Autoharp vs StringForge
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Autoharp
Experience the realistic sound of an autoharp with intuitive chord buttons and strumming. Enhance your music with built-in effects and use it as a MIDI controller. Customize string and chord layouts for advanced control.
- Realistic autoharp sound
- Chord buttons and strumming
- Built-in chorus, delay, and reverb effects
- MIDI controller output
- Customizable string and chord layouts
- Save and switch effect programs
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This app works like a real autoharp: just push one of the chord buttons and strum! Autoharp uses high-quality audio samples and matches its volume to your strumming speed for the most realistic sound available. If you want to expand your sonic palette, Autoharp includes built-in chorus, delay and reverb effects. You can configure each effect and enable them in any combination. With an in-app purchase, you can save multiple effects programs and switch between your saved programs. If you have any MIDI equipment, you can also use Autoharp as a MIDI controller. Strum its strings and send note-on commands to another device to generate virtually any sound. The MIDI commands include velocity values determined by your strumming speed for expressive playing. Advanced players can even customize Autoharp's string and chord layout, to optimize the sound for a given song or test a new setup before modifying a real autoharp. With an in-app purchase, you can set the note assigned to each string (from a total of 53 available notes) and set the strings assigned to each chord bar (either 15 or 21), then switch between any of your saved layouts. Before buying this app, I recommend watching the demo video at autoharpapp.com to see how it works. If you need help after your purchase, please contact me before writing a bad review. I have no way to respond or help you if you publish your complaints in a review, but I respond promptly to all emails.
StringForge
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StringForge is a precision tuning and practice toolkit for guitarists and bass players. Tune quickly and accurately with a responsive chromatic tuner, explore alternate tunings, and practise with a powerful built-in metronome. PRECISION TUNING • Automatic guitar string detection and manual string selection • Chromatic tuning for other pitched instruments • Clear cents meter with live detected and target frequencies • Responsive strobe-style tuning display • Live frequency analyser with harmonic peak labels • Adjustable A4 reference from 430 to 450 Hz GUITAR, BASS AND MORE • Standard, Drop D, DADGAD, half-step, whole-step and open guitar tunings • Seven-string guitar plus 4-, 5- and 6-string bass presets • Ukulele tuning • Custom tuning presets stored locally on your device • Capo support PRACTICE TOOLS • Reference tone playback for each target note • Metronome with tap tempo, time signatures and subdivisions • Configurable accents, click sounds and volume • Optional visual flash and haptic pulse PRIVATE BY DESIGN Microphone audio is analysed live on your device. It is never recorded, saved or uploaded. StringForge includes no accounts, analytics, ads, tracking or cloud sync. Open StringForge, choose your tuning and focus on the music.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: StringForge at Free against Autoharp's $1.99. StringForge also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months). Autoharp's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On 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
StringForge is free to download; Autoharp costs $1.99 up front. Autoharp sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. StringForge asks for nothing beyond the download.
Autoharp ships an update every 2 months, StringForge weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Autoharp | StringForge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 3.8 (9 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 64.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 9 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 32 MB | 15 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Arlo Leach | Michael Graham |
In-app purchases
Autoharp
- Save Multiple Effects Programs$0.99
- Set Up Custom Chord Layouts$3.99
StringForge
No in-app purchases









