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A program · May 2026

Aubel vs the alternatives.

A genuinely honest comparison of Aubel and the main ear-training apps on iOS in 2026. Each app does at least one thing better than us. We'll point those out.

· · ·
01The field

The table, honestly drawn.

We've used every app on this list ourselves, and the full, partial, and not-present marks below are our own reading after spending real time in each one. Pricing and last-update dates are current as of May 2026 and may well shift over the next few months, so take any specific number with a grain of salt. If you've spent time with one of these and read it differently than we did, we'd genuinely like to hear it.

Feature Aubel Tenuto EarMaster Functional Ear Trainer Perfect Ear
Price model $4.99 once + IAPs $4.99 once Free + subscription Free + $19.99 IAP Free + IAPs
Subscription for full features ● ● ● ● ●
Interval recognition ● ● ● ● ●
Scale identification ● ● ● ● ●
Chord identification ● ● ● ● ●
Sight singing ● ● ● ● ●
Rhythm dictation ● ● ● ● ●
Morning alarm mechanic ● ● ● ● ●
Screen Time integration ● ● ● ● ●
Daily streaks ● ● ● ● ●
Instrument timbres 26 voices 4 voices Many Sine wave Many
Adaptive difficulty ● ● ● ● ●
Last meaningful update 2026 · active 2026 · active 2026 · active 2025 2026 · active
● full  ·  ● partial  ·  ● not present
· · ·
02App-by-app verdict

What each does best.

Five apps worth knowing, with our honest read on each. Pricing and ratings below are current as of May 2026, and the writeups try to say where every app, including ours, is genuinely the right tool and where it isn't.

Aubel

$4.99 once · iOS 15+

For music students who keep meaning to practice.

Best at
Daily-habit formation. The morning alarm and Screen Time gate are uncontested in the category. Modern UI. One-time $4.99, no subscription.
Weak at
No sight-singing module today. No rhythm dictation. iPhone only, no web or Android version.
Pick if
You've downloaded ear-training apps before and never stuck with them, or you're prepping for AP Music Theory or college aural skills placement and need a daily-practice nudge.

Tenuto (musictheory.net)

$4.99 once

For free-tier purists with a study habit.

Best at
Companion to musictheory.net's free web lessons. Comprehensive drills plus sight-singing and rhythm. Long-standing brand trust. $4.99 one-time.
Weak at
Dated UI. No habit mechanic. No notifications beyond launching the app. Built for studying, not daily reinforcement.
Pick if
You're already using musictheory.net for theory lessons and want a matching drill app, or you need sight-singing and rhythm dictation that Aubel doesn't currently offer.

EarMaster

Sub · institutional

For music schools with classroom rollouts.

Best at
The deepest drill library on the market. ABRSM and Royal Conservatory exam alignment. Instructor dashboard for classroom use.
Weak at
Migrating to subscription pricing, which the existing user base has reacted to negatively on their own forum. Educational-software interface. Heavy app, not built for quick daily practice.
Pick if
Your music school requires it, or you specifically need ABRSM or RCM grade alignment.

Functional Ear Trainer

Free + $19.99 unlock

For relative-pitch specialists who want one thing done well.

Best at
Functional relative-pitch interval recognition using the Bruce Arnold method. Highest user rating in the category: 4.9 stars across 3,500+ reviews.
Weak at
Single-focus. No scales, no chords, no sight-singing, no progression. The whole app is one drill done well.
Pick if
You specifically want to drill functional interval recognition and nothing else.

Perfect Ear

Free + IAPs

For cross-platform learners who want it all in one place.

Best at
The broadest feature surface. Intervals, scales, chords, rhythm, sight-reading, all in one. Free with à-la-carte IAPs.
Weak at
Android-first heritage shows on iOS. Less native feel than Tenuto or Aubel. Splits attention across many features without depth.
Pick if
You need cross-platform (Android plus iOS) and want one app that touches everything.
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03Honest summary
"

If you've never installed an ear-training app, install Tenuto or Functional Ear Trainer. Both are excellent.
If you've already tried one and found yourself not opening it, that's the problem Aubel solves.

The drills aren't different. The mechanism is.

Get Aubel on the App Store →

$4.99 once · No subscription