Comparison

SightRead vs Music Notes

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

Head to head
About

SightRead

Learn to read music rhythm and notes with a structured, step-by-step approach. This app uses Kodály syllables and interactive exercises to build your musical literacy, suitable for students and teachers alike.

Highlights
  • Kodály rhythm and note reading method
  • Interactive tapping and scoring
  • 89 rhythm levels and 29 note levels
  • Rhythm Lab for custom practice
  • Note Practice for specific drills
  • Offline functionality
  • Multi-language support
Features
Read full description

Free. No ads, no accounts, no subscriptions. SightRead teaches you to read rhythm and notes the way music schools do: with Kodály syllables, one small step at a time. RHYTHM, TAUGHT AS A LANGUAGE Every rhythm has a word. Ta is a quarter note. Ti-Ti is two eighths. Say it, then tap it. SightRead shows real notation with a moving cursor, counts you in, and scores every tap: perfect, great, good, or miss, with early/late feedback so you know which way to fix it. 89 LEVELS ACROSS 23 STAGES From single quarter notes to sixteenths, dotted rhythms, rests, ties, syncopation, triplets, and 2/4, 3/4, 6/4 and 6/8 time. Each stage introduces exactly one new idea, with a short audio lesson the first time you meet it. Earn stars to unlock the next level, or go back for a three-star run. THEN, THE NOTES 29 levels of note reading: treble clef from Middle C, sharps and flats, bass clef, ledger lines, and timed rounds. A note lands on the staff, you name it, you hear it. Notes Practice lets you drill exactly the notes you choose: clef, range, accidentals, timed or endless. BUILT FOR REAL PRACTICE • Rhythm Lab: build the bars you're stuck on from a palette of note values, listen, practice, save • Free Practice at any tempo, with whole-stage mixes so patterns never repeat the same way • Tap calibration for Bluetooth headphones, plus Relaxed / Normal / Strict timing windows • Speed control on every level • Listen-first mode: hear the rhythm before you play it • Daily streak, calendar and stats, with an optional once-a-day reminder • Haptics on every tap • Designed for iPhone and iPad • English, Español, Português, Français, Deutsch, Italiano, 日本語, 简体中文; note names as C D E, Do Re Mi, or C D E H FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS Five minutes a day is enough. Music students use it to prepare for theory exams and auditions; teachers use it in class and for homework. It works offline, needs no account, and collects no data. SightRead is free and stays free.

About

Music Notes

Features
Read full description

100 Music Notes is an educational app where kids can learn about 100 different music notes while having fun! Features: - 100 beautifully illustrated instruments including piano, guitar, violin, and more - Listen to each instrument! Real sounds bring every instrument to life - Available in 10 languages (Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Traditional Chinese, Arabic) - Learn with flashcards - Name Quiz: identify instruments from illustrations - Sound Quiz: listen to sounds and guess the instrument — a unique new quiz mode! - Track progress with the collection feature Start your adventure into the world of music notes! A Learning Report for parents shows your child's favourites, the kinds of things they are drawn to, and a record of the last two weeks. It stays on the device and is never sent anywhere. One app, ten languages (Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Arabic). Switch with one tap from the home screen — perfect for bilingual families, heritage language learners, and travel. Premium unlocks the full collection and adds auto read-aloud, which turns the cards and speaks each name hands-free — handy in the car or at bedtime. Ages 5 & Under. No data collected. No ads. No third-party SDKs. Parental Gate (multiplication challenge) protects external links.

Screenshots

SightRead4 screens
Music Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SightRead at none against Music Notes's 1. Music Notes's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. Music Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SightRead asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SightRead ships an update every 3 weeks, Music Notes weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
SightRead versus Music Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSightReadMusic Notes
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRuben ReutSami Kuribara

In-app purchases

None

SightRead

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Music Notes

One-time1
  • Premium - 100 Music Notes$3.99

Questions

Is SightRead free?
SightRead is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Music Notes free?
Music Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do SightRead or Music Notes have ads?
Neither SightRead nor Music Notes shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SightRead or Music Notes?
SightRead ships an update every 3 weeks, and Music Notes weekly. Most recently, SightRead was updated on October 31, 2026 and Music Notes on November 1, 2026.

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