Review · Learning
Perfect Ear review
A free ear training app with hundreds of drills, guided courses, rhythm practice and a custom exercise editor.
By the HearSmart research desk · Updated November 8, 2026
- Performance (40%)
- 8.4
- Ease of use (25%)
- 8.7
- Value (35%)
- 9.0
Perfect Ear packs a lot into a free download. Its drills cover interval comparison and recognition, chord recognition with inversions and progressions, scales, melodic dictation, rhythm reading and imitation, sight reading, and absolute pitch and note singing, so it trains more than pitch alone. Guided courses run from beginner to advanced, and a daily practice dashboard helps you keep a routine. The standout for intermediate players is the custom exercise editor: you can define your own chords, scales and rhythmic figures, set ranges and directions, and drill only what you keep getting wrong. Guitarists also get a Fretboard Trainer with custom tunings. Upgrades are in-app purchases, with a Full Exercise Pack at $4.99, Premium at $14.99 and individual packs from $0.99, which keeps costs low but makes the full price harder to see at a glance. It lacks formal exam courses, so students preparing for graded aural tests may prefer EarMaster.
Who it is for
Self-taught musicians who want a free app with deep custom drills for intervals, chords and scales.
Price
Free app; Full Exercise Pack $4.99 and Perfect Ear Premium $14.99 as in-app purchases, single packs from $0.99.
Full Exercise Pack $4.99
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 8, 2026.
Key features
- Interval comparison and recognition, chord recognition, inversions and progressions
- Rhythm reading, writing and imitation exercises
- Melodic dictation, sight reading and absolute pitch drills
- Custom exercise editor for your own chords, scales and rhythms
- Fretboard Trainer with custom fretboards and tunings
Strengths and weaknesses
- Strength: Large free tier with guided courses
- Strength: Custom editor lets you drill exactly the intervals or chords you miss
- Strength: Covers rhythm and singing, not only pitch
- Weakness: Many small in-app packs make the full price less obvious
- Weakness: Requires iOS 17 or later on iPhone
- Weakness: No formal exam courses like EarMaster's
Key facts
- Developer: Crazy Ootka Software AB
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Custom drills: Yes, with a custom exercise editor
- Extras: Fretboard Trainer, sight reading, singing drills
- Requires: iOS 17.0 or later on iPhone
Where it ranks
Perfect Ear is No. 2 in our Best Ear Training Apps verdict.
Alternatives we scored
Visit apps.apple.com · Questions or corrections: editorial@hearsmart.org