# Note Trainer Lite vs Complete Music Reading Trainer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Note Trainer Lite at none against Complete Music Reading Trainer's 3. Note Trainer Lite also leads on ratings volume (899 vs 65) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 17.5). Complete Music Reading Trainer's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, rating, review sentiment and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Complete Music Reading Trainer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Note Trainer Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Note Trainer Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Note Trainer Lite has 899 ratings behind it against 65, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 78% and 78% positive.

Note Trainer Lite ships an update every 3 months, Complete Music Reading Trainer every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 16, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Note Trainer Lite | Complete Music Reading Trainer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (899 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-trainer-lite/id731587156/reviews)** | [4.4 (65 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-music-reading-trainer/id1550798715/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **899** | 65 |
| Positive reviews | 78.0% of reviews | **78.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 33 MB | 75 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.1** | 17.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [thoor software AB](https://appshunter.io/developer/698240746) | [Binary Guilt](https://appshunter.io/developer/1012455470) |

## What reviewers say

### Note Trainer Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/note-trainer-lite/id731587156)

This app helps users improve their music reading skills with various exercises for notes and chords. It tracks progress and indicates readiness for new lessons, supporting multiple notation systems and input methods.

**Highlights:** Note and chord reading exercises, Progress tracking and statistics, Multiple notation systems supported, Singing or instrument input, MIDI device input, Time challenge mode

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and interactive interface
- 🚀 Quick learning curve for note recognition
- 🎯 Effective for sight-reading improvement
- 💰 Robust free version with many features
- 🎧 USB adapter support for silent practice

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Audio stops working after running in background
- ❌ Limited exercise variety for mixed staff positions
- ⚠️ Microphone input can be slow and tedious
- 📊 Lacks scale training exercises

**Reported bugs**

- Sound stops playing after app runs in background (iPadOS 18.3.2)
- Microphone note detection is inconsistent and slow

**Requested features**

- Add scale training exercises
- Option to filter by treble clef only
- Option to filter by bass clef only
- Exercises combining notes on lines and spaces simultaneously
- Clef-specific practice modes


### Complete Music Reading Trainer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/complete-music-reading-trainer/id1550798715)

Master sheet music reading and sight-reading skills with this gamified music trainer. It offers progressive drills for all seven clefs, customizable practice, and multiple input methods. Learn at your own pace, track progress, and improve your musical literacy.

**Highlights:** 270 progressive drills for all seven clefs, Instrument-specific learning paths, Practice key signatures and mixed clefs, Arcade mode and custom drills, Multiple note input methods (MIDI, microphone), Gamified progression with star scoring, Cloud sync and leaderboards

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $0.99 | per month |
| Cloud Sync and Web access | $9.99 | per year |
| Full Version | $5.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Note Trainer Lite free?

Note Trainer Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Complete Music Reading Trainer free?

Complete Music Reading Trainer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Note Trainer Lite or Complete Music Reading Trainer?

Note Trainer Lite is rated higher. Note Trainer Lite averages 4.6 out of 5 from 899 ratings, while Complete Music Reading Trainer averages 4.4 from 65 ratings.

### Do Note Trainer Lite or Complete Music Reading Trainer have ads?

Neither Note Trainer Lite nor Complete Music Reading Trainer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Note Trainer Lite or Complete Music Reading Trainer?

Note Trainer Lite ships an update every 3 months, and Complete Music Reading Trainer every 2 weeks. Most recently, Note Trainer Lite was updated on October 16, 2026 and Complete Music Reading Trainer on October 16, 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.*