Comparison

Piano Tree vs Tonic Notes

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

Head to head
About

Piano Tree

Learn to play the piano with interactive lessons and real-time feedback. Follow on-screen notes, practice at your own pace, and explore a song library. Ideal for beginners and self-taught learners of all ages.

Highlights
  • Step-by-step practice
  • Real-time feedback
  • On-screen piano
  • Scrollable piano view
  • Song library
  • Metronome
Read full description

Piano Tree makes learning piano simple, fun, and accessible for everyone. Whether you’re a complete beginner, returning to the keys, or exploring music for the first time, Piano Tree guides you through step-by-step practice with real-time feedback. Follow the notes on screen, play at your own pace, and improve naturally with visual guidance and interactive exercises. Features: • Practice Mode – Play the note on the cursor to advance. Get instant feedback with correct/incorrect note indicators. • Real-Time Note Detection – Works with both digital and acoustic pianos! We also have an on-screen piano, ideal for simpler songs or just on-the-go practicing! • Scrollable Piano View – A smooth, responsive piano visualization built for learning and exploration. • Song Library – Start with beginner pieces and progress through more challenging songs. • Looping & Section Practice – Filter out any selection for further practice. • Metronome – Practice with customizable tempo and pulse settings. Piano Tree is built for anyone curious about learning music: children, adults, and self-taught learners alike. Stay motivated, grow your skills, and enjoy your musical journey at your own pace! New exercises and songs are added regularly. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://piano-tree.com/privacy

About

Tonic Notes

Record, transcribe, and summarize music lessons to improve practice and track progress. Features AI assistance for questions, personalized practice plans, and a shared space for teachers, students, and parents.

Highlights
  • Unlimited transcriptions and summaries
  • AI music assistant for lesson queries
  • Personalized practice plans and tracking
  • Repertoire library and progress visualization
  • Built-in metronome and tuner
  • Shared pods for teachers, students, and parents
Features
Read full description

Get more out of your lessons and never forget a thing your teacher said. Tonic Notes records your music lesson, transcribes and summarizes it, and pulls out clips of your own playing. Then it helps you practice, follow your progress and keep everyone in the loop, so the whole lesson sticks with you long after it's done. Get: • UNLIMITED TRANSCRIPTIONS AND INTELLIGENT SUMMARIES Every word and note of your lesson, captured, with summaries to help you remember what to work on next. Record lessons up to 6 hours long, or import a recording you already have. • SUMMARIES IN YOUR LANGUAGE Summaries open in the language your lesson was taught in, and you can translate any summary with a tap. • CLIPS OF YOUR PLAYING, IDENTIFIED AND HIGHLIGHTED Music highlighted as audio clips with easy, organized playback. Replay a passage that needs work, or hear how far you've come. • YOUR OWN AI MUSIC ASSISTANT Ask anything about your lessons and practice. Answers take you to the exact moment in your recording so you can hear it for yourself. The assistant can also do things for you, like adding a piece to your library or checking off homework. • PRACTICE TRACKING AND PLANS DESIGNED JUST FOR YOU A bespoke plan drawn from your lesson. Time each session, check off tasks, record yourself as you play, and watch your stats grow over time. • YOUR REPERTOIRE IN ONE PLACE Build a library of the pieces you're working on. Search the catalog or add your own, tag lessons and practice with a piece, and see how much time each one has had. • METRONOME AND TUNER BUILT IN No more switching apps. Tune your instrument, set your tempo, and play all in one place. • TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, ALL IN THE LOOP Create a shared pod for each teacher, student or group. Post notes, photos, videos and PDFs, comment on each other's lessons, share progress and celebrate milestones together. • ONE SUBSCRIPTION FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Give each musician at home their own profile, with their own pods, lessons and AI assistant, all on one subscription. • MADE FOR IPAD AND TABLETS Tonic Notes runs full-screen on tablets. Turn yours sideways to keep your AI assistant open in a side panel next to your lesson. • ALREADY USE TONIC MUSIC? Send your practice sessions from Tonic Music straight into Tonic Notes, or bring over your whole history in one go. ------------- Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://www.tonicnotes.com/privacy

Screenshots

Piano Tree4 screens
Tonic Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

Piano Tree and Tonic Notes both sit at 4.6 stars, but that hides the real split: 95% of Tonic Notes's written reviews are positive against 86% of Piano Tree's. On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence 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. Piano Tree sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Tonic Notes sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Piano Tree against 4.7 for Tonic Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 25 and 40 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Piano Tree's written reviews are positive against 95% of Tonic Notes's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Piano Tree ships an update every 5 days, Tonic Notes every 4 days. Both last shipped on November 5, 2026.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Piano Tree versus Tonic Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPiano TreeTonic Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (25 ratings)4.7 (40 ratings) — better
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews95.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2540 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size135 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPiano Tree LimitedPocket Conservatory, Inc

Customer experience

Piano Tree

All ratings25 ratings
Positive92.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

Tonic Notes

All ratings40 ratings
Positive95.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews21 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative4.8%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Piano Tree

Subscriptions4
  • Premium Monthly7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Teacher Monthly$17.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly7 Days trial$99.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Teacher Yearly$214.991 Year
2 purchases

Tonic Notes

Subscriptions2
  • Tonic Notes Premium (Monthly)1 Month trial$24.991 Month
  • Tonic Notes Premium (Annual)1 Month trial$239.991 Year

Questions

Is Piano Tree free?
Piano Tree is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tonic Notes free?
Tonic Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Piano Tree or Tonic Notes?
Tonic Notes is rated higher. Piano Tree averages 4.6 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Tonic Notes averages 4.7 from 40 ratings.
Do Piano Tree or Tonic Notes have ads?
Neither Piano Tree nor Tonic Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Piano Tree or Tonic Notes?
Piano Tree ships an update every 5 days, and Tonic Notes every 4 days. Most recently, Piano Tree was updated on November 5, 2026 and Tonic Notes on November 5, 2026.

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