Comparison

Guitar Tuner vs Zema Begena

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

Head to head
About

Guitar Tuner

This application provides a highly accurate chromatic tuner for any instrument. It features advanced noise cancellation and a detailed fine-tuning display, ensuring precise pitch readings for musicians of all levels. The tuner offers a fast refresh rate and works with any note.

Highlights
  • Works with any instrument
  • Chromatic tuning for any note
  • Accurate to 0.33 Hz
  • Noise cancellation slider
  • Fine tuning display (+/- 50 cents)
  • Fast 0.1 second refresh rate
Features
Read full description

A simple, free tuner that works. What the users are saying: "This is the only chromatic tuner that I tried on here that actually works." - dharris (USA) "Great app, love the noise cancellation thingy and it's probably the most accurate tuner on the app store" - Joshua Joe (New Zealand) "Awesome! - One of the best tuners on the app store! I'm impressed" - Ybxbmhnjgl (Canada) Guitar Tuner is a chromatic tuner which uses the iPhone/iPod microphone to give you an accurate pitch reading. Features: - works with any instrument! Guitar, Bass, Ukulele...you name it! - chromatic: works with any note! - accurate to 0.33 Hz - slider control to filter background noise - fine tuning display with +/- 50 cent range and 2 cent increments - wide range display shows +/- 2.5 semitones with 10 cent increments - extremely fast 0.1 second refresh rate

About

Zema Begena

Explore the ancient Ethiopian Begena box-lyre with this app. Learn to play traditional hymns through interactive, gamified lessons. Record your voice, layer it with the instrument, and export your performances as videos.

Highlights
  • Authentic Begena sound and playability
  • Gamified hymn practice
  • Record and layer vocals
  • Video export of performances
  • Configure scales and string settings
Features
Read full description

Discover the Divine Sound of the Begena Ancient Box-Lyre. Step into thousands of years of musical tradition with Zema Begena, the ultimate digital gateway to the Begena—the sacred, ten-stringed box-lyre of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. Known historically as the instrument of King David, the Begena’s deep, buzzing tones have guided prayer, meditation, and spiritual reflection for centuries. Now, you can carry this beautiful tradition right in your pocket. Whether you are a devout practitioner, a student of Ethiopian culture, or a music lover exploring ancient instruments, Zema Begena makes learning and playing accessible, interactive, and deeply rewarding. Key Features: Authentic Sound & Playability: Experience the unique, resonant buzz of the traditional ten-stringed Begena, meticulously sampled for true-to-life audio quality. Gamified Hymn Practice: Master traditional Ethiopian Orthodox hymns through an interactive, game-like learning system. Perfect your timing, memorize strings, and level up your skills. + Record & Layer Your Voice: Sing along as you play! Use the built-in recording feature to capture your vocal praise layered beautifully over your Begena tracks. + Video Export: Easily export your recorded performances into high-quality videos to share your spiritual musical journey with friends, family, or on social media. + Immerse yourself in the sacred art of Zema. Download Zema Begena today and let the ancient strings elevate your meditation, practice, and prayer. + Configure everything about the begena from its scales [traditional pentatonic scales built directly into the Begena, including Tizita, Bati, Ambassel, and Anchihoye.] to the stringg colors and positioning etc.

Screenshots

Guitar Tuner1 screens
Zema Begena4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Zema Begena at 100% against Guitar Tuner's 64%. Zema Begena also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). Guitar Tuner's advantage is ratings volume (8.2K vs 16). On price 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

Both are free to download. Guitar Tuner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Zema Begena asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Zema Begena holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guitar Tuner has 8.2K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 64% of Guitar Tuner's written reviews are positive against 100% of Zema Begena's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guitar Tuner ships an update every 4 months, Zema Begena every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 2 level
Guitar Tuner versus Zema Begena: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitar TunerZema Begena
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (8.2K ratings)5.0 (16 ratings) — better
Positive reviews63.9% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings8.2K — better16
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 4 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB194 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLast Harmonic LLCBesufekad Mekuria

Customer experience

Guitar Tuner

All ratings8,205 ratings
Positive90.4%
Neutral4.0%
Negative5.6%
Written reviews379 reviews
Positive63.9%
Neutral5.5%
Negative30.6%

Zema Begena

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Guitar Tuner

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezes and crashes on certain devices
  • Incorrect note detection and tuning
  • Fails to work in noisy environments

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add more tuning options (e.g. drop tunings)
  • Improve stability and reduce crashes
  • Provide more customization options

Zema Begena

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Guitar Tuner

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$4.99
None

Zema Begena

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Guitar Tuner free?
Guitar Tuner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Zema Begena free?
Zema Begena is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Guitar Tuner or Zema Begena?
Zema Begena is rated higher. Guitar Tuner averages 4.6 out of 5 from 8.2K ratings, while Zema Begena averages 5.0 from 16 ratings.
Do Guitar Tuner or Zema Begena have ads?
Guitar Tuner shows ads; Zema Begena does not.
Which is updated more often, Guitar Tuner or Zema Begena?
Guitar Tuner ships an update every 4 months, and Zema Begena every 4 weeks. Most recently, Guitar Tuner was updated on November 10, 2026 and Zema Begena on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons