Fretcetera vs Guitar Scales
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Fretcetera
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.
- Chord and scale finder
- Custom tuning support
- Playability-based results
- Progression builder
- Chord transition suggestions
- Instrument configuration
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Fretcetera is musical calculator that uses algorithms to connect you to chords, scales and progressions on a variety of string instruments in any tuning! This is not just a chord book. Fretcetera computes every way to play chords or scales in any tuning, and returns the top results based on their playability. Fine-tune results by configuring your instrument exactly as you play it. Enter personal preferences and constraints. Select from common tunings or create your own! Build progressions to listen to chord transitions, and even get suggestions based on the chords you are playing!
Guitar Scales
Visualize scales on your instrument's fretboard for guitar, bass, and ukulele. Explore over 48 built-in scales, create your own, and customize tunings. Practice solos or simply play along with interactive note playback.
- Visualize scales on fretboard
- Supports guitar, bass, ukulele
- Over 48 built-in scales
- Create custom scales
- Customizable instrument tunings
- Interactive note playback
- Left-handed mode
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Guitar Scales + is the easiest way to see scales on the fretboard while playing guitar, bass and ukulele. You can choose from over 48 build in scales, create your own and customize the tuning of your instrument. With excelent playback support, you can work out solos, or just play around on the fretboard. Whether you are are a beginner, want to learn music theory, or are a veteran player, Guitar Scales +is the perfect app for you. FEATURES - Show any scale in any key on the fretboard - Supports guitar, bass and ukulele - See over 48 build in scales - Create your own scales - Choose different tunings or create your own - Support for tunings with more strings - Change to left handed fretboard - Dynamic number of frets - Show intervals and octaves for every note - Choose which accidentals should be shown - Play any scale by tapping the notes - Supports multiple guitar sounds (nylon, steel, clean, jazz, overdrive, distortion) - Supports multiple bass sounds (finger, pick, acoustic) - Support for dark and light mode SUPPORT Please feel free to contact me any time if you have questions or suggestions. Alos, leave a rating if you like the app, it means a lot to me! support@getstringtheory.com TERMS & PRIVACY https://www.getstringtheory.app/terms.html https://www.getstringtheory.app/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Fretcetera at free against Guitar Scales's freemium. Fretcetera also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (92% vs 75%). Guitar Scales's advantage is ratings volume (33 vs 11). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Fretcetera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Guitar Scales sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Fretcetera against 4.9 for Guitar Scales. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 33 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Fretcetera's written reviews are positive against 75% of Guitar Scales's.
Fretcetera ships an update every 3 weeks, Guitar Scales every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Fretcetera | Guitar Scales |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (11 ratings) | 4.9 (33 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 91.7% of reviews — better | 75.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 33 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 19 MB | 17 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joel Pipher | Denis Andrasec |
Customer experience
Fretcetera
Guitar Scales
In-app purchases
Fretcetera
- Fretcetera Premium$3.99
Guitar Scales
- Monthly Subscription7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Yearly Subscription$17.991 Year
Questions
Is Fretcetera free?
Is Guitar Scales free?
Which has better reviews, Fretcetera or Guitar Scales?
Do Fretcetera or Guitar Scales have ads?
Which is updated more often, Fretcetera or Guitar Scales?
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