NoteHound vs NotePulse
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
NoteHound
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NoteHound is the music practice app for musicians who learn by ear. Slow any song to 0.1Ć without dropping the key. Loop the trickiest bar with sample-accurate A-B markers and a count-in click. Transcribe what you hear onto a piano roll, a 4-to-8-string guitar tab, or a live fretboard. Export to MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, or a ZIP bundle for your teacher. No subscription. No account. Your audio and your transcriptions stay on your device. FEATURES SLOW DOWN MUSIC ⢠0.1Ć to 3.0Ć variable speed ⢠Pitch-preserving time-stretch ā the key never changes, even at the extremes ⢠Speed ramp: automatically walk a loop from slow to performance tempo over n repetitions ⢠Tap tempo and BPM detection ⢠Tempo-map aware ā handles songs that change tempo A-B LOOPING & PRACTICE TOOLS ⢠Sample-accurate loop boundaries on the waveform ⢠Count-in beats and pre-roll bar so you join the loop on the downbeat ⢠Per-loop speed settings ⢠Named sections (verse / chorus / solo / bridge) painted onto the waveform ⢠Audio notes ā pin a voice memo anywhere on the waveform (a fingering cue, a practice reminder, a note from a teacher) and the recording auto-plays when the playhead reaches that point ⢠Practice tracking with mastery stages: learning ā practising ā up-to-speed ā mastered ⢠Per-loop attempt history with max-speed-reached PIANO ROLL EDITOR ⢠Tap notes onto a quantised grid; drag, multi-select, group, draw ⢠Audio sync ā your transcription follows the recording bar by bar ⢠Independent display transpose so you can read in any key ⢠Plays through nine built-in synth voices LIVE FRETBOARD VIEW ⢠Tap a note, see exactly where it lives on the neck ⢠Multi-string highlighting for chord shapes ⢠Adapts automatically to the project's tuning (standard, drop D, drop C, DADGAD, baritone, 7- and 8-string) ⢠Full-fingerboard or focused-range display ⢠Pairs with the tab editor ā every note tapped on the tab lights up on the fretboard, and vice versa GUITAR TAB EDITOR ⢠4 to 8 strings, any tuning ⢠25+ articulations: bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, palm mutes, ghost notes, dead notes, vibrato, trills, grace notes, tied notes, let-ring ⢠Automatic fret-position suggestions based on the previous and next notes ⢠Audio sync with the recording so the tab cursor tracks playback ⢠Works for guitar, bass, baritone guitar, 7- and 8-string electric, ukulele 9-INSTRUMENT MULTI-TOUCH KEYBOARD ⢠Acoustic piano, electric piano, Rhodes, organ, synth pad, strings, bass, guitar, vibraphone ⢠Velocity-sensitive on supported devices ⢠Doubles as a real-time MIDI-input target MIDI ⢠Class-compliant USB and Bluetooth MIDI controllers ā plug in, no drivers, no setup ⢠Learn-mode mapping for any control to any parameter (foot pedal ā play/pause, knob ā speed, pad ā loop toggle) ⢠Real-time note input straight to the piano roll ⢠MIDI file import preserves notes, tempo map, and section markers EXPORT ⢠MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, .tab, or a ZIP bundle of all of them ⢠Hand a transcription to any DAW or notation app: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore, Finale, Guitar Pro FREE vs PRO Free includes two starter projects, basic A-B looping, the on-screen keyboard, and the 0.25Ć to 1.5Ć speed range. NoteHound Pro is a one-time $4.99 unlock ā no subscription, restore on every device with the same Apple ID. Pro adds: ⢠Unlimited projects ⢠Full 0.1Ć to 3.0Ć speed range ⢠Piano roll editor ⢠Guitar tab editor + live fretboard view ⢠MIDI input and MIDI file import ⢠Every export format ⢠Speed ramp, named sections, audio notes per section DESIGNED FOR Self-taught guitarists, pianists, and bassists. Music students. Music teachers preparing materials. Producers reverse-engineering a sample. Drummers learning fills. Anyone who learns songs by ear. Requires iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 or later. No account needed.
NotePulse
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NotePulse transforms MIDI files into an interactive visual learning experience, helping you connect the music you hear with piano keys and traditional musical notation. Watch notes approach a full 88-key piano keyboard in the synchronized Notes view, or switch to the Live Grand Staff to follow the performance as written music. Keyboard and Score modes help you understand where each note belongs on both the staff and the instrument. Features include: ⢠Synchronized MIDI playback, animated notes, piano keyboard, and grand staff ⢠Live Grand Staff with Keyboard and Score viewing modes ⢠Multi-track playback using SoundFont instruments ⢠General MIDI instrument playback and per-track instrument selection ⢠Adjustable playback speed for focused practice ⢠AāB looping for repeating difficult sections ⢠Track controls for mute, solo, volume, pan, transpose, color, and instrument selection ⢠Left- and right-hand guidance ⢠Score quantization and adjustable staff presentation ⢠Support for user-selected MIDI and compatible SoundFont files ⢠Online MIDI catalog with downloadable songs for offline use ⢠Downloadable NotePulse Sound Library ⢠Session import and export ⢠Adaptive layouts for iPhone and iPad ⢠Built-in starter music for getting started immediately NotePulse is designed for musicians, students, educators, and anyone interested in exploring how MIDI performances translate into piano movement and traditional musical notation. Import your own MIDI files through the Files app, explore downloadable music from the NotePulse catalog, or use the included starter collection. NotePulse remembers your practice settings, track configuration, visualization preferences, instrument selections, loops, and playback position for individual MIDI files. Your imported MIDI, SoundFont, and session files are processed locally on your device. Online catalog content and the NotePulse Sound Library are downloaded only when needed. No account is required. See the Music. Feel the Pulse.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: NoteHound at Free against NotePulse's $0.99. NotePulse's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
NoteHound is free to download; NotePulse costs $0.99 up front. NoteHound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. NotePulse asks for nothing beyond the download.
NoteHound ships an update every 9 days, NotePulse every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NoteHound | NotePulse |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free ā better | $0.99 |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days ā better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No ā better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francesco Farruggia | Noorcon Inc. |
In-app purchases
NoteHound
- NoteHound Pro$9.99
NotePulse
No in-app purchases









