Comparison

Hooktheory I vs HOUSE

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

Head to head
About

Hooktheory I

Learn to craft melodies and chord progressions like a pro with interactive lessons and audiovisual examples from popular songs. This app provides an intuitive understanding of music theory, with practical exercises and a companion sketchpad for immediate practice.

Highlights
  • Learn chord progressions
  • Compose melodies
  • Audiovisual examples
  • Interactive exercises
  • Song dissection
  • Music theory concepts
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Embark on a musical journey! Follow the Hooktheory Book Series in a smart, fun, skill-building journey. Learn how to craft melodies and chord progressions like professional musicians, and discover an intuitive and deep understanding of how music works. Validated by over 30,000 hobby and pro musicians like you, the Hooktheory Book Series is the best-selling how-to series for musicians around the world for a reason. Hooktheory I isn’t like other music theory books. Hooktheory teaches with an easy-to-understand music format that emphasizes chord and melody function. Rich audiovisual animations play along as you learn. We dissect popular songs and show you how the pros do it. Immediately practice concepts and tactics with our companion musical sketchpad, Hookpad. There is nothing else like it! Fun to read. Easy to understand. Full of practical knowledge. Learn from 41 interactive exercises and 88 audiovisual examples from artists like The Beatles, Journey, Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Adele, Coldplay, Billy Joel, Lady Gaga, Elton John, Maroon 5, and more! In Hooktheory I, you’ll learn the following skills: • Composing music based on a scale. • Understanding the six basic chords that underlie all great chord progressions. • Writing chord progressions based on function (understanding which chords go together and which ones don’t) • Making melodies “chord aware” - learn why certain melodies sound good with a chord progression and why others don't • Controlling the natural tension and release in melodies over a chord progression Benefits: • Simple piano roll notation (sheet music knowledge not required) • Every concept + technique demonstrated through an actual song • 88 audiovisual examples from artists like The Beatles, Journey, and Taylor Swift • Reinforce learning at every step with 41 exercises • Designed to be used with Hookpad Music Making Software. Hookpad lets you practice every concept and tactic you learn in the books immediately To sum it up, Hooktheory I will teach you the essential basic techniques for crafting effective and compelling chord progressions and melodies.   Reading Hooktheory I doesn’t require any previous music knowledge or the ability to read sheet music. On average, it takes about five hours to read so it isn't a huge time commitment. Dedicate only a few hours to reading this book and gain a lifetime of skills that will give your music that professional edge.

About

HOUSE

This app recreates the sound of a famous vintage electric piano, meticulously sampled and edited by award-winning producers. It offers studio-quality sound on your mobile device for songwriting, performance, and production.

Highlights
  • Vintage electric piano emulation
  • Studio-quality sound
  • Easy-to-use controls
  • 4 Velocity Layers
  • MIDI keyboard and pedal support
  • iOS AUv3 Plug-in
Features
Read full description

