# ToneDetector Lite vs ToneBoard Keyboard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: ToneBoard Keyboard at 100% against ToneDetector Lite's 33%. ToneBoard Keyboard also leads on update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 30 months). ToneDetector Lite's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ratings volume, 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.

ToneDetector Lite holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 5 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of ToneDetector Lite's written reviews are positive against 100% of ToneBoard Keyboard's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

ToneDetector Lite ships an update every 30 months, ToneBoard Keyboard every 5 weeks. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | ToneDetector Lite | ToneBoard Keyboard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonedetector-lite/id550854681/reviews)** | [4.8 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/toneboard-keyboard/id1602036971/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **5** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jian Cheng](https://appshunter.io/developer/495002823) | [Kevin Bell](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602036973) |

## What reviewers say

### ToneDetector Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonedetector-lite/id550854681)

Practice and master Mandarin Chinese tones with instant visual feedback. Compare your pronunciation's pitch contours to sample sounds to improve accuracy and reduce accent.

**Highlights:** Instant tone contour detection, Visual pitch shape comparison, Practice Mandarin tonal syllables, Covers hundreds of base and tonal syllables, Assess tone perception ability, Sample sounds for comparison

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### ToneBoard Keyboard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/toneboard-keyboard/id1602036971)

This app helps Mandarin Chinese learners practice tones by requiring them to input Pinyin with tones before suggesting characters. It functions like a standard QWERTY keyboard but enforces tone input for accurate recall.

**Highlights:** Mandarin tone practice, Pinyin input with tones, Character suggestion based on tones, Standard QWERTY layout, iOS compatible

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ToneDetector Lite free?

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

### Is ToneBoard Keyboard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, ToneDetector Lite or ToneBoard Keyboard?

ToneDetector Lite is rated higher. ToneDetector Lite averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while ToneBoard Keyboard averages 4.8 from 5 ratings.

### Do ToneDetector Lite or ToneBoard Keyboard have ads?

Neither ToneDetector Lite nor ToneBoard Keyboard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ToneDetector Lite or ToneBoard Keyboard?

ToneDetector Lite ships an update every 30 months, and ToneBoard Keyboard every 5 weeks. Most recently, ToneDetector Lite was updated on October 30, 2026 and ToneBoard Keyboard on October 30, 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.*