# Solo vs StrumForge

The clearest difference is price: StrumForge at Free against Solo's $17.99. StrumForge also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Solo's advantage is ratings volume (659 vs 62) and chart position (#73 vs unranked). On rating, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

StrumForge is free to download; Solo costs $17.99 up front. Solo sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and StrumForge sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Solo against 4.8 for StrumForge. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Solo has 659 ratings behind it against 62, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 83% of Solo's written reviews are positive against 100% of StrumForge's.

Solo ships an update monthly, StrumForge every 2 days. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Solo | StrumForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $17.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (659 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solo-fretboard-visualization/id1537057699/reviews) | **[4.8 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strumforge-chord-progressions/id6760612199/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **659** | 62 |
| Positive reviews | 83.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#73** | — |
| Size | 231 MB | 70 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | +4 |
| Developer | [Trio Software Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1537057701) | [Adam Spain](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885322054) |

## What reviewers say

### Solo

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/solo-fretboard-visualization/id1537057699)

**Currently charting:** #73 Top Paid · Music (US App Store)

Master your guitar fretboard with this interactive trainer. Learn note names, intervals, chord changes, and scales through guided exercises. Designed by professional guitarists, it offers customizable workouts for all skill levels.

**Highlights:** Fretboard visualization, Note name trainer, Interval shape memorization, Chord change outlining, Scale practice, Interactive fretboards, Customizable workouts

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Custom Tunings | $1.99 | one-time |
| Custom Chord Progressions | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent practice tool
- 👍 Helps improve fretboard knowledge
- 👍 Versatile and configurable
- 👍 Detailed video tutorials
- 👍 Accurate note detection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Note detection issues
- 🐛 App crashes
- 🐛 Lack of customization options
- 🐛 Unintuitive for beginners
- 🐛 Limited functionality for the price

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when launching the app
- Inconsistent note detection
- Inability to save progress or settings

**Requested features**

- Add ability to create custom chord progressions
- Integrate metronome functionality
- Provide visual representation of intervals on staff
- Add option to practice natural notes only
- Implement option to hear chord tones in the background


### StrumForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strumforge-chord-progressions/id6760612199)

This app helps guitarists expand their playing with over 1,000 riffs, exercises, and chord progressions. It features animated fretboard diagrams, synchronized TAB, and customizable backing tracks for improvisation and songwriting. Explore scales, triads, and arpeggios with dedicated trainers.

**Highlights:** 1,000+ riffs and exercises, Theory-based chord progressions, Animated fretboard diagrams, Synchronized TAB, Customizable backing loops, Scale and triad trainers, 23 sampled drum grooves

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| StrumForge Pro Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| StrumForge Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| StrumForge Pro Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Solo free?

Solo costs $17.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is StrumForge free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Solo or StrumForge?

StrumForge is rated higher. Solo averages 4.7 out of 5 from 659 ratings, while StrumForge averages 4.8 from 62 ratings.

### Do Solo or StrumForge have ads?

Neither Solo nor StrumForge shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Solo or StrumForge?

Solo ships an update monthly, and StrumForge every 2 days. Most recently, Solo was updated on November 7, 2026 and StrumForge on November 7, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*