Comparison

Recorder by Ear vs Clef Trainer Grid

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Recorder by Ear

Features
Read full description

Learn to express yourself with this beautiful instrument in DAYS and WEEKS instead of years, all the 12 scales and notes in-between. With our unique learning method you will accomplish the level of understanding which is unattainable in years of traditional learning! This is a very powerful ear training and learning tool for musicians who want a shortcut to fluency on the recorder. With this tool you will be able to play the instrument it is meant to be played by ear, any melody or solo, you will gain a very deep understanding of chords and the notes they consist of and are surrounded by, they tell you all about this in lessons, but you never actually get to ingrain it. Yet this is the most important skill there is for mastering the recorder and play any music by ear. Especially considering, that recorder is the gateway to so many other instruments and music itself. The app allows you to practice with just the smartphone or with your real recorder, all types. Also serves as a handy recorder notes chart. This exercise might look a little bit tedious, but trust us, you will see very powerful results in your music within days of using the app. You could call it hacking the recorder. Even if you are a complete beginner, you will learn to play your favourite tunes on the recorder in days with Recorder by Ear, something some other musicians struggle for MONTHS and YEARS for and still not everyone gets there. You will. During the first month. How much money would you pay to obtain such a skill? Consider this your lucky day, because you are on your way for real musicianship whether it is your hobby or you want to pursue career in music, this app sets you up for the best results. Even if you prefer to play looking at the notes, this app will greatly enhance your ability to see music, hear the written music in your mind, understand music more easily and even remember music much more easily.

About

Clef Trainer Grid

Master sheet music reading across multiple clefs. Practice note input via touch, MIDI keyboard, or microphone. Features a unique grid input to ensure genuine learning, not just muscle memory.

Highlights
  • Treble, alto, and bass clef support
  • Major and minor key signature support
  • Accidental support
  • Adjustable ledger lines
  • Grid input for muscle memory prevention
  • MIDI keyboard and microphone input
  • Cheat Mode for real-time note names
Features
Read full description

Learn to read sheet music over various clefs! Practice reading and inputting notes using your finger, plugging a piano keyboard in, or virtually any other instrument using the microphone input mode. Take your skills outside of the app: Clef Trainer Grid also features a special grid input that scrambles button locations to prevent the building of a muscle memory. This ensures that you're actually learning the note letters, rather than just learning how to use an app! Still want to learn the piano keys? No worries! You can also switch a classic piano input at any time. Features also include: * Support for treble, alto, and bass clefs * Support for every major and minor key signature * Support for accidentals—Choose if you want to play outside of the key! * Adjustable number of ledger lines * Cheat Mode—View the names of the notes in real-time! * Dark Mode * Ghost Note —View miss-input notes on the staff

Screenshots

Recorder by Ear3 screens
Clef Trainer Grid4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Clef Trainer Grid at $2.99 against Recorder by Ear's $12.99. Clef Trainer Grid also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 2 months). Recorder by Ear's advantage is iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.0). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Recorder by Ear costs $12.99 and Clef Trainer Grid $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Recorder by Ear ships an update every 2 months, Clef Trainer Grid daily. The most recent releases landed on August 15, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Recorder by Ear versus Clef Trainer Grid: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRecorder by EarClef Trainer Grid
Price$12.99$2.99 — better
Rating—5.0 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—83.3% of reviews
Number of ratings—12 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg SokolovJohn Andersen

In-app purchases

None

Recorder by Ear

No in-app purchases

None

Clef Trainer Grid

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Recorder by Ear free?
Recorder by Ear costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clef Trainer Grid free?
Clef Trainer Grid costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Recorder by Ear or Clef Trainer Grid have ads?
Neither Recorder by Ear nor Clef Trainer Grid shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Recorder by Ear or Clef Trainer Grid?
Recorder by Ear ships an update every 2 months, and Clef Trainer Grid daily. Most recently, Recorder by Ear was updated on August 15, 2026 and Clef Trainer Grid on October 12, 2026.

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