# Show|Ready vs Pocket Bard

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pocket Bard at 86% against Show|Ready's 26%. Pocket Bard also leads on rating (4.8 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 4 weeks vs every 4 months). Show|Ready's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Pocket Bard sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Show|Ready asks for nothing beyond the download.

Pocket Bard holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Pocket Bard has 1.8K ratings behind it against 84, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 26% of Show|Ready's written reviews are positive against 86% of Pocket Bard's.

Show|Ready ships an update every 4 months, Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Show|Ready | Pocket Bard |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.7 (84 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showready/id686687677/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 84 | **1.8K** |
| Positive reviews | 26.4% of reviews | **86.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 4 weeks** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#180** |
| Size | 12 MB | 109 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 12+ | 9+ |
| Developer | [Right On Cue Services, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/543773969) | [Pocket Bard Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653203376) |

## What reviewers say

### Show|Ready

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/showready/id686687677)

This app provides essential music rehearsal tools for musical theater productions. It offers playback features on iOS devices and director's editing on iPads. A license from a theatrical publisher is required to use the app.

**Highlights:** Music playback, Director's editing (iPad), iOS compatibility, License integration

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Handy tool for learning parts
- 👍 Useful for theater kids
- 👍 Good for practicing songs
- 👍 Helpful for learning harmonies
- 👍 Can layer voices in/out

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Constantly crashing
- 🐛 Glitchy and buggy
- 🐛 App freezes often
- 🐛 Hard to play transition tracks
- 🐛 Sound stops instead of restarting

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes constantly
- App freezes frequently
- App glitches
- App randomly kicks user out
- Buttons not visible on iPhone screen

**Requested features**

- More musical sounds than synth
- Minute/seconds counter for song length
- Ability to move tab bar to bottom
- Mobile view score
- Ability to make notes on the score


### Pocket Bard

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pocket-bard/id6444221555)

**Currently charting:** #180 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Enhance your tabletop RPG sessions with an immersive audio experience. Instantly change soundscapes to match the mood of your game, dynamically adjusting music and sound effects to perfectly complement your gameplay.

**Highlights:** Immersive audio experience, Dynamic soundscape changes, Match session tone, Alter music intensity, Adjust sound effects

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds | $6.99 | per month |
| Pocket Bard Open Worlds Yearly | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Seamless transitions
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🎨 Great customization options
- 🎶 High-quality music and sound effects
- 💡 Versatile for various use cases (TTRPG, reading, writing, etc.)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Unclear subscription model and pricing
- 🐛 Bugs and crashes for some users
- 🔋 High battery consumption
- 📦 Limited content in free version

**Reported bugs**

- Downloading content causes crashes
- Repeated terms of service pop-ups
- One-shot sound effects not working
- Inconsistent audio quality and balance

**Requested features**

- More sound effects (creature sounds, weather, etc.)
- Ability to import custom music and sounds
- AirPlay support for streaming to speakers
- Offline mode or caching for downloaded content
- Customizable scenes and soundscapes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Show|Ready free?

Show|Ready is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Pocket Bard free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Show|Ready or Pocket Bard?

Pocket Bard is rated higher. Show|Ready averages 2.7 out of 5 from 84 ratings, while Pocket Bard averages 4.8 from 1.8K ratings.

### Do Show|Ready or Pocket Bard have ads?

Neither Show|Ready nor Pocket Bard shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Show|Ready or Pocket Bard?

Show|Ready ships an update every 4 months, and Pocket Bard every 4 weeks. Most recently, Show|Ready was updated on November 6, 2026 and Pocket Bard on November 7, 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.*