# Know Notes vs Fretboard Learning

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Know Notes at 96% against Fretboard Learning's 70%. Know Notes also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7). Fretboard Learning's advantage is update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and ratings volume (485 vs 32). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Know Notes sells 6 one-off in-app purchases and Fretboard Learning sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Know Notes holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fretboard Learning has 485 ratings behind it against 32, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 96% of Know Notes's written reviews are positive against 70% of Fretboard Learning's.

Know Notes ships an update fortnightly, Fretboard Learning every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Know Notes | Fretboard Learning |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.9 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/know-notes-learn-music/id1536356966/reviews)** | [4.7 (485 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretboard-learning/id1554316449/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 32 | **485** |
| Positive reviews | **95.7% of reviews** | 69.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#129** |
| Size | 107 MB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [wylan neely](https://appshunter.io/developer/1261508202) | [Mustapha AOUAS](https://appshunter.io/developer/1553171747) |

## What reviewers say

### Know Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/know-notes-learn-music/id1536356966)

Develop your musical ear by learning to identify notes and chords by sound. This gamified app makes practicing fun and competitive, allowing you to progress from basic notes to sharps and flats.

**Highlights:** Ear training, Note recognition, Chord recognition, Gamified learning, Progressive difficulty, Natural notes, sharps, and flats

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Violin Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Electronic Keyboard Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Grand Piano Notes | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Violin Instrument | $2.99 | one-time |
| Acoustic Guitar (Major Chords) | $2.99 | one-time |
| Unlock Acoustic Guitar | $3.99 | one-time |


### Fretboard Learning

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretboard-learning/id1554316449)

**Currently charting:** #129 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Master the guitar fretboard with interactive games and comprehensive learning tools. Practice your ear, learn hundreds of chords and scales, and customize your learning experience with various tunings and modes. Track your progress with detailed statistics and explore music harmony.

**Highlights:** Educational games for fretboard notes, Learn over 500 chords, Master all scales in different boxes, Customizable tunings, Left-handed mode, Interactive Circle of Fifths, Metronome

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| All Access Package | $1.49 | per month |
| All Access Package | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
- 🎮 Fun and engaging game mechanics
- 💰 Affordable one-time purchase ($10 lifetime)
- 🔒 Strong privacy policy and ethical practices
- ⚡ Effective fretboard learning tool

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sound feature produces generic beep instead of guitar notes
- 🐛 Audio identify-by-sound feature frequently non-functional
- 💳 Confusing pricing model and subscription confusion
- 🔐 Left-handed mode locked behind paywall
- 📱 Vertical-only orientation doesn't match guitar playing position

**Reported bugs**

- Identify by sound produces no audio or disturbing beep sound
- Notes on lower half of fretboard not selectable
- Missing button for sharps/flats (D# not available when shown)
- Low E string gets stuck on D in custom tuning setup
- Broken links to Twitter and website in about section

**Requested features**

- Octave differentiation (C1, C2, C3, etc.)
- Support for different number of strings and instruments (bass)
- Actual guitar note sounds instead of generic beep
- Horizontal/landscape orientation support
- Ability to select specific frets and notes in all game modes


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Know Notes free?

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

### Is Fretboard Learning free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Know Notes or Fretboard Learning?

Know Notes is rated higher. Know Notes averages 4.9 out of 5 from 32 ratings, while Fretboard Learning averages 4.7 from 485 ratings.

### Do Know Notes or Fretboard Learning have ads?

Neither Know Notes nor Fretboard Learning shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Know Notes or Fretboard Learning?

Know Notes ships an update fortnightly, and Fretboard Learning every 3 days. Most recently, Know Notes was updated on September 21, 2026 and Fretboard Learning on September 23, 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.*