Comparison

Read Notes vs Clefo

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

Head to head
About

Read Notes

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
Read full description

Read sheet music one step at a time, on piano, guitar, bass guitar, ukulele, violin or drums. Choose an instrument from Home to see its quests and song library. KEEP YOUR PIANO PRACTICE Continue your piano Quests, Drills, ear training and chord practice. Start piano Quests in treble clef, bass clef or both. Your existing piano progress and purchases are preserved. CONNECT NOTATION WITH YOUR INSTRUMENT • Guitar: connect staff notation and TAB with all six strings and fret positions. • Bass guitar: find notes on the fretboard and practice melodies in a lower register. • Ukulele: learn chord shapes and strumming on screen, then explore melodies. • Violin: connect notes with strings and the finger or position labels shown. • Drums: identify kick, snare and hi-hat on the score and select the matching pads. LEARN THROUGH FAMILIAR MUSIC Explore practice arrangements of existing pieces, with score sources and excerpts identified. Listen to an example, choose a range of measures and repeat it. Drum songs use educational accompaniments. After a one-bar count-in, tap the pads with the metronome and melody and get timing feedback on your screen taps. KNOW WHAT TO PRACTICE NEXT Use demonstrations and hints, then try independently. Review mistakes and follow each instrument’s progress. Screen exercises do not listen through a microphone or assess physical playing technique. Start with free practice. Optional one-time Premium unlocks additional songs, removes ads and removes heart limits.

About

Clefo

This app provides structured, interactive lessons to help users learn the fundamentals of reading music. It covers note recognition, rhythm development, and sight-reading skills across various instruments. The app offers a calm, ad-free environment designed to make practice enjoyable and build confidence.

Highlights
  • Note and rhythm reading lessons
  • Treble and bass clef recognition
  • Rhythm and timing exercises
  • Sharps, flats, and key signatures
  • Sight-reading skill development
  • Instrument-specific lessons
  • Progress tracking and motivation
Features
Read full description

Clefo teaches the fundamentals of reading music through structured, interactive lessons that make regular practice enjoyable. Whether you are just starting music lessons or want extra support between classes, Clefo helps develop the confidence and skills needed to read music independently WHAT YOU WILL LEARN • Read notes on the staff • Recognise note names in both treble and bass clef • Develop rhythm and timing through interactive exercises • Understand sharps, flats, and key signatures • Strengthen sight-reading skills that transfer directly to your instrument CHOOSE YOUR INSTRUMENT Select from 14 instruments, including piano, violin, cello, flute, clarinet, trumpet, guitar, ukulele, and voice. Lessons use the sound of your chosen instrument, helping reinforce learning in a familiar way. DESIGNED TO SUPPORT MUSIC EDUCATION • More than 100 carefully sequenced lessons • Short activities that encourage consistent practice • Instant feedback to reinforce learning and build confidence • Progress tracking, points and streaks to keep you motivated • Calm, ad-free learning environment with no distractions LEARN BY PRACTISING Clefo focuses on active learning rather than passive instruction. Develop music reading skills by recognising notes, clapping rhythms and responding to real musical examples, helping retain what you have learned and apply it during lessons and practice at home. FREE TO START Download Clefo and explore the first chapter for free. Unlock every lesson, instrument, and challenge with a single one-time purchase. No subscriptions. No ads. No accounts. No data collection. Just focused, engaging music education. Have the confidence to read music for life with Clefo.

Screenshots

Read Notes4 screens
Clefo3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Clefo at none against Read Notes's shown. Clefo also leads on update cadence (daily vs weekly) and rating (5.0 vs 4.7). Read Notes's advantage is ratings volume (6 vs 2). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Both are free to download. Read Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Clefo sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Clefo holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Read Notes ships an update weekly, Clefo daily. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Read Notes versus Clefo: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRead NotesClefo
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (6 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings6 — better2
Update frequencyWeeklyDaily — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size91 MB20 MB
Age rating12+4+
Developerminjae LeeDavid Hunt

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Read Notes

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$7.99
1 purchases

Clefo

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$2.99

Questions

Is Read Notes free?
Read Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Clefo free?
Clefo is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Read Notes or Clefo?
Clefo is rated higher. Read Notes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Clefo averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Read Notes or Clefo have ads?
Read Notes shows ads; Clefo does not.
Which is updated more often, Read Notes or Clefo?
Read Notes ships an update weekly, and Clefo daily. Most recently, Read Notes was updated on October 30, 2026 and Clefo on October 28, 2026.

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