Comparison

Zebra vs NoteBean

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

Head to head
About

Zebra

Learn to read music through engaging games and guided lessons. Progress through note recognition, rhythm training, and ear training with instant feedback. Designed for musicians of all levels, it offers a comprehensive and fun approach to music theory.

Highlights
  • 20 short music theory games
  • 41 guided lessons
  • Note recognition training
  • Rhythm and ear training
  • Sight-reading practice
  • Offline play
  • Free piano and metronome
Features
Read full description

Learn to read music in five minutes a day, by playing. Zebra turns music theory into 21 little games, a note reading, rhythm and ear trainer in one: you start by naming a white key, and one day you're reading two clefs at once, key signature and all. NEW TO MUSIC? PERFECT 52 short lessons guide you step by step: the piano keyboard, the staff, rhythm, intervals, scales, chords and ear training. Each lesson ends with a game, so you practice what you just learned right away. Kids or adults, total beginners or music students, everyone goes at their own pace. READ NOTES IN TREBLE AND BASS CLEF Learn to read music notes on the staff and find them on the piano keyboard, then the other way around. Treble clef first, bass clef next, then both together, the way pianists read. Further on, sharps, flats and naturals join in, and key signatures sit at the start of the staff, just like on real sheet music. In Sight Reading, the notes scroll toward you and you play them in time, until reading music becomes second nature. RHYTHM, ON CARDS AND BY EAR The Rhythm game uses cards, just like in a piano lesson: read the bar, the metronome counts, and you tap it, with one hand and then both. Whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, eighths, sixteenths and rests are all in there. In Rhythm Dictation, you hear a rhythm and play it back; in Rhythm Builder, you rebuild it note by note. EAR TRAINING Name a note or a chord just by listening, and learn the color of every interval. Major or minor, third or fifth: your ear learns to put a name on what it hears. MUSIC THEORY WITHOUT THE HEADACHE Intervals, major and minor scales, chords and key signatures: build them on the keyboard and recognize them on the staff, in every key. And for a break, seventeen tunes you know are playable from the first chapters. FIVE MINUTES IS ENOUGH A round takes about a minute, and you know right away if you got it: the note turns green, or red. One round while you wait for the bus is already progress. Win five and you've hit your daily goal. 671 LEVELS TO KEEP YOU GROWING Every game climbs gently, from the white keys all the way to key signatures full of sharps and flats. There's enough here to keep you learning for months. TO KEEP YOU GOING • A daily challenge, the same for everyone • A look back at your week every Monday: what you played and what's improving • Quests, and a streak that rewards showing up • Stars to unlock new games • Stats that show your progress in black and white AND ALSO • Your progress follows you from one device to another, with iCloud • A piano and a metronome, always in your pocket • Everything works offline, on the train or in the practice room • Note names in C D E or solfège Do Re Mi, your choice • In English, French, Spanish, Italian and German FREE, FOR REAL No account, no ads, no subscription. Everything is in the app from day one, and nothing is for sale: you unlock it all by playing. WHO IT'S FOR Music students who want to review their theory between lessons. Anyone learning piano, guitar, violin, brass or voice, with a teacher, an app or on their own, who wants to finally read what they play. Parents looking for an ad-free music game for their kids. And teachers looking for drills to assign. Play one round, and you'll soon see where you stand.

About

NoteBean

Read full description

NoteBean is a music theory practice app designed for beginners. Its simple, focused exercises help you build essential skills in sight reading, ear training, rhythm, and interval recognition. NoteBean includes four practice modes: SIGHT READING Read notes on the staff and answer using a piano keyboard, solfège, note names, or sound. Build stronger connections between written notes, pitch, and keyboard positions. EAR TRAINING Listen to notes or groups of notes, then answer using a keyboard, solfège, note names, or staff notation. Develop your ability to recognize pitch by ear. RHYTHM Listen to common rhythm patterns and choose the matching notation. Improve your rhythmic recognition and sense of timing. INTERVALS Listen to melodic or harmonic intervals and identify the distance between the two notes. Gradually develop a stronger sense of intervals. Choose piano or violin as your practice instrument. Your selection applies to sight reading, ear training, and interval exercises, while rhythm practice uses its own percussion sound. Violin questions are designed around a realistic range and playable fingerings. NoteBean offers Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced difficulty levels, allowing new learners to progress at their own pace. Every answer receives immediate feedback, and completing a practice session can earn a medal. Progress for different players is saved locally on the device. NoteBean is available in English, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, French, Brazilian Portuguese, German, and Japanese. PRIVACY AND EXPERIENCE • No registration or account required • No ads • No in-app purchases • No chat, community, or public sharing features • No personal information or practice data is transmitted to the developer, servers, or third parties • Local app data may be included in device backups, depending on your iOS settings NoteBean is designed to be a light and approachable companion for everyday music learning, making sight reading, ear training, rhythm, and interval practice clearer and easier.

Screenshots

Zebra4 screens
NoteBean4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Zebra at every 11 days against NoteBean's every 5 weeks. On price, 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Zebra ships an update every 11 days, NoteBean every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Zebra versus NoteBean: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterZebraNoteBean
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings4 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 11 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size37 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTHOMAS RICHARD ARMEL CROZIER丹 平

In-app purchases

None

Zebra

No in-app purchases

None

NoteBean

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Zebra free?
Zebra is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NoteBean free?
NoteBean is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Zebra or NoteBean have ads?
Neither Zebra nor NoteBean shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Zebra or NoteBean?
Zebra ships an update every 11 days, and NoteBean every 5 weeks. Most recently, Zebra was updated on November 5, 2026 and NoteBean on November 10, 2026.

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