# StaffWars vs Kjos IPS

The clearest difference is price: Kjos IPS at Free against StaffWars's $1.99. StaffWars's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 2.8) and review sentiment (74% vs 33%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Kjos IPS is free to download; StaffWars costs $1.99 up front. Kjos IPS sells 48 one-off in-app purchases. StaffWars asks for nothing beyond the download.

StaffWars holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 133 and 129 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 74% of StaffWars's written reviews are positive against 33% of Kjos IPS's.

StaffWars ships an update every 4 months, Kjos IPS every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 17, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | StaffWars | Kjos IPS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.3 (133 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffwars/id810405576/reviews)** | [2.8 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kjos-ips/id982025486/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **133** | 129 |
| Positive reviews | **74.1% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#32** | — |
| Size | 32 MB | 218 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TMI Media, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/810405579) | [Pygraphics, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/909400469) |

## What reviewers say

### StaffWars

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staffwars/id810405576)

**Currently charting:** #32 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

Master musical clefs with this interactive game. Practice note names on the grand staff, treble, alto, and bass clefs. Ideal for musicians of all levels looking to improve their sight-reading skills.

**Highlights:** Learn note names on grand staff, Practice treble clef, Master alto clef, Woodshed bass clef, Interactive musical game

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🎯 Highly effective for learning note reading
- 👨‍🏫 Excellent tool for music teachers and students
- 🎮 Engaging and addictive gameplay mechanics
- ⚡ Increasing difficulty keeps users motivated
- 🎼 Supports multiple clefs (treble, alto, bass, tenor)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Double-click detection issues causing missed points
- ⚠️ Game pace too fast for beginners
- 🎯 Unresponsive tap detection at times
- ❌ Note location accuracy problems reported
- 😤 Frustrating difficulty curve for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Double-click registration causing unintended note selections
- Incorrect note location detection preventing proper learning
- App fails to close properly on iPhone X
- Unresponsive touch input
- Occasional app crashes reported

**Requested features**

- Extended note range for ledger lines (especially for cello and violin)
- Piano keyboard interface instead of letter buttons
- Microphone/instrument input feature for actual note playing
- Note names displayed in note heads
- Slow mode option for beginners


### Kjos IPS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kjos-ips/id982025486)

Enhance music education with interactive practice tools. Access digital sheet music, play-along accompaniments, video lessons, and a recording studio. Ideal for students and teachers to deepen musical understanding and track progress.

**Highlights:** eBook versions of Kjos publications, Teacher Edition access, Play-along accompaniment and recordings, Video lessons, Personal recording studio, Interactive glossaries and flashcards

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

**In-app purchases (48)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Video Practice Guides for TOE - Percussion - Media Only | $3.99 | one-time |
| Excellence in Theory Bk 1 - DB | $5.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Cello Book 1, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Violin Bk 1, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Violin Bk 2, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Trad: Primer A, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: All In One, Level 1A - Digital Book | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: All In One, Level 2A - Digital Book | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Trad: Primer B, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: 3B DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| SB String Bass Bk 1, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: 4B DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: 3A DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Violin Bk 3, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Viola Book 1, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| String Basics Viola Book 3, DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: All In One, Level 1B - Digital Book | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: 2B DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Bastien New Traditions: 4A DB | $8.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Flute Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Clarinet Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Eb Alto Saxophone Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Trumpet-Cornet Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Trombone Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Score Book 1 - Discount Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Bb Tuba Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Clarinet Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Alto Saxophone Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Clarinet - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 2 - Trumpet - DB | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Flute Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Flute - Digital B | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Eb Alto Sax - DB | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Tuba Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Baritone-Euphonium TC Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Baritone-Euphonium BC Book 1 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Trombone - DB | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 2 Clarinet - DB | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Electric Bass Book 2 - Digital Book | $9.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 Trumpet-Cornet - DB | $9.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Trumpet-Cornet Book 2 - Digital Book | $10.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence F Horn Book 1 - Digital Book | $10.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Percussion - DB | $11.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Percussion Book 1 - Digital Book | $12.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Percussion Book 2 - Digital Book | $12.99 | one-time |
| Bastien Piano for Adults Bk 1 | $18.99 | one-time |
| Tradition of Excellence Score Book 1 - Digital Book | $59.99 | one-time |
| SOE Book 1 - Conductor Score | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📚 Digital book access convenient for practice
- 🎵 Audio accompaniment tracks helpful for learning
- 🎤 Recording feature useful for self-assessment
- 🎼 Tuner functionality works well
- 📖 Clean PDF export capability

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezing issues
- 🐛 Audio playback problems and loading failures
- 🐛 Glitchy interface with scrolling issues
- 🐛 Recording function buggy and unreliable
- 💰 Requires paid license codes for books already purchased

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup or during use
- Audio files won't load or play
- Product code already used error preventing activation
- Videos not functioning
- Tuner stops working after initial use

**Requested features**

- Custom tempo/speed controller for audio
- Ability to record without accompaniment track
- Student part only option without fusion accompaniments
- Disable page transition animations
- Microphone recording improvements


## Frequently asked questions

### Is StaffWars free?

StaffWars costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Kjos IPS free?

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

### Which has better reviews, StaffWars or Kjos IPS?

StaffWars is rated higher. StaffWars averages 4.3 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while Kjos IPS averages 2.8 from 129 ratings.

### Do StaffWars or Kjos IPS have ads?

Neither StaffWars nor Kjos IPS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, StaffWars or Kjos IPS?

StaffWars ships an update every 4 months, and Kjos IPS every 2 months. Most recently, StaffWars was updated on October 17, 2026 and Kjos IPS on October 17, 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.*