# Strum Machine vs Jam Lab

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Jam Lab at none against Strum Machine's 1. Jam Lab also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 6 days vs fortnightly). Strum Machine's advantage is ratings volume (120 vs 1) and chart position (#195 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Strum Machine sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Jam Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

Jam Lab holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strum Machine has 120 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 89% of Strum Machine's written reviews are positive against 100% of Jam Lab's.

Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, Jam Lab every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Strum Machine | Jam Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jam-lab-chord-progressions/id6502743961/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **120** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 88.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 6 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#195** | — |
| Size | 77 MB | 402 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.4** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Luke Abbott LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509158552) | [Julien Marocco](https://appshunter.io/developer/1746645471) |

## What reviewers say

### Strum Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Generate realistic backing tracks for practice with real instrument audio. Customize chord progressions, keys, and tempo. Features a large song library, song editor, and band customization options. Works offline and syncs across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic instrument audio backing tracks, Customizable chord progressions, keys, and tempo, Extensive song library, Simple song editor, Band and instrument customization, Cross-platform syncing and offline mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |


### Jam Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jam-lab-chord-progressions/id6502743961)

This music creation tool helps musicians generate chord progressions, build song structures, and train their ear. It offers modes for quick idea generation or in-depth song writing, with features for practicing grooves and exporting musical ideas.

**Highlights:** Generate chord progressions, Build song structures, Practice grooves, Ear training exercises, Export to MIDI/MusicXML/Audio, Explore scales and modes, Generate lyric ideas

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Strum Machine free?

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

### Is Jam Lab free?

Jam Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Strum Machine or Jam Lab?

Jam Lab is rated higher. Strum Machine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while Jam Lab averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Strum Machine or Jam Lab have ads?

Neither Strum Machine nor Jam Lab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Strum Machine or Jam Lab?

Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, and Jam Lab every 6 days. Most recently, Strum Machine was updated on October 29, 2026 and Jam Lab on October 24, 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.*