Comparison

iStroboSoft vs Precision Strobe Tuner

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

iStroboSoft

This application provides highly accurate tuning for musical instruments, offering professional-grade precision with a real-time strobe display. It supports various tuning modes, temperaments, and input methods, making it suitable for both acoustic and electric instruments.

Highlights
  • 1/10th cent accuracy
  • Real-time strobe display
  • Guided Mode Tuning
  • 12 Temperaments with adjustable root
  • Assisted Low Note Detection
  • Drop/Capo mode
  • Adjustable Concert A
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Usage questions? ***Please contact us before posting an issue in the reviews.*** Peterson Support at info@strobosoft.com or call 708.388.3311 M-F 8am-5pm (CST) TRUSTED BY PROFESSIONALS FOR OVER 70 YEARS. ---iStroboSoft for iOS--- Peterson Strobe Tuners' popular StroboSoft tuning application for iPhone and iPad. iStroboSoft™ offers the unmatched accuracy of a mechanical strobe tuner for the highest degree of precision available in a software tuning application. Plug in and tune your electrics and acoustics quickly and easily with 1/10th cent accuracy. Peterson Tuners has offered tuning solutions for over 70 years and is the only company specializing in hardware and software tuning products for all levels of musicians. FEATURES: • Stand-by mode to reduce battery usage or freeze the display. • Guided Mode Tuning offers an alternate strobe display that slows the strobe bands one-by-one as you come closer to tune. • Speed control for strobe display; dampen the response for a longer note display. • 12 Temperaments with adjustable root control. • Display all sharps note display. • Assisted Low Note Detection (ALND) helps capture very low frequencies. • Mains hum filter option reduces the chances of the tuner latching on to 50 or 60Hz cycle hum when using a direct line-in connection or while using the app during device charging. • Smooth, real-time strobe display allows you to achieve an unmatched level of accuracy. • Note/Octave window displays the correct note and octave for the note being tuned. • Cents display allows you to see how far out of tune your note is in cent values. • Tune in auto or manual mode. • Toggle the display to show: cents, Hz, MIDI note value for the note being tuned. • Glowing flat/sharp indicators assist when tuning a note very far from the target position. • Noise filter: Use the noise filter when utilizing an external mic or clip-on tuning device to help reduce the effect of extraneous environmental noise during tuning. • Input boost: The input boost will raise all input frequencies by +24dB. • Calibration mode: iStroboSoft can be calibrated to an external source guaranteeing 1/10th cent accuracy. • Drop/Capo mode: iStroboSoft will auto-transpose notes up or down to one full octave. • Adjustable Concert A: Change the Concert A reference of the tuner to accommodate tuning to a fixed instrument, such as a piano, or tune instruments that do not utilize the typical Western A440 reference. • Full screen mode permits the strobe display to be maximized on screen to allow better viewing from a distance. • Change strobe display colors to accommodate different lighting environments or set a preferred user color for those with limited color palette recognition. Use the built-in mic on your device for tuning or connect directly via the headphone jack using an approved adaptor cable or interface. Devices without a headphone jack can connect a pickup or mic using the lightning-to-audio adaptor. Support via email at: info@strobosoft.com or call 708.388.3311 M-F 8am-5pm (CST)

About

Precision Strobe Tuner

This app provides a highly sensitive chromatic tuner for musical instruments. It features a radial spectrum display and a classic strobe tuner for precise pitch visualization. Ideal for instrument technicians and musicians seeking accurate tuning.

Highlights
  • Chromatic tuning
  • Radial spectrum display
  • Classic strobe tuner
  • Programmable temperament function
  • Piano tuning functions
  • String inharmonicity characterization
Features
Read full description

