# TouchBells vs FretBuilder

The clearest difference is price: FretBuilder at Free against TouchBells's $1.99. TouchBells's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 15 months). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

FretBuilder is free to download; TouchBells costs $1.99 up front. FretBuilder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. TouchBells asks for nothing beyond the download.

TouchBells ships an update every 5 months, FretBuilder every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 27, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TouchBells | FretBuilder |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $1.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[2.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchbells/id378697992/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2** | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 15 months |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 66 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Thomas Braun](https://appshunter.io/developer/296553965) | [Brandon Fraune](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662190391) |

## What reviewers say

### TouchBells

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touchbells/id378697992)

This app is a virtual carillon instrument for iPad, offering xylophone, vibraphone, and tubular bell sounds. Users can play freely, record and share songs, and learn to play through a teach mode. It's designed for musical exploration and early childhood education.

**Highlights:** Virtual carillon instrument, Xylophone, Vibraphone, Tubular Bells sounds, Song recording and playback, Song sharing with other users, Teach mode for learning songs, Adjustable stereo effect, Tunable instrument pitch

**In-app purchases:** none


### FretBuilder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretbuilder/id6505123345)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly premium | $19.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TouchBells free?

TouchBells costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is FretBuilder free?

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

### Do TouchBells or FretBuilder have ads?

Neither TouchBells nor FretBuilder shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TouchBells or FretBuilder?

TouchBells ships an update every 5 months, and FretBuilder every 15 months. Most recently, TouchBells was updated on October 29, 2026 and FretBuilder on October 27, 2026.

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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.*