Comparison

Strum Machine vs Start Jamming with Grass

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

Head to head
About

Strum Machine

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
Currently charting
Read full description

Elevate your music practice with customizable backing tracks generated with audio from real instruments (guitar, mandolin, and standup bass). Strum Machine can play any chord progression, in any key, at any speed. It's the only backing-track app built specifically for players of bluegrass, old-time, fiddle tunes, and other such genres. (Although it works pretty good for some jazz/swing now, too!) Why musicians of all levels love Strum Machine: • Realistic Sound: Backing tracks are assembled in real time from studio-quality instrument recordings. • Quick Adjustments: Instantly adjust the speed/tempo, change the key, loop part of a song, etc. • Auto-Speedup: Gradually increase the BPM at the end of every repetition for training purposes. • Chord Reference: Clean, beautiful chord charts, which can be displayed in letters or numbers (i.e. "1-4-5"). • Extensive Library: Over 1,300 songs (mostly from bluegrass and old-time) ready to go, with thousands more posted on the community forum. • Simple Song Editor: Add your own songs (or edit existing ones) in minutes. Almost every chord you can play on a guitar is available for use. • Customize the Band: Choose from a variety of built-in band styles, then optionally customize each instrument individually – adjust the strumming pattern, add automatic bass runs, and more. • Organize & Share: Create song lists for practicing or even performing, and share them with your friends or on the community forum. • Cross-Platform: Sync your custom songs, lists, and preferences with any device you use Strum Machine on: phone, tablet, or computer. (It works offline, too!) • Responsive Support: If you run into any problems or have questions, write us an email or post a message on the forum and someone will get back to you within a few days! Strum Machine is under active development and we're always working on ways to make the app even more useful to our users... while keeping it uncluttered and intuitive first and foremost. Discover how Strum Machine can improve your music practice today! Download Strum Machine and play a handful of demo songs instantly, without signing up. For the full experience, including access to all built-in songs and the ability to create your own, start a free trial. Terms of Use: https://strummachine.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://strummachine.com/privacy

About

Start Jamming with Grass

Learn bluegrass music with a comprehensive song library, including chords, lyrics, and demo videos. Discover over 700 bluegrass jams nationwide to connect with other musicians. Practice with built-in backing tracks at adjustable tempos.

Highlights
  • Extensive song library with chords and lyrics
  • Demo videos for jam standards
  • Jam finder for local bluegrass events
  • Track played songs and share with friends
  • Automatic backing tracks with adjustable tempo
Features
Read full description

Grass is your companion for learning bluegrass music. Whether you're just starting out or looking to expand your skills, this app provides everything you need to join the bluegrass community. Key Features: - Song Library: Chords, lyrics, and demo videos for over 400 jam standards, filterable by category and artist. - Jam Finder: Meet new friends to play with at 700+ bluegrass jams across the country. - Lists: Track what you've played, or "go live" and help your friends follow along - Practice Tools: Built-in automatic backing tracks at adjustable tempos. Perfect for: - Beginning musicians interested in bluegrass - Intermediate players looking to expand their repertoire - Anyone wanting to join the bluegrass community - Musicians searching for local jams

Screenshots

Strum Machine4 screens
Start Jamming with Grass4 screens

Verdict

The call

Strum Machine and Start Jamming with Grass both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of Strum Machine's written reviews are positive against 33% of Start Jamming with Grass's. Strum Machine also leads on ratings volume (120 vs 11) and chart position (#138 vs unranked). Start Jamming with Grass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly). On price, rating, ads 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Strum Machine against 4.8 for Start Jamming with Grass. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strum Machine has 120 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 89% of Strum Machine's written reviews are positive against 33% of Start Jamming with Grass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, Start Jamming with Grass weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Strum Machine versus Start Jamming with Grass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrum MachineStart Jamming with Grass
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (120 ratings)4.8 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews — better33.3% of reviews
Number of ratings120 — better11
Update frequencyFortnightlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
Best chart rank#138 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.415.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB75 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuke Abbott LLCElijah Jacob Mayfield

Customer experience

Strum Machine

All ratings118 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral0.8%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews62 reviews
Positive88.7%
Neutral3.2%
Negative8.1%

Start Jamming with Grass

All ratings11 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral9.1%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Strum Machine

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$4.991 Month
None

Start Jamming with Grass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Strum Machine free?
Strum Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Start Jamming with Grass free?
Start Jamming with Grass is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Strum Machine or Start Jamming with Grass?
Start Jamming with Grass is rated higher. Strum Machine averages 4.7 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while Start Jamming with Grass averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.
Do Strum Machine or Start Jamming with Grass have ads?
Neither Strum Machine nor Start Jamming with Grass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Strum Machine or Start Jamming with Grass?
Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, and Start Jamming with Grass weekly. Most recently, Strum Machine was updated on October 25, 2026 and Start Jamming with Grass on October 24, 2026.

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