# Discerning Hearts vs Square Note

The clearest difference is rating: Discerning Hearts at 4.9 against Square Note's 4.7. Discerning Hearts also leads on ratings volume (964 vs 70). Square Note's advantage is update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

Discerning Hearts holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Discerning Hearts has 964 ratings behind it against 70, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 97% of Discerning Hearts's written reviews are positive against 93% of Square Note's.

Discerning Hearts ships an update every 3 months, Square Note every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Discerning Hearts | Square Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (964 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/discerning-hearts/id523582765/reviews)** | [4.7 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-note-gregorian-chant/id1180469174/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **964** | 70 |
| Positive reviews | **96.9% of reviews** | 92.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 51 MB | 55 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Discerning Hearts](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241233037) | [Oblates of St. Joseph](https://appshunter.io/developer/1051534360) |

## What reviewers say

### Discerning Hearts

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/discerning-hearts/id523582765)

Access a vast library of spirituality audio and video podcasts on demand. Explore topics from the lives of saints to prayer and Catholic social teaching, featuring renowned authors and spiritual leaders.

**Highlights:** On-demand audio and video podcasts, Streaming content, Topics on prayer and discernment, Content from leading authors and teachers, Focus on saints and Catholic social teaching, Discussions on liturgy and everyday prayer

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🙏 Spiritual nourishment
- 🕰️ Variety of content
- 📚 Solid Catholic teaching
- 🌟 Inspiring speakers
- 🕊️ Deepens faith and prayer life

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating content
- 💾 Lack of download/offline functionality

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes on launch
- Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Bookmark/favorites feature
- Text search functionality
- Improved user interface


### Square Note

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/square-note-gregorian-chant/id1180469174)

Access a vast library of Gregorian Chant scores with over 800 unique chants. Learn to read square note notation and hear melodies with adjustable speed and pitch. Ideal for choirs, scholas, or personal study.

**Highlights:** Extensive library of Gregorian Chant scores, Learn square note notation, Adjustable melody playback (speed, pitch), Customizable chant viewing settings, Bookmark favorite chants, Search by name or full text, Includes Mass Propers, Commons, and Kyriale

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 🎶 Great for learning chant
- 🎵 Excellent for choir practice
- 💡 Helpful for beginners
- ✨ Beautifully laid out

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❓ Playback issues on iPhone
- 🎵 Missing punctuation on notes
- 🎵 Some chants are missing
- 🎵 Missing Epiphany season
- 🎵 Missing traditional nuptial propers

**Reported bugs**

- Cannot get music to play on iPhone
- Playback won't work after iOS 14 update
- Sundays of paschaltide enumerated differently in OF & EF

**Requested features**

- Add liturgical calendar for 1962 missal
- Add traditional nuptial propers (deus Israel)
- Include psalm tones for singing psalms
- Add common chants of the Divine Office
- Add different tones of the Te Lucis hymn


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Discerning Hearts free?

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

### Is Square Note free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Discerning Hearts or Square Note?

Discerning Hearts is rated higher. Discerning Hearts averages 4.9 out of 5 from 964 ratings, while Square Note averages 4.7 from 70 ratings.

### Do Discerning Hearts or Square Note have ads?

Neither Discerning Hearts nor Square Note shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Discerning Hearts or Square Note?

Discerning Hearts ships an update every 3 months, and Square Note every 4 weeks. Most recently, Discerning Hearts was updated on October 29, 2026 and Square Note on October 24, 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.*