Comparison

Strum Machine vs PixelFlow

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

PixelFlow

Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Turn your Divoom Pixoo 64 into a living now-playing display. PixelFlow streams album art, animated clocks, and local weather straight to the 64×64 LED panel over Wi-Fi — no account, no clutter, just your music on the wall. Set it on your desk or shelf and let it show whatever you're listening to, in real time. NOW PLAYING • See the cover of whatever's playing in Apple Music, scaled beautifully to the panel. • Not on your phone? Let Shazam listen and identify music in the room — Spotify, a record player, the TV, a café — and pull up the artwork automatically. • Optional lo-fi pixel-art styles: Game Boy, PICO-8, NES, CRT ramps and more, with retro ordered dithering — or keep the cover crisp. • Analog or digital clocks that crossfade with the art, a scrolling artist & title, and a song-progress bar. • Or hand off to the Pixoo's own built-in audio visualizer. CLOCKS • A collection of animated 64×64 clock faces — LCD, split-flap flip, matrix and more. • They tint themselves to match your album's colors. WEATHER • Local conditions powered by Apple Weather — current, hourly, daily and details, with smooth mosaic transitions. EFFORTLESS SETUP • Finds your Pixoo 64 automatically on the same Wi-Fi — or just enter its IP. • Preview everything live on your phone before you even connect a device. • "Dim screen" keeps it running while your phone sleeps, to save battery. PixelFlow is an independent, unofficial app. It is not affiliated with, authorized, or endorsed by Divoom. "Divoom" and "Pixoo" are trademarks of their respective owners and are used only to describe compatibility.

Screenshots

Strum Machine4 screens
PixelFlow4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Strum Machine at Free against PixelFlow's $3.99. Strum Machine also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months) and device support (3 vs 1). PixelFlow's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On ads and chart position 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

Strum Machine is free to download; PixelFlow costs $3.99 up front. Strum Machine sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. PixelFlow asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, PixelFlow every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Strum Machine versus PixelFlow: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrum MachinePixelFlow
PriceFree — better$3.99
Rating4.7 (118 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings118 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#152 — better#196
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLuke Abbott LLCMarco van Hylckama Vlieg

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Strum Machine

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Subscription14 Days trial$4.991 Month
None

PixelFlow

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Strum Machine free?
Strum Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PixelFlow free?
PixelFlow costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Strum Machine or PixelFlow have ads?
Neither Strum Machine nor PixelFlow shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Strum Machine or PixelFlow?
Strum Machine ships an update fortnightly, and PixelFlow every 2 months. Most recently, Strum Machine was updated on October 16, 2026 and PixelFlow on September 30, 2026.
Which is more popular, Strum Machine or PixelFlow?
Strum Machine currently peaks at #152 in the App Store charts, and PixelFlow at #196. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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