# Cleartune vs Strum Machine

The clearest difference is price: Strum Machine at Free against Cleartune's $3.99. Strum Machine also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and review sentiment (89% vs 60%). Cleartune's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (884 vs 120). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Strum Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Cleartune has 884 ratings behind it against 120, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Cleartune's written reviews are positive against 89% of Strum Machine's.

Cleartune ships an update every 2 months, Strum Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cleartune | Strum Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [3.7 (884 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleartune/id286799607/reviews) | **[4.7 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **884** | 120 |
| Positive reviews | 59.9% of reviews | **88.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | #150 |
| Size | 8 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bitcount ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/286799610) | [Luke Abbott LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509158552) |

## What reviewers say

### Cleartune

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cleartune/id286799607)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Paid · Music, #192 Top Paid (US App Store)

This app provides precise chromatic tuning for a wide range of instruments using your device's microphone. It features a unique note wheel interface and a responsive fine-tuning meter for accurate pitch detection. Advanced options include custom temperaments, transposition, and adjustable calibration for professional use.

**Highlights:** Chromatic instrument tuning, Note wheel interface, Responsive fine-tuning meter, Support for custom temperaments, Transposition support, Pitch pipe/tone generator, High accuracy (±0.01 semitone)

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate and sensitive
- 👍 Elegant and intuitive interface
- 🎨 Supports custom temperaments
- 💡 Useful for tuning various instruments

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Freezes or becomes unresponsive
- 🐛 Fails to detect certain notes or frequencies
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🔍 Struggles with background noise

**Reported bugs**

- Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- Needle movement is erratic or jumpy
- Pitch pipe feature not working

**Requested features**

- Add Apple Watch support
- Improve noise cancellation and sensitivity
- Restore previous functionality (e.g. locked pitch wheel)


### Strum Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cleartune free?

Cleartune costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Strum Machine free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Cleartune or Strum Machine?

Strum Machine is rated higher. Cleartune averages 3.7 out of 5 from 884 ratings, while Strum Machine averages 4.7 from 120 ratings.

### Do Cleartune or Strum Machine have ads?

Neither Cleartune nor Strum Machine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cleartune or Strum Machine?

Cleartune ships an update every 2 months, and Strum Machine fortnightly. Most recently, Cleartune was updated on October 23, 2026 and Strum Machine on October 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Cleartune or Strum Machine?

Cleartune currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Strum Machine at #150. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*