Comparison

SubPulse vs MIDITrainer

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

Head to head
About

SubPulse

Features
Read full description

Basic metronomes just keep time. SubPulse trains it. SubPulse is the only metronome with named training methods used by world-class musicians โ€” and it's 100% free. No subscriptions, no ads, no account. Forever. THE TABLE OF TIME โ€” THE JOE MORELLO METHOD The legendary practice system of Joe Morello, the drummer behind "Take Five". At each BPM level, SubPulse automatically cycles through subdivisions โ€” quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets โ€” then increases the tempo and repeats. No other metronome can do this. PUSH-PULL โ€” TRAIN BOTH DIRECTIONS Most musicians only practice speeding up. Push-Pull alternates tempo increases AND decreases, so you build genuine tempo control instead of unconscious rushing. Unique to SubPulse. AUTO PROGRESSION โ€” BUILD SPEED ON AUTOPILOT Set your starting tempo and your goal. SubPulse increases the BPM gradually while you stay in the flow state. No interruptions, no manual adjustments. EVERYTHING YOU NEED โ€ข Precision metronome, 30โ€“300 BPM โ€ข Time signatures: 4/4, 3/4, 6/8, 5/4, 7/8 โ€ข Subdivisions: quarters, eighths, sixteenths, triplets โ€ข Tap Tempo โ€” detect any BPM by tapping โ€ข Practice presets to save your routines โ€ข Haptic feedback, adjustable click pitch, screen stays awake โ€ข Works offline. In English, Spanish and Portuguese FOR EVERY MUSICIAN Drums, guitar, piano, bass, any instrument โ€” from your first metronome session to advanced subdivision mastery. 100% FREE. FOREVER. No paywall, no trial, no locked features. Download and start practicing. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

MIDITrainer

Features
Read full description

Train your ear with real melodies from jazz standards and pop classics. MIDI Trainer plays a short melody, then challenges you to play it back on your MIDI keyboard. Unlike other ear training apps that use random notes, MIDI Trainer uses real musical phrases from professional transcriptions, helping you develop practical musicianship. KEY FEATURES: - Real Melodies: Practice with phrases extracted from the Weimar Jazz Database (jazz solos) and McGill Billboard Dataset (pop hits) - MIDI Integration: Connect any MIDI keyboard via USB or Bluetooth - Adaptive Practice: The app focuses on intervals and patterns you find challenging - Multiple Scales: Practice in major, minor, and modal scales - Detailed Statistics: Track your progress and identify weak spots HOW IT WORKS: 1. Connect your MIDI keyboard 2. Choose your scale and difficulty settings 3. Listen to the melody 4. Play it back - the app waits for you to match each note 5. Review your accuracy and learn from mistakes Perfect for musicians, music students, and anyone wanting to improve their ear and sight-reading skills.

Screenshots

SubPulse4 screens
MIDITrainer1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MIDITrainer at none against SubPulse's 1. SubPulse's advantage is update cadence (every 3 months vs every 9 months) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. SubPulse sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. MIDITrainer asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SubPulse ships an update every 3 months, MIDITrainer every 9 months. Both last shipped on October 30, 2026.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
SubPulse versus MIDITrainer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubPulseMIDITrainer
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 months โ€” betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size52 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlejandro RodriguezRIKER TECH, LLC

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SubPulse

Subscriptions1
  • SubPulse Premium14 Days trial$14.991 Year
None

MIDITrainer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SubPulse free?
SubPulse is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is MIDITrainer free?
MIDITrainer is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SubPulse or MIDITrainer have ads?
Neither SubPulse nor MIDITrainer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SubPulse or MIDITrainer?
SubPulse ships an update every 3 months, and MIDITrainer every 9 months. Most recently, SubPulse was updated on October 30, 2026 and MIDITrainer on October 30, 2026.

Other comparisons