# Guitar Tuner EM vs Fretcetera

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fretcetera at 92% against Guitar Tuner EM's 40%. Fretcetera also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.5) and ads (none vs shown). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Guitar Tuner EM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Fretcetera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Fretcetera holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 8 and 11 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Guitar Tuner EM's written reviews are positive against 92% of Fretcetera's.

Guitar Tuner EM ships an update every 3 months, Fretcetera every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and June 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guitar Tuner EM | Fretcetera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.5 (8 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-tuner-em-1/id1130498431/reviews) | **[4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretcetera/id1262938497/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 8 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **91.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 16 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [myrApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/954211898) | [Joel Pipher](https://appshunter.io/developer/1262938496) |

## What reviewers say

### Guitar Tuner EM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-tuner-em-1/id1130498431)

This free app helps you tune your guitar perfectly with automatic string detection and various note naming schemes. It offers over 30 alternate tunings and provides chord fingerings for quick reference, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced players.

**Highlights:** Automatic string detection, Multiple note naming schemes, Adjustable tuning parameters, 30+ alternate guitar tunings, Chord fingerings and string tones, Hear tuning sounds

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tuner Premium Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


### Fretcetera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretcetera/id1262938497)

This app helps musicians find chords, scales, and progressions for string instruments in any tuning. It calculates optimal fingerings based on playability and user-defined preferences, and can generate chord transition suggestions.

**Highlights:** Chord and scale finder, Custom tuning support, Playability-based results, Progression builder, Chord transition suggestions, Instrument configuration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fretcetera Premium | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guitar Tuner EM free?

Guitar Tuner EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Fretcetera free?

Fretcetera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Guitar Tuner EM or Fretcetera?

Fretcetera is rated higher. Guitar Tuner EM averages 3.5 out of 5 from 8 ratings, while Fretcetera averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Guitar Tuner EM or Fretcetera have ads?

Guitar Tuner EM shows ads; Fretcetera does not.

### Which is updated more often, Guitar Tuner EM or Fretcetera?

Guitar Tuner EM ships an update every 3 months, and Fretcetera every 3 weeks. Most recently, Guitar Tuner EM was updated on September 8, 2026 and Fretcetera on June 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*