# Piano Tree vs Tonic Notes

The clearest difference is monetization model: Tonic Notes at free against Piano Tree's freemium. Tonic Notes also leads on review sentiment (95% vs 86%). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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.

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 — 20 and 38 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Piano Tree's written reviews are positive against 95% of Tonic Notes's.

Piano Tree ships an update every 5 days, Tonic Notes every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Piano Tree | Tonic Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-tree/id6752673455/reviews) | **[4.7 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonic-notes/id6759934126/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 20 | **38** |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **95.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | **Every 4 days** |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Size | 131 MB | 102 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Piano Tree Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1840514931) | [Pocket Conservatory, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1565693174) |

## What reviewers say

### Piano Tree

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/piano-tree/id6752673455)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Teacher Monthly | $17.99 | per month |
| Premium Yearly | $99.99 | per year |
| Teacher Yearly | $214.99 | per year |


### Tonic Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonic-notes/id6759934126)

This app records music lessons, providing transcripts, summaries, and practice checklists. It allows users to focus on learning during lessons and review key moments afterward. Built by musicians for musicians, it aids progress lesson by lesson.

**Highlights:** Record entire music lessons, Smart transcription with speaker ID, AI-generated lesson summaries, Homework checklist for practice, Jump to specific moments in recording, Track progress lesson to lesson

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tonic Notes Premium (Monthly) | $24.99 | per month |
| Tonic Notes Premium (Annual) | $239.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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 20 ratings, while Tonic Notes averages 4.7 from 38 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 October 13, 2026 and Tonic Notes on October 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*