Precision Strobe Tuner 2.0 A General Purpose Chromatic Musical Instrument Tuner App with special Temperament and Piano Tuning Functions. The PST combines a radial Spectrum Display with a classic Strobe Tuner and Note Dial for an ultimate visualization of pitch and tone. The Strobe Display is highly sensitive with response speed that is practically instantaneous and has long been the preferred tool for piano tuners and instrument technicians. The central Spectrum Display shows the input spectrum wrapped around the Display, with each Octave drawn in a separate color. The Note Dial is marked like a clock with the twelve notes of the Scale. All overtones of the input are shown as peaks in the Spectrum Display pointing towards their corresponding Notes. The Fundamental Indicator Tic on the Spectrum Display shows the Note of the Fundamental along the Note Dial, with the color designating the Octave. Use the Spectrum Display for coarse adjustment by tuning the Fundamental to the center of the desired Note Indicator. As the input approaches the desired Note, a Two Group pinwheel pattern becomes visible rotating in the Strobe Display. Fine tuning is accomplished by adjusting to stop rotation. The Strobe Display responds instantaneously to changes in pitch and is extremely sensitive. The outside Strobe Display works just like a classic rotating disk strobe tuner. The Two-Group pattern rotates CCW when the input is flat, and CW when sharp. When the rotation is stopped, the note is in tune. The previews show a general strobe display demonstration, an example of using the calibration function to measure the accuracy of a tuning fork and an example of guitar string tuning. The first screenshot shows the display tuning a Guitar Low E string. The Fundamental appears as an Orange peak in the Spectrum Display. This string rings bright, so the overtones are also dominant in the Display. The second screenshot shows the display for an E 440 Tuning Fork with the Calibration Dial enabled and adjusted. This Fork is 2.9 cent Flat. The PST also includes a Programmable Temperament Function with 5 user definable banks. The third screenshot shows an example of a Temperament Bank set up to a typical Piano Stretch Curve. This can also be used for tuning alternate temperaments, pedal steel guitar setups, or special guitar intonation systems. In addition, there are several Special Measurement Banks used for String Inharmonicity characterization and Piano Stretch Curve Estimation. Individual strings can be characterized by measuring the Fundamental and 2nd Harmonic separately. By careful selection of a few representative measurement points, a reasonable smooth fit Piano Stretch Curve can be generated. Any number of measurements can be used. The final screenshot shows the Input Signal Scope/Spectrum Display Page. The Detailed Operation Manual can be viewed here: www.precisionstrobe.com

Screenshots

iStroboSoft4 screens
Precision Strobe Tuner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Precision Strobe Tuner at none against iStroboSoft's 11. Precision Strobe Tuner also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.3). iStroboSoft's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months) and chart position (#24 vs unranked). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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

iStroboSoft costs $9.99 and Precision Strobe Tuner $9.99 up front. iStroboSoft sells 11 one-off in-app purchases. Precision Strobe Tuner asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Precision Strobe Tuner holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iStroboSoft has 298 ratings behind it against 56, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of iStroboSoft's written reviews are positive against 82% of Precision Strobe Tuner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iStroboSoft ships an update fortnightly, Precision Strobe Tuner every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
iStroboSoft versus Precision Strobe Tuner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriStroboSoftPrecision Strobe Tuner
Price$9.99$9.99
Rating4.3 (298 ratings)4.6 (56 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.0% of reviews82.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings298 — better56
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#24 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.012.0
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPeterson TunersJim Campbell

Customer experience

iStroboSoft

All ratings298 ratings
Positive81.5%
Neutral4.4%
Negative14.1%
Written reviews362 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral6.4%
Negative17.7%

Precision Strobe Tuner

All ratings56 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews39 reviews
Positive82.1%
Neutral2.6%
Negative15.4%

Bugs and requests

iStroboSoft

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App freezes or crashes on certain iOS versions
  • Incorrect note detection on some instruments
  • Display issues with newer iPhone/iPad models

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add support for more sweetened tunings and temperaments
  • Improve display visibility and layout for newer devices
  • Integrate with audio apps and allow routing through other apps
  • Add Apple Watch app for quick tuning access
  • Improve noise filtering and input sensitivity

Precision Strobe Tuner

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

11 purchases

iStroboSoft

One-time11
  • Extended Frequency Modes$4.99
  • Bluegrass Sweeteners$5.99
  • Buzz Feiten Pack$5.99
Show 8 more
  • Guitar & Bass Sweeteners$5.99
  • Orchestral Sweeteners$5.99
  • World Sweetener Pack$9.99
  • Tuning Tools$9.99
  • Steel Guitar Sweeteners$14.99
  • Harmonic Tuning$19.99
  • Keyboard Sweeteners$19.99
  • Full Discounted Upgrade Pack$59.99
None

Precision Strobe Tuner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iStroboSoft free?
iStroboSoft costs $9.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Precision Strobe Tuner free?
Precision Strobe Tuner costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iStroboSoft or Precision Strobe Tuner?
Precision Strobe Tuner is rated higher. iStroboSoft averages 4.3 out of 5 from 298 ratings, while Precision Strobe Tuner averages 4.6 from 56 ratings.
Do iStroboSoft or Precision Strobe Tuner have ads?
Neither iStroboSoft nor Precision Strobe Tuner shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iStroboSoft or Precision Strobe Tuner?
iStroboSoft ships an update fortnightly, and Precision Strobe Tuner every 4 months. Most recently, iStroboSoft was updated on September 25, 2026 and Precision Strobe Tuner on September 22, 2026.

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