or name, View Arohanam and Avarohanam, Melakarta raga information, Create favorite raga lists, Play scales, Share raga details

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to understand
- 👍 Quick raga reference
- 👍 Great for learning
- 👍 Informative and organized
- 👍 Useful for beginners

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Play button not working
- 🐛 No sound output
- 🐛 Spelling errors in raga names
- 🐛 Piano has limited octaves
- 🐛 Missing lessons portion (Android vs iOS)

**Reported bugs**

- Dharmavathi is named as Dhamavathi
- Some Raga spellings are incorrect
- Play button does not work
- Play button not working on ios14
- No sound on iOS 6.1.3

**Requested features**

- Play any 16 notes in any order
- How to find raaga if up and down notes differ
- Add two more octaves on the piano
- Add functionality to play swaras
- Add sound bites for swaras


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SMA free?

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

### Is Carnatic Raga free?

Carnatic Raga is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, SMA or Carnatic Raga?

Carnatic Raga is rated higher. SMA averages 1.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Carnatic Raga averages 4.8 from 490 ratings.

### Do SMA or Carnatic Raga have ads?

Neither SMA nor Carnatic Raga shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SMA or Carnatic Raga?

SMA ships an update every 6 months, and Carnatic Raga every 44 months. Most recently, SMA was updated on October 23, 2026 and Carnatic Raga on October 23, 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.*