Comparison

Guitar Permutation Trainer vs Ear Training

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

Head to head
About

Guitar Permutation Trainer

Features
Read full description

Guitar Permutation Trainer helps you practice finger permutations across your fretboard with a built‑in metronome and adaptive difficulty. Practicing permutation exercises on instruments like guitar, bass, and piano targets the small, intrinsic muscles of the hand and fingers, such as the lumbricals and interossei. These muscles are responsible for fine motor control, finger independence, and strength. Repetitive, structured movement patterns improve neuromuscular coordination by reinforcing neural pathways between the brain and fingers - a process known as motor learning. According to research in kinesiology and occupational therapy, consistent practice builds endurance and prevents overuse injuries by promoting balanced muscle development. For developing musicians, this foundation is essential for achieving speed, accuracy, and long-term technical reliability without strain.

About

Ear Training

Features
Read full description

Most ear trainers hand everyone the same random list of intervals. This one watches which ones YOU get wrong — and builds your practice from that. Every answer lands in a confusion grid. Rows are what was played, columns are what you picked. After a few rounds the grid shows the truth about your ear: maybe you never miss a fifth, but a major sixth and a minor seventh trade places again and again. That cell turns hot, and practice starts coming from there. HOW IT WORKS ‒ Ten-question rounds. Listen, pick what you heard. That's the whole loop. ‒ The grid fills in as you go. Tap any hot cell to drill that one pair until it cools down. ‒ When you miss, you hear both — the right answer and your pick, from the same starting note, back to back. That comparison is where the ear actually learns. ‒ Practice is chosen from three things: what's due for review, which pairs you confuse, and what you haven't seen yet. It's weighted, not a fixed order, so answers never fall into a guessable pattern. ‒ 42 items: twelve intervals ascending, descending and harmonic, plus six chord qualities. The set starts small and opens up as you improve. BUILT FOR PRACTICE, NOT FOR SHOW ‒ Pick your register — low, middle, high, or any mix. No more questions buried so low you can't hear them. ‒ Soft or bright tone, synthesised on the device. ‒ Name things your way: short (m3), full (minor 3rd) or solfège. ‒ Timer pressure is off by default. Turn it on when you want it. ‒ 46 achievements and a daily streak, if that's what keeps you coming back. ‒ A daily reminder at a time you choose — and it stays quiet on days you've already practised. HONEST ABOUT WHAT IT TEACHES These drills train RELATIVE pitch: hearing the distance between notes, which is the skill that actually reads a chord chart or transcribes a melody. It won't promise to make you name notes out of thin air, and it says nothing about your hearing — it's a music practice app, nothing more. PRIVATE AND OFFLINE Everything is synthesised and stored on your device. No account, no server, no tracking. Your grid is yours. Ear Training Pro unlocks practice rounds. The grid, your history, your stats and all settings stay open — free or not, your own data is never locked away. ‒ A recurring subscription, with the first period at a reduced price ‒ Or a one-time purchase that never renews Terms of Use: https://doesonejob.com/eargrid/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://doesonejob.com/eargrid/privacy/ Questions: eargrid@doesonejob.com

Screenshots

Guitar Permutation Trainer4 screens
Ear Training4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ear Training at Free against Guitar Permutation Trainer's $1.99. Ear Training also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Guitar Permutation Trainer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Ear Training is free to download; Guitar Permutation Trainer costs $1.99 up front. Ear Training sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per 7 days. Guitar Permutation Trainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guitar Permutation Trainer ships an update every 3 months, Ear Training fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences Β· 2 level
Guitar Permutation Trainer versus Ear Training: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitar Permutation TrainerEar Training
Price$1.99Free β€” better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsFortnightly β€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size2 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBenjamin ChouinardYUSUF OCAL

In-app purchases

None

Guitar Permutation Trainer

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Ear Training

Subscriptions3
  • Ear Training Pro Β· Weekly7 Days trial$3.997 Days
  • Ear Training Pro Β· Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Ear Training Pro Β· Yearly$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • Ear Training Pro Β· Lifetime$19.99

Questions

Is Guitar Permutation Trainer free?
Guitar Permutation Trainer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ear Training free?
Ear Training is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Guitar Permutation Trainer or Ear Training have ads?
Neither Guitar Permutation Trainer nor Ear Training shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Guitar Permutation Trainer or Ear Training?
Guitar Permutation Trainer ships an update every 3 months, and Ear Training fortnightly. Most recently, Guitar Permutation Trainer was updated on October 28, 2026 and Ear Training on October 29, 2026.

Other comparisons