eargym turns hearing practice into short games, with quick checks to track your progress. It is well built and updated often. But it runs only on phones, in English, and leans toward games rather than a structured ladder of speech practice. If you want something eargym does not give you — a bigger screen, say, or another language — here are the options worth a look, including SoundSteps, which we make.
eargym does a few things well. It pairs short training games with quick hearing checks, so your progress is easy to see, and both app stores showed fresh updates in late June 2026. It works with any hearing device, or none.
The limits are about where you can use it and what it trains. eargym runs on iPhone and Android only — no iPad app, no web version — so you cannot practice on a bigger screen or a computer. It is English-only. And the training is game-style ear work: spotting sounds, holding focus in noise. If you want a long, structured climb through word pairs, sentences, and stories, that is a different kind of app.
iPhone and Android only — no iPad, no web
English only
Free download; full access about $3.99/month or $39.99/year (US)
Game-style training, not a long speech ladder
SoundSteps is our own app — worth saying up front. Where eargym leans on games, SoundSteps is built as a ladder of speech practice — word pairs, sentences, conversations, and stories — all real recordings, with background noise you can turn up or down on every activity. The difficulty adjusts as you improve.
It runs in any browser, so you can practice on a phone, an iPad, or a computer with nothing to install. There is no sign-up to begin, and the first 7 days include full access with no card. It works with any hearing device or none, in English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, and more.
If the game format is what you like about eargym, Hearoes is the closest match — and it adds an iPad version. It comes from an Australian team and was built with audiologists and speech pathologists at hospitals. Its activities climb from everyday sounds and vowels up to sentences, which makes it a gentle start for newer cochlear implant users.
Hearoes runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android, and both stores were updated in July 2026. The download is free with limited content; full access is $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. Like eargym, it is English-only and has no web version, and its ladder tops out at sentences rather than longer conversations.
WordSuccess comes from Advanced Bionics, but it works with any brand of hearing device, and it is free. You get a large library of recorded words on a long ladder of levels, a placement test that finds your starting point, and a two-person Listening Coach mode for practicing with a partner.
It runs on iPhone, iPad, and Android, so you get the bigger screen eargym lacks. One caution: neither store listing has been updated since mid-2024, so treat it as finished software rather than a growing app. It is English-only.
Start with what you were missing in eargym.
Want a bigger screen or a computer? SoundSteps (web) or WordSuccess (iPad) both fit.
Want structured speech practice, not games? SoundSteps or WordSuccess.
Want another language? SoundSteps covers several; most others are English-only.
Like the game format and want an iPad version? Hearoes.
FAQ
The closest options are SoundSteps, Hearoes, and WordSuccess. SoundSteps — our app — offers structured speech practice in any browser. Hearoes keeps the game format and adds an iPad version. WordSuccess is a free word-practice app that works with any hearing device.
For light daily games and quick hearing checks on your phone, in English, eargym is well made and updated often. It is less suited to structured speech practice, a bigger screen, or another language. For those, look at SoundSteps or WordSuccess.
Yes. eargym has no iPad or web version. SoundSteps — our app — runs in any browser on a phone, iPad, or computer. Hearoes and WordSuccess both have iPad apps.
Yes. WordSuccess from Advanced Bionics is fully free and works with any hearing device. SoundSteps — our app — has a free version that runs in any browser, plus 7 days of full access with no card.
eargym is English-only. SoundSteps — our app — offers practice in English, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian, French, and more. ReDi from MED-EL is free and lists many languages in its store listing.
eargym sells a separate app for implant users, eargym CI Rehab, priced on its own. Hearoes is another game-style option that starts with early listening skills and suits newer implant users. Both work alongside your device.
Related reading
Every listening-practice app compared: price, platforms, devices, languages.
What the UK check-train-track app does well, what it costs, and who it fits.
A fair roundup of listening practice apps by price, features, and fit.
Options for cochlear implant users who want web access, more languages, or practice past sentences.
The apps that are truly free to use, and who each one fits.
SoundSteps
SoundSteps runs in your browser — word pairs, sentences, and stories with background noise you control. The free version starts without a card.
SoundSteps is designed for hearing training and practice. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical condition. Consult a healthcare professional for medical advice.
