# ProperSound vs ShadowStep

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShadowStep at none against ProperSound's 3. ShadowStep also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 weeks). ProperSound's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ProperSound sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. ShadowStep asks for nothing beyond the download.

ProperSound ships an update every 2 weeks, ShadowStep every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ProperSound | ShadowStep |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Every 2 days** |
| Size | 606 MB | 589 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Yonghao Xu](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896473497) | [Nobuaki Kuwabara](https://appshunter.io/developer/1878376731) |

## What reviewers say

### ProperSound

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/propersound/id6774977507)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $8.99 | per month |
| Pro Yearly | $29.99 | per year |
| Pro Family | $49.99 | per year |


### ShadowStep

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shadowstep-speak-english/id6824498175)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ProperSound free?

ProperSound is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is ShadowStep free?

ShadowStep is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do ProperSound or ShadowStep have ads?

ShadowStep shows ads; ProperSound does not.

### Which is updated more often, ProperSound or ShadowStep?

ProperSound ships an update every 2 weeks, and ShadowStep every 2 days. Most recently, ProperSound was updated on November 5, 2026 and ShadowStep on November 6, 2026.

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