# Saxophone by Ear vs Read Notes

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Read Notes at 50% against Saxophone by Ear's 0%. Read Notes also leads on rating (4.7 vs 2.3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). Saxophone by Ear's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 14.0). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Saxophone by Ear sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per 7 days and Read Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Read Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of Saxophone by Ear's written reviews are positive against 50% of Read Notes's.

Saxophone by Ear ships an update every 6 weeks, Read Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Saxophone by Ear | Read Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saxophone-by-ear/id6443945225/reviews) | **[4.7 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-notes-sight-reading/id6744292747/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 3 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 180 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Oleg Sokolov](https://appshunter.io/developer/1628122395) | [minjae Lee](https://appshunter.io/developer/1692529440) |

## What reviewers say

### Saxophone by Ear

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/saxophone-by-ear/id6443945225)

Master the saxophone quickly with a unique ear-training method. Learn scales, notes, and chords to play melodies by ear in days or weeks, bypassing years of traditional study. Practice with your phone or real instrument.

**Highlights:** Learn scales and notes, Ear training for musicians, Understand chords, Play by ear, Practice with phone or real saxophone, Saxophone notes chart

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $7.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly plan | $12.99 | per month |
| Annual plan | $79.99 | per year |


### Read Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-notes-sight-reading/id6744292747)

Enhance your musical abilities with interactive games focused on sight-reading, ear training, and chord recognition. Practice essential music theory concepts and improve your performance on any instrument with daily exercises and challenges.

**Highlights:** Sight reading practice with multiple clefs, Ear training for notes, intervals, and chords, Chord recognition and virtual keyboard, 100-song library with challenges, Progress tracking and leaderboards, Multiple difficulty levels and practice modes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Ads | $7.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Saxophone by Ear free?

Saxophone by Ear is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Read Notes free?

Read Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Saxophone by Ear or Read Notes?

Read Notes is rated higher. Saxophone by Ear averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Read Notes averages 4.7 from 6 ratings.

### Do Saxophone by Ear or Read Notes have ads?

Read Notes shows ads; Saxophone by Ear does not.

### Which is updated more often, Saxophone by Ear or Read Notes?

Saxophone by Ear ships an update every 6 weeks, and Read Notes weekly. Most recently, Saxophone by Ear was updated on October 12, 2026 and Read Notes on October 10, 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.*
