Short answer
If you want to pay once, the choice is small: Singbud ($39 once), SingTrue ($7.99 all access), and lifetime tiers on Vocaberry and Perfect Pitch. (Erol Singer's Studio's full lessons need a subscription.) If what you mainly want is to sing licensed pop songs in your key, Simply Sing is still very good at that, and none of these replaces its song library.
What Simply Sing does well
Simply Sing, from Simply (the company behind Simply Piano), is the biggest beginner singing app. It's song-first: it checks your voice, moves songs into your range, and scores your pitch and timing as you sing, starting with easy songs and unlocking harder ones (App Store). Reviewers praise how songs in their own key build confidence.
It's also popular. On the US App Store it had a 4.7 star rating from about 455,000 ratings in October 2026 (App Store). If you'd rather sing real songs than do exercises, it's a strong choice, and we'd rather say so than pretend otherwise.
Why people look for an alternative
Mostly, the price model. Simply Sing is a subscription:
- About $14.99 a month or $59.99 a year, with a premium tier at $19.99 a month or $89.99 a year (American Songwriter).
- Simply's help centre says a 7-day free trial is offered on the yearly plan only (Simply help centre).
Reviews reflect this. We read the 150 most recent US App Store reviews in October 2026. 86 were one or two stars, and 72 of those 86 mentioned paying or price (App Store reviews). Some reviewers also didn't like that the voice-type result changed between tests.
None of that makes Simply Sing a bad app. It means that if you want to try singing without a monthly bill, it's worth knowing what else exists.
Singing apps you can pay for once
Every major singing app we looked at sells a subscription, credits or a trial that turns into a yearly plan. These are the exceptions we found, with US prices from store listings and the linked sources in October 2026.
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
| App | How you pay | Price (US) | Best for | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singbud | One payment | $39 once | Adults who think they can't sing, with a plan for their own goal | New, so no ratings yet. Public-domain and original songs only. Free in the app: the voice check, the first 3 days with everything open, and, always, sing-along with any song, the pitch mirror, Sky Song and a few songs and exercises. |
| Erol Singer's Studio | Free beginner lessons, then in-app purchases including "permanent licenses" | Beginner levels free; the complete set of lessons needs a subscription. Licences $2.99 and $24.99; other purchases $1.99 to $49.99 (App Store) | Committed students who like structured exercises | Rated 4.8 stars from about 3,400 ratings. Some reviewers found it fast for nervous beginners. Check what each licence unlocks. |
| SingTrue | One-time all access, plus optional "lives" packs | $7.99 all access; lives $0.99 to $2.99 (App Store) | Pitch-matching drills for beginners | iPhone only. Last updated in 2016. Some reviewers dislike paying for lives after buying full access. |
| Vocaberry | Subscription or lifetime | Lifetime $23.99 or $99.99 (App Store) | Song-based lessons | Very few US ratings so far. |
| Perfect Pitch | Pro plans or lifetime | Lifetime $99.99 (Time to Sing) | Pitch practice | Little else published about it. |
Prices and ratings change. Check the store listing before you buy.
If a subscription is fine but you want it cheaper, yearly prices vary a lot between apps: Tonelo, for example, lists $39.99 a year (App Store).
What two years costs
Subscriptions add up quietly. Here's a simple comparison using the yearly prices above, assuming the price stays the same when it renews.
How Singbud is different, and where it isn't
Singbud is a new app for adults who are fairly sure they can't sing. Here's what's different:
- You pay once. $39, no subscription, nothing to cancel.
- It starts with your voice, not a quiz. A short welcome check measures matching, steadiness, your comfortable notes and following a tune. Then it shows what you believe about your singing next to what your voice actually did.
- Your plan follows your goal. Sing in tune, sing a song you love, sing to your kids, feel confident in front of people. If you have a date coming up, like a karaoke night or a birthday, you can add it and the plan counts down to it. That's optional.
- Your comfortable notes, not a label. Singbud shows the notes your voice reaches easily, like "D3 to A4", instead of telling you you're a baritone one day and a tenor the next.
- Private. All audio is processed on your phone and never leaves it.
- Bud. A small, patient hummingbird coach who explains each step.
And where Simply Sing is ahead:
- Songs. Singbud has no licensed pop catalogue. It uses public-domain songs, like Happy Birthday, and songs written for Singbud.
- Track record. Simply Sing has hundreds of thousands of ratings. Singbud is new.
Try before you decide
The free web pitch test gives you a taste of how Singbud listens.
Which one should you pick?
- You mostly want to sing current pop songs: Simply Sing, if the subscription works for you.
- You're a committed student who likes drills: Erol Singer's Studio.
- You think you can't sing, and want to start privately with a plan for something you care about: Singbud.
- You only want a cheap pitch drill on iPhone: SingTrue, knowing it hasn't been updated in years.
Not sure where you're starting from? Take the free pitch test, then read what your result means. If you suspect you're tone deaf, read this first. It's probably not what you think.
For a wider comparison, the best singing apps for beginners looks at 11 apps side by side, and are singing lessons worth it? compares apps with a teacher, including costs.
Questions
Is there a singing app with no subscription?
Yes, a few. Singbud is $39 once. SingTrue has a $7.99 all-access purchase, plus optional lives packs. Vocaberry and Perfect Pitch offer lifetime tiers. Check each store listing for what a one-time purchase includes.
Is Singbud a subscription?
No. Singbud costs $39 once. There's no subscription and nothing renews. The pitch test on the Singbud website is free.
Can I sing pop songs in Singbud like in Simply Sing?
Not at launch. Singbud uses public-domain songs, like Happy Birthday, and songs written for Singbud, all moved into your comfortable notes. If singing licensed pop hits is the main thing you want, a song-first app like Simply Sing is built for that.
Does Singbud upload my voice?
No. All audio is processed on your phone, and your voice never leaves it.
Sources
- Simply Sing on the US App Store, ratings checked October 2026. apps.apple.com.
- American Songwriter, Simply Sing review (pricing). americansongwriter.com.
- Simply help centre, what you can access for free in Simply Sing. hellosimply.com.
- Simply Sing US App Store reviews, 150 most recent, read October 2026. itunes.apple.com.
- Erol Singer's Studio on the US App Store. apps.apple.com.
- SingTrue on the US App Store. apps.apple.com.
- Vocaberry on the App Store. apps.apple.com.
- Time to Sing, singing apps compared 2026 (Perfect Pitch pricing). time-to-sing.app.
- Tonelo on the App Store. apps.apple.com.
Simply Sing is a trademark of Simply Ltd. Other app names belong to their owners. Singbud is not affiliated with or endorsed by any app named here. Prices and ratings are snapshots from October 2026 and can change. Last reviewed October 2026.