# ToneDetector Lite vs Sinogram Star

The clearest difference is price: ToneDetector Lite at Free against Sinogram Star's $19.99. Sinogram Star's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 30 months) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 14.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

ToneDetector Lite is free to download; Sinogram Star costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ToneDetector Lite ships an update every 30 months, Sinogram Star every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on July 4, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ToneDetector Lite | Sinogram Star |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $19.99 |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonedetector-lite/id550854681/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 30 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 28 MB | 67 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Jian Cheng](https://appshunter.io/developer/495002823) | [Clavis Sinica Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1635273455) |

## 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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Sinogram Star

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sinogram-star/id1635273453)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ToneDetector Lite free?

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

### Is Sinogram Star free?

Sinogram Star costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ToneDetector Lite or Sinogram Star have ads?

Neither ToneDetector Lite nor Sinogram Star shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ToneDetector Lite or Sinogram Star?

ToneDetector Lite ships an update every 30 months, and Sinogram Star every 3 weeks. Most recently, ToneDetector Lite was updated on July 4, 2026 and Sinogram Star on September 14, 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.*