# Fretcetera vs Chordial

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fretcetera at free against Chordial's free with in-app purchases. Fretcetera also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). Chordial's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and review sentiment (100% vs 92%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fretcetera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Chordial sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Chordial holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 7 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 92% of Fretcetera's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chordial's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fretcetera | Chordial |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretcetera/id1262938497/reviews) | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordial/id1498285573/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 7 |
| Positive reviews | 91.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 19 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Joel Pipher](https://appshunter.io/developer/1262938496) | [Jim Haungs](https://appshunter.io/developer/1498282259) |

## What reviewers say

### 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 |


### Chordial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordial/id1498285573)

This app provides a comprehensive guide to musical scales and chord charts for various stringed instruments. It allows users to explore every possible chord and scale, with customizable instrument and tuning options. The application also offers a companion experience on Apple Watch.

**Highlights:** Chord and scale charts for guitar, banjo, mandolin, ukulele, bass, Customizable instruments and tunings, Interactive fretboard with note playback, Right- and left-handed fretboard display, Editing mode for creating custom chords and scales, Apple Watch companion app

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Free Version | Free | one-time |
| Instruments | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tunings | $0.99 | one-time |
| Scales | $0.99 | one-time |
| Tip the Developer | $0.99 | one-time |
| Combo Pack | $1.99 | one-time |
| Editing - Pro Feature | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fretcetera free?

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

### Is Chordial free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fretcetera or Chordial?

Chordial is rated higher. Fretcetera averages 4.8 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Chordial averages 5.0 from 7 ratings.

### Do Fretcetera or Chordial have ads?

Neither Fretcetera nor Chordial shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fretcetera or Chordial?

Fretcetera ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chordial every 3 weeks. Most recently, Fretcetera was updated on October 1, 2026 and Chordial on September 30, 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.*