LAVA+ vs Fretionary
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
LAVA+
Enhance your smart guitar experience with this app. Connect to all LAVA smart guitar models, access a vast music library, and instantly generate chord charts from any song. Join a global community to share your musical journey.
- Connects to all LAVA smart guitars
- Thousands of songs across genres
- Instant chord chart generation
- Global music community features
- Compatible with LAVA STUDIO, GENIE, ME air, ME 4, ME 3, ME Play
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Change the World with Music. Make the World More Creative, Expressive, and Connected. LAVA+ is the ultimate companion app for the latest LAVA smart guitars. Log in with your LAVA ID to connect with music enthusiasts worldwide and unlock the full potential of your LAVA smart guitar. Key Features • Compatible with All LAVA Smart Devices Seamlessly connect and play with all series of LAVA smart guitars, including LAVA STUDIO, LAVA GENIE, LAVA ME air, LAVA ME 4, LAVA ME 3, and LAVA ME Play. • Thousands of Music at Your Fingertips Explore an extensive library of thousands of music across various styles. Whether you love to play and sing or practice your skills, there’s something for everyone. • lavaAI ChordChart Transform any song into a ChordChart instantly. Simply upload your favorite song's audio and let LAVA+ do the rest. • Global Music Community Share your passion for music with a global community of music lovers. Join challenges, exchange ideas, and celebrate the joy of music together. Contact us: Official Site: https://www.lavamusic.com/ Instagram: @lavamusicofficial Facebook: @lavamusicofficial YouTube: LAVA MUSIC -- Begin your musical journey with 10 free plays of ChordChart, or select from the following subscription options to enjoy more: • 1 month Basic Plan - $3.99/month, billed monthly • 1 month Premier Plan - $3.99/month, billed monthly • 1 year Basic Plan - $35.90/year (25% off monthly), billed annually • 1 year Premier Plan - $71.90/year (25% off monthly), billed annually • Your subscription will be charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase and will automatically renew (at the duration selected) unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Your current subscription may not be canceled during the active subscription period; however, you can manage your subscription and/or turn off auto-renewal by visiting your Apple Account Settings after purchase. -- TERMS & CONDITIONS • Apple's Standard End-User License Agreement: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ • Our Privacy Policy: https://g-lavaplus.lavamusic.com/app/protocol/privacy/en.html
Fretionary
This app transforms your device into an interactive guitar fretboard, visualizing scales, chords, and progressions. It offers color-coded displays and real audio playback to aid music theory learning.
- Interactive fretboard visualization
- 14 scales and modes
- 25 chord types
- CAGED system shapes
- Chord progression builder
- Color-coded by function
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Fretionary turns your entire fretboard into a visual theory map. Stop hunting for scale shapes on YouTube. Stop forgetting which chord is which. Fretionary puts every scale, chord, and progression you need right on an interactive fretboard — color-coded, labeled, and playable with real guitar audio. FEATURES • 14 scales & modes — Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Blues, Dorian, Lydian, and more • 36 chord types with fingering diagrams — Triads, 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, Sus, Add, and more • CAGED system — all 5 shapes color-coded across the neck, with reference chord diagrams • 64 chord progressions — across Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Motown, Gospel, Classical, Reggae, and more • Progressions builder — Common, Diatonic, or build your own from scratch • Practice drills — Name the Note, Find the Note, String Drill (Beginner to Advanced) • Identify — reverse chord lookup: tap any notes on the fretboard, get the chord name • Progress tracking — daily streak plus scales explored, chords learned, and progressions played • Interactive fretboard up to 24 frets — tap positions directly, focus on any range • Color-coded by function — roots, 3rds, 5ths, and extensions instantly visible • 9 alternate tunings — Standard, Drop D, Drop C, DADGAD, Open D/G/E, Eb Standard, and more • Real guitar audio — sample-based playback for every scale, chord, and progression • Built-in metronome (free) — BPM 40–240, six time signatures, tap-tempo • iPad optimized — full-screen fretboard with side-by-side controls FRETIONARY PRO Unlock all scales, chords, progressions, tunings, and practice modes. • Monthly: $7.99/month • Lifetime: $44.99 one time Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://fretionary.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Fretionary at 80% against LAVA+'s 28%. Fretionary also leads on rating (4.5 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs fortnightly). LAVA+'s advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). On price, ratings volume, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. LAVA+ sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Fretionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Fretionary holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 36 and 29 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 28% of LAVA+'s written reviews are positive against 80% of Fretionary's.
LAVA+ ships an update fortnightly, Fretionary every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | LAVA+ | Fretionary |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.3 (36 ratings) | 4.5 (29 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 27.9% of reviews | 80.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 36 — better | 29 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 203 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | HK LAVA CLOUD SERVICE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED | Brandon Sumner |
Customer experience
LAVA+
Fretionary
In-app purchases
LAVA+
- LAVA Songs+ Member3 Months trial$3.991 Month
- LAVA Songs+ Member$3.991 Month
- LAVA Songs+ Premium3 Months trial$7.991 Month
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- LAVA Ultimate Member3 Months trial$15.991 Month
- LAVA Songs+ Annual Member3 Months trial$35.901 Year
- LAVA Songs+ Annual Member$35.901 Year
- LAVA Songs+ Premium Annual3 Months trial$71.991 Year
- LAVA Ultimate Member3 Months trial$191.991 Year
- Additional lavaAI mins$4.99
- Additional lavaAI mins$19.99
Fretionary
- Fretionary Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
- Fretionary Pro Annual$24.991 Year
- Fretionary Pro Lifetime$44.99







