Comparison

StringMaster Jam vs Music Reader

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

Head to head
About

StringMaster Jam

Features
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Introducing StringMaster Jam, part of the StringMaster family of applications that represent the pinnacle of advanced music applications for iPad and Mac, tailored for musicians ranging from relative beginners to seasoned guitarists. The StringMaster family has five versions catering to diverse needs with StringMaster Jam providing an exceptional platform for interacting with the Fretlight Guitar and Jam/MIDI capability. Unlock a an other world of possibilities with inbuilt support for chord building and detection, chord tones, & scale diagrams, flexible alternate tuning, capo support and more. Explore the robust capabilities of StringMaster Jam: * Play and discover chords and fingering with natural tones. * Visualize chord notes, suggested fingering, and Chord Tones. * Leverage StringMaster's chord-naming algorithms based on finger positions. * Output MIDI from played notes and play along with MIDI files or tracks from the built-in library. Experience the next level of musical exploration and education with StringMaster Jam – where versatility meets excellence. Join the global community of musicians who have made StringMaster their go-to app for musical innovation. Download StringMaster Jam now and elevate your musical journey to new heights! Note: Fretlight Ready™ designates that an app can send its data over Bluetooth to a Fretlight® guitar and light its fretboard. To learn more about Fretlight guitars go to www.fretlight.com This Application is developed and maintained by Great Apptitude, an independent app developer for use with the Fretlight Guitar. Optek Music Systems, the owner of the Fretlight Guitar brand, accepts no responsibility for the development, maintenance or support for this Application.

About

Music Reader

This app is a comprehensive tool for sheet music. It allows users to view, learn, listen, mark, and play musical scores. It supports various music genres and instruments, acting as a portable songbook and powerful player.

Highlights
  • View and play sheet music
  • Mark and annotate scores
  • Import MusicXML and NotationPad files
  • Supports dark mode
  • Transposition (PRO)
  • Change instrument parts (PRO)
Features
Read full description

Music Reader provides all you need about sheet music. You could view, learn, listen, mark and play music notes and notations as you want. it is your portable songbook and a powerful sheet music reader & player. A easy-to-use painting system for you to draw any marks on sheets. From classic to popular, from rock to country, from piano to symphony, all kinds of music played well in Music Reader. *Compatible with dark mode *Supports importing MusicXML(.xml) and NotationPad(.ecz) file PRO ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - No Ads - Transposition - Change instrument for parts - Support layers for painting marks - The subscription price is $4.99/monthly, $14.99/yearly - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/sheetmusicplus/terms_service.html

Screenshots

Music Reader4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Music Reader at Free against StringMaster Jam's $8.99. Music Reader also leads on update cadence (every 4 months vs every 8 months) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 13.0). StringMaster Jam's advantage is ads (none vs shown). On in-app purchases 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

Music Reader is free to download; StringMaster Jam costs $8.99 up front. StringMaster Jam sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Music Reader sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

StringMaster Jam ships an update every 8 months, Music Reader every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
StringMaster Jam versus Music Reader: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStringMaster JamMusic Reader
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating—4.5 (188 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—52.1% of reviews
Number of ratings—188 — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPad, MaciPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size169 MB183 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGreat Apptitude Pty Ltd嵩 张

In-app purchases

3 purchases

StringMaster Jam

One-time3
  • Enable All Instruments$3.99
  • Metronome And Tuner$3.99
  • StringMaster Pro Upgrade$8.99
3 purchases

Music Reader

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Access$2.991 Month
  • Pro Access7 Days trial$14.991 Year
  • Pro Access$14.991 Year

Questions

Is StringMaster Jam free?
StringMaster Jam costs $8.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Music Reader free?
Music Reader is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do StringMaster Jam or Music Reader have ads?
Music Reader shows ads; StringMaster Jam does not.
Which is updated more often, StringMaster Jam or Music Reader?
StringMaster Jam ships an update every 8 months, and Music Reader every 4 months. Most recently, StringMaster Jam was updated on October 2, 2026 and Music Reader on October 11, 2026.

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