Created by two award-winning producers, HOUSE: MARK I was custom made exclusively for your iPhone & iPad. Perfect for the studio, songwriting, and performance. “Really kind of blowing me away... It sounds so freaking great” – Justin Gilbert (Justin Timberlake, Alicia Keys, Eminem) “This is killer... Really phenomenal.” – Tracyan Martin (Janelle Monae, Musiq Soulchild, Fantasia) A famous vintage electric piano was recorded and lovingly hand edited by award-winning producers. The tines. The noise. The feel. The vibe. It’s all here. Handmade by Henny Tha Bizness (Platinum-selling Producer, Jay-Z, Drake, more) and Kennard Garrett (Award-winning Producer/Songwriter, Sting, Shaggy, more), HOUSE: MARK I has already been endorsed and used by professional musicians and hit-making engineers. FEATURES: • Easy-to-use controls. Only the knobs you need. • Pro Sound quality. It’s all about the Vibe. • 4 Velocity Layers, meticulously hand edited and under 150mb • Studio quality sound – on the go. Create wherever you are. • Feels "Real" with carefully sampled key noise and air PLUS: • Use a MIDI keyboard & pedal to play • Standalone app, plus iOS AUv3 Plug-in • Universal: For one low price you get both the iPhone & iPad versions WEBSITE: audiokitpro.com/house “We really love the heck out of this thing! Hopefully you will as well” – Henny tha Bizness WATCH VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CKZEEYBUtU "This thing sounds amazing. Velocities are inspiring. Fun and vintage!" – The AudioDabbler, iOS YouTuber “It sounds beautiful! Feels great” – Daniela Rivera (Kylie Minogue, Coldplay, Selena Gomez) “HOUSE: MARK I is an app we play EVERYDAY on the records we create” – Westview Drive, producer team for Sting, Jay-Z, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, 50 Cent, Black Eyed Peas, J. Cole, Young Jeezy, R. Kelly, Brandy, Ice Cube, Wiz Khalifa, Rick Ross, and many others. OPEN-SOURCE CODE: Learn how to make your own app! Completely free template to make your own sample-based iOS instrument and iPad AUv3 plug-in, available on Github: https://github.com/AudioKit/AUv3-Example-App REQUIREMENTS: iPhone 6s and above screen size. Requires iOS 11 and above. Will not work with 1st generation SE phones. YOUR SOUND ON THE GO: "This app is definitely something that I will be using a lot more on my gigs. If your laptop crashes the day before a gig, you can use your phone” – Tracyan Martin (Janelle Monae, Musiq Soulchild, Fantasia) SPECIAL THANKS: Morehouse College, AudioKit Team, Jeff Cooper, Matthew Fecher, Aure Prochazka, Jordan Rudess, Daniel Kuntz for the app icon, Brandon Rico, Marcus Manderson, Justin Gilbert, Jamie Portier, Tracyan Martin, Daniella Riviera * All organizations or artists listed in the materials are quotes (or for reference purposes). Unless otherwise stated, there is no official relationship with any company, artist, or organization listed here.

Screenshots

Hooktheory I4 screens
HOUSE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: HOUSE at $3.99 against Hooktheory I's $14.99. HOUSE also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). Hooktheory I's advantage is chart position (#95 vs unranked). On ads and device support 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

Hooktheory I costs $14.99 and HOUSE $3.99 up front. Hooktheory I sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. HOUSE asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

HOUSE holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: HOUSE has 1.1K ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Hooktheory I's written reviews are positive against 88% of HOUSE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hooktheory I ships an update every 3 months, HOUSE every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
Hooktheory I versus HOUSE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHooktheory IHOUSE
Price$14.99$3.99 — better
Rating4.1 (11 ratings)4.9 (1.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews64.3% of reviews87.9% of reviews — better
Number of ratings111.1K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#95 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size140 MB169 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHooktheory LLCAudioKit Pro

Customer experience

Hooktheory I

All ratings11 ratings
Positive81.8%
Neutral0.0%
Negative18.2%
Written reviews84 reviews
Positive64.3%
Neutral8.3%
Negative27.4%

HOUSE

All ratings1,076 ratings
Positive98.3%
Neutral0.8%
Negative0.8%
Written reviews99 reviews
Positive87.9%
Neutral3.0%
Negative9.1%

Bugs and requests

Hooktheory I

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

HOUSE

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Midi data not recorded in some DAWs
  • Housemark track missing from exported mixes

Requested features

4 requests
  • Expanded preset library
  • Improved velocity sensitivity
  • Ableton Link support
  • Better integration with iOS DAWs

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Hooktheory I

One-time1
  • Full Version$14.99
None

HOUSE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hooktheory I free?
Hooktheory I costs $14.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is HOUSE free?
HOUSE costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hooktheory I or HOUSE?
HOUSE is rated higher. Hooktheory I averages 4.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while HOUSE averages 4.9 from 1.1K ratings.
Do Hooktheory I or HOUSE have ads?
Neither Hooktheory I nor HOUSE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hooktheory I or HOUSE?
Hooktheory I ships an update every 3 months, and HOUSE every 4 days. Most recently, Hooktheory I was updated on October 26, 2026 and HOUSE on October 25, 2026.

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