Comparison

Music Buddy Lite vs Ear training

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

Head to head
About

Music Buddy Lite

Master music theory with this app. Learn to quickly recognize notes, key signatures, and intervals using flashcards and repetition. Supports multiple international note-naming systems and features a clean interface with progress tracking.

Highlights
  • Note recognition
  • Key signature memorization
  • Interval training
  • Multiple note-naming systems
  • Progress tracking
  • Sheet music practice
Features
Read full description

Music Buddy – learn and memorize notes, key signatures (circle of fifths), and intervals, practice sight reading sheet music using flash cards principle. Read sheet music quickly and effortlessly like a pro. Learn to recognize notes, key signatures, and intervals in the blink of an eye. Three independent learning modules in one app. Set aside five minutes a day for this app and you'll be reading sheet music like a professional musician in no time. The app uses an ingenious approach to memorizing information through repetition and visual patterns with a focus on hard-to-remember pieces of information. The simple, elegant, and intuitive interface allows you to switch between different note-naming systems used in major countries around the world: • C D E F G A B (major + minor, 大调 + 小调, 大調 + 小調) • C D E F G A H (dur + moll) • Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si (mayor + menor, maior + menor, majeur + mineur, maggiore + minore) • Дo Рe Ми Фа Coль Ля Си (мажор + минор) • ハ ニ ホ ヘ ト イ ロ (長調 + 短調) • 도 레 미 파 솔 라 시 (장조 + 단조) The learning experience starts by tapping the big frame with a graphical representation of selected options on the main screen of each module. A neat interface will efficiently teach you your coveted knowledge – after each session you will see a significant improvement. And you can follow your achievements on the Results screen, where everything is summarized in a beautiful chart. Every module has its own options that are accessible by tapping the Options button in the top right corner of the main screen of the module. On the following screen you can then choose options to your liking. Notes module: This module will teach you to quickly recognize notes without thinking about it – you’ll look at them and you’ll simply know them. Key Signatures module: This module will help you memorize the circle of fifths – a must for every musician. You will learn to recognize keys based on the number of sharps or flats in a key signature at the beginning of a staff. Intervals module: This module is especially helpful for pianists. Skilled pianists don't need to identify every note in a sheet. They recognize patterns based on the distance between notes (intervals) and automatically stretch their fingers accordingly. Each module keeps its own history of your results, accessible using a dedicated History button, and also contains a Music Theory section accessible via the button with the same name. All exercises are accompanied by beautifully recorded sounds of a real acoustic grand piano. The sounds can be muted or unmuted for each module independently using a button below the staff on the Exercise screen or in the options of the particular module. The volume can be set globally for the whole app in Settings, or you can use the device hardware buttons. Good luck on your journey toward becoming a great musician!

About

Ear training

Develop perfect pitch and recognize notes, chords, and melodies by ear. This app offers a series of exercises to train your aural skills, with explanations and hints to help you learn at your own pace. Improve your ability to play along with songs or guess melodies.

Highlights
  • Develop perfect pitch
  • Recognize notes and chords
  • Identify intervals and chord progressions
  • Learn major and minor scales
  • Instrument-specific practice
  • Hint function
Features
Read full description

Would you like to be able to guess melodies by hearing them or be able to play accompaniment to your favorite songs on the guitar or piano? Ear training is the perfect app for you! This app will help you develop perfect pitch, and train your ear to recognize notes and chords in any key. The app consists of a series of exercises, which will gradually introduce you to all the notes and chords in the major and minor scales. You can also practice identifying intervals and chord progressions. Each exercise is accompanied by a clear and concise explanation, so you can understand the theory behind it. And if you get stuck, the app includes a handy hint function. The exercises are tailored to help you improve your aural skills, so you can develop at your own pace. You can also choose to practice in a particular key, or with a particular instrument. So why wait? Start training your ear today!

Screenshots

Music Buddy Lite4 screens
Ear training4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ear training at Free against Music Buddy Lite's $0.99. Ear training also leads on ratings volume (248 vs 23) and update cadence (every 8 months vs every 19 months). Music Buddy Lite's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (64% vs 33%). On rating, in-app purchases, 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

Ear training is free to download; Music Buddy Lite costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Music Buddy Lite against 4.5 for Ear training. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ear training has 248 ratings behind it against 23, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 64% of Music Buddy Lite's written reviews are positive against 33% of Ear training's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Music Buddy Lite ships an update every 19 months, Ear training every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Music Buddy Lite versus Ear training: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMusic Buddy LiteEar training
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (23 ratings)4.5 (248 ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.1% of reviews — better32.6% of reviews
Number of ratings23248 — better
Update frequencyEvery 19 monthsEvery 8 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVladimir VasekAlexey Ovod

Customer experience

Music Buddy Lite

All ratings23 ratings
Positive87.0%
Neutral4.3%
Negative8.7%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive64.1%
Neutral12.8%
Negative23.1%

Ear training

All ratings245 ratings
Positive86.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative7.3%
Written reviews129 reviews
Positive32.6%
Neutral14.7%
Negative52.7%

In-app purchases

None

Music Buddy Lite

No in-app purchases

None

Ear training

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Music Buddy Lite free?
Music Buddy Lite costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ear training free?
Ear training is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Music Buddy Lite or Ear training?
Ear training is rated higher. Music Buddy Lite averages 4.4 out of 5 from 23 ratings, while Ear training averages 4.5 from 248 ratings.
Do Music Buddy Lite or Ear training have ads?
Ear training shows ads; Music Buddy Lite does not.
Which is updated more often, Music Buddy Lite or Ear training?
Music Buddy Lite ships an update every 19 months, and Ear training every 8 months. Most recently, Music Buddy Lite was updated on October 26, 2026 and Ear training on October 27, 2026.

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