Comparison

Fretuoso vs Fret Notes

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

Head to head
About

Fretuoso

Learn note positions on stringed instruments through an engaging game. Supports multiple instruments and offers staff training to improve sheet music reading. Practice specific fret ranges and tunings with adaptive learning.

Highlights
  • Learn note locations on fretboard
  • Supports 11 string instruments
  • Staff training for sheet music
  • Customizable practice modes
  • Flexible tuning options
  • Progress tracking and statistics
  • Adaptive learning engine
Features
Read full description

Master the Fretboard with Fretuoso Fretuoso is an engaging educational game designed to help you learn the location of notes on the fretboard of the guitar and other stringed instruments. With support for eleven instruments—including 4, 5, and 6-string basses, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo—you can expand your musical knowledge no matter your instrument of choice. How It Works Presented with random notes on the fretboard, you choose the correct answer from multiple options. Simply tap the right button to score points and improve your skills! The new Staff Training Mode helps you learn the positions of notes on the musical staff relative to your instrument’s fretboard, making reading sheet music a breeze. Features • Train Your Ear and Mind: Enhance your auditory skills while deepening your understanding of your instrument. • Learn Sheet Music: Master the positions of notes on the musical staff; say goodbye to tabs! • Eleven Realistic Instruments: Choose from 4 guitars, 3 basses, mandolin, ukulele, and banjo—all with beautiful, lifelike graphics. • Customized Training: Focus on specific fret ranges or string subsets to target your practice. • Flexible Tunings: Use built-in common tunings or create your own custom tunings. • Progress Visualization: Track your improvement with detailed statistics for every fret. • Smart Learning Engine: The app adapts to focus on areas where you need more practice. • Competitive Play: Enjoy Game Mode with levels of increasing difficulty, compete with friends, and share your achievements via Game Center. • Left-Handed Mode: Fully compatible with left-handed players. What Artists Are Saying “Learning the notes on the fretboard is key to any guitarist’s development, and Fretuoso is a neat way to get that info burned into your brain without having to carry a guitar everywhere you go. Pretty cool!” — Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats, Steve Vai, Mike Keneally) “This is one of the best apps I’ve seen in a while. It’s simple, fun, and educational. Very useful for guitar players, as many tend to play by ear and not focus on knowing the fretboard.” — Rick Musallam (Mike Keneally, Gryphon Labs) Unlock Full Access This version offers free access to only part of each available instrument. Unlock the full potential of Fretuoso with a Premium subscription, including every instrument, level, and feature, ad-free! Terms Of Service (EULA): https://fretuoso.app/terms/

About

Fret Notes

Features
Read full description

Master the notes on your guitar fretboard. Fret Notes turns fretboard learning into a simple game designed to help you recognize notes faster and more naturally. Instead of memorizing diagrams, practice identifying notes directly on the fretboard and build the instant recognition that makes navigating the guitar easier. Fret Notes also tracks your average response time, so you can see your progress as finding notes becomes quicker and more automatic. Features: 
• Learn notes across the guitar fretboard 
• Practice through a simple, focused game 
• Track your average response time 
• See your recognition speed improve over time 
• Clean, distraction-free experience Whether you’re learning the fretboard for the first time or want to strengthen your note recognition, Fret Notes gives you a simple way to practice a little every day.

Screenshots

Fretuoso4 screens
Fret Notes4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Fretuoso at Free against Fret Notes's $0.99. Fretuoso also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 15 months). Fret Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 10) and ads (none vs shown). On device support and iOS requirement 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

Fretuoso is free to download; Fret Notes costs $0.99 up front. Fretuoso sells 10 one-off in-app purchases. Fret Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fretuoso ships an update every 9 days, Fret Notes every 15 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Fretuoso versus Fret Notes: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretuosoFret Notes
PriceFree — better$0.99
Rating4.6 (954 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews63.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings954 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 15 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size82 MB0 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperCatloaf Software LLCLuca Strazzullo

Bugs and requests

Fretuoso

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Restore purchases not working
  • Sound not working
  • Crashes and freezes
  • Incorrect note display
  • Syncing issues

Requested features

5 requests
  • Allow adjusting fret marker positions
  • Add 'play the fret' mode
  • Improve randomness of note selection
  • Provide more tuning and instrument options
  • Add landscape mode support

Fret Notes

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

10 purchases

Fretuoso

One-time10
  • Guitar$39.90
  • Bass Guitar$39.90
  • Banjo$39.90
Show 7 more
  • Mandolin$39.90
  • Ukulele$39.90
  • 7-String Guitar$39.90
  • 5-String Bass Guitar$39.90
  • 6-String Bass Guitar$39.90
  • Acoustic Guitar$39.90
  • All Instruments$89.90
None

Fret Notes

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fretuoso free?
Fretuoso is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Fret Notes free?
Fret Notes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fretuoso or Fret Notes have ads?
Fretuoso shows ads; Fret Notes does not.
Which is updated more often, Fretuoso or Fret Notes?
Fretuoso ships an update every 9 days, and Fret Notes every 15 months. Most recently, Fretuoso was updated on November 1, 2026 and Fret Notes on October 25, 2026.

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