8Strummer vs Ruffio
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
8Strummer
This app helps guitarists improve their rhythm and strumming skills. Practice complex patterns with a metronome and various chord shapes. It also serves as a tool for songwriters to find the perfect groove.
- Rhythm pattern practice
- 27 chord shapes
- Metronome accompaniment
- Save favorite patterns
- Randomize pattern
- Muted and ringing chords
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A RHYTHM GUITAR PRIMER: Keep that pick hand moving in time, until it becomes second nature. A VITAL RESOURCE FOR PRACTISING AND IMPROVING RHYTHM GUITAR SKILLS: Practise strumming complex rhythm patterns and get your timing perfect! A USEFUL SONGWRITING TOOL: Find the perfect groove for your next song! ----- Strumming in 8ths is: * 4 down-strums on the numbered beats * 4 up-strums on the 'ands': 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & = down, up, down, up, down, up, down, up. Strumming in 16ths is: * 8 down-strums on the numbered beats and the 'ands' * 8 up-strums on the in-betweens: 1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a = down, up, down, up, etc... IMPORTANT: Always keep your strumming hand moving up and down evenly - including rest strokes. • Practice with a click and one of 27 chord shapes. • Save your favourite patterns • Shake to randomise the pattern • Different notation types • Muted and ringing chords Designed and produced in collaboration with guitarist and tutor Simon Nelson
Ruffio
This app uses advanced AI to split any song into its individual instrument stems, allowing you to mute or isolate vocals, drums, bass, and more. Create custom backing tracks, karaoke versions, or practice your instrument with isolated parts. All processing happens on your device for privacy and offline use.
- AI stem separation
- Mute vocals for karaoke
- Isolate instruments for practice
- Real-time mixing controls
- Offline audio processing
- Supports various audio/video formats
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Ruffio – Backing Track Maker, Karaoke App, Music Stem Splitter, and AI Music Practice Tool Ruffio is the all-in-one music app that lets you remove vocals from songs, isolate instruments, and create custom multitrack backing tracks using advanced AI audio separation—right on your iPhone or iPad. Whether you're a singer, musician, student, producer, DJ, or music lover, Ruffio helps you unlock the full potential of any track. Using powerful machine learning, Ruffio separates songs into stems—vocals, drums, bass, and accompaniment—so you can mute, solo, or adjust individual instruments. Create karaoke versions, practice your instrument, or hear the mix like never before. --- Powerful AI Features - AI Stem Separation: Split any song into vocals, drums, bass, and other instruments using Spleeter - Mute Vocals: Instantly create karaoke versions of any track - Mute Instruments: Remove drums, bass, guitar, or piano to create your own backing tracks - Solo Mode: Focus on one instrument to learn parts more effectively - Real-Time Mixing: Adjust each stem’s volume to build your perfect mix - Works Offline: Process songs directly on your device—no internet required after setup - Video and Audio Support: Import MP3, WAV, M4A, FLAC, MP4, and MOV files - Private: Your music never leaves your device—no cloud uploads --- How It Works - Import songs from your Music app (local files only) - Open files from iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Files - Ruffio separates your song into stems using on-device AI - Adjust, mute, or solo each track in real time - Practice, perform, remix, or explore your music in new ways --- Perfect For - Singers – Remove vocals and sing along with real instrumentals - Guitarists – Mute guitar tracks and jam with the band - Drummers – Create drumless tracks to practice rhythm and timing - Bassists – Isolate or remove basslines for deeper learning - Pianists – Focus on keyboard parts or play over piano-free mixes - DJs and Producers – Extract stems for remixing and creative projects - Music Teachers – Make custom practice tools for students - Students – Learn songs by ear and study arrangements in depth - Cover Artists – Make pro-quality karaoke or backing tracks - Music Lovers – Hear hidden layers and details in every song --- Why Choose Ruffio - No subscriptions or locked core features - Fast, on-device audio processing - Simple, clean, user-friendly interface - Based on Spleeter: trusted by producers and musicologists worldwide - Constant updates based on community feedback --- File Support - MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV (audio) - MP4, MOV (video audio extraction) - DRM-free songs from your Music app - Files from cloud storage and local folders --- Built with Spleeter Ruffio uses Spleeter, an open-source stem separation model developed by Deezer. This powerful AI is trusted by professional audio engineers and now available in a mobile app designed for everyone. All separation is done locally. Your music stays private. No cloud uploads, no waiting, no ads. --- Support & Feedback We're building Ruffio to be the best music practice and karaoke tool on iOS. Got ideas or issues? Contact us directly: rufusmall@hotmail.com --- Transform the way you learn, practice, and enjoy music. Download Ruffio now and turn any song into a karaoke track, backing track, or stem-separated mix.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Ruffio at 4.4 against 8Strummer's 3.6. Ruffio also leads on update cadence (every 10 days vs every 26 months) and ratings volume (434 vs 11). 8Strummer's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ruffio holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ruffio has 434 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 67% and 66% positive.
8Strummer ships an update every 26 months, Ruffio every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | 8Strummer | Ruffio |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.6 (11 ratings) | 4.4 (434 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 66.7% of reviews — better | 65.9% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 | 434 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 26 months | Every 10 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 7.0 — better | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 38 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Drew Milloy | Rufus Mall |
Customer experience
8Strummer
Ruffio
Bugs and requests
8Strummer
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Ruffio
Reported bugs
9 issues- YouTube import not working (multiple reports)
- App crashes on iPad
- Audio phasing in and out during playback
- Sliders not responding to input
- Staticky sound quality
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- Drums still audible when slider turned off
- Voice cutting out intermittently
- App not functioning on iPhone 13 Pro
- Blank screen on iPad with missing import button
Requested features
8 requests- Export stems as individual audio files
- Pitch change and tempo adjustment
- Ability to play songs backwards
- Better slider controls and responsiveness
- Playlist management system
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- Easy track deletion without reinstalling
- Cleaner and clearer stem separation
- Better iPad UI with visible import button
In-app purchases
8Strummer
No in-app purchases
Ruffio
No in-app purchases









