# GuitarNotes vs StringMaster Lite

The clearest difference is price: StringMaster Lite at Free against GuitarNotes's $2.99. StringMaster Lite also leads on rating (4.9 vs 4.7) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). GuitarNotes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (222 vs 24). On review sentiment, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

StringMaster Lite is free to download; GuitarNotes costs $2.99 up front. StringMaster Lite sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. GuitarNotes asks for nothing beyond the download.

StringMaster Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GuitarNotes has 222 ratings behind it against 24, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of GuitarNotes's written reviews are positive against 79% of StringMaster Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

GuitarNotes ships an update every 5 months, StringMaster Lite every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GuitarNotes | StringMaster Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.7 (222 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitarnotes-master-fretboard/id492150266/reviews) | **[4.9 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stringmaster-lite/id605222142/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **222** | 24 |
| Positive reviews | **84.2% of reviews** | 78.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 months** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 165 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [小舟 苏](https://appshunter.io/developer/433653721) | [Great Apptitude Pty Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1519213669) |

## What reviewers say

### GuitarNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitarnotes-master-fretboard/id492150266)

Learn and master guitar fretboard notes with interactive practice modes. Identify notes by fret location or find fret positions for specific notes. Customize your learning experience with adjustable settings and realistic sounds.

**Highlights:** Guess the note by fret, Locate the note by position, Supports left and right-handed players, Customizable quizzes, Realistic guitar sounds, Adjustable practice session duration

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Highly customizable practice
- 💰 Affordable price point
- 🧠 Effective for memorization
- ✅ Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Well-programmed and brilliant

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐌 App is unbearably slow (post-update)
- ⚫ Boring black and white interface
- 📉 Downgraded after redesign
- 🐛 Notes are incorrect on some strings
- 🚫 No sound

**Reported bugs**

- App is unbearably slow after update v3
- Notes are incorrect on some strings (iPhone 6s)
- No sound
- App doesn't work properly on iPhone 6s
- Numbers splash up on screen and can't be removed

**Requested features**

- Visualize notes by mistakes
- Sort by most mistaken notes
- Completely turn off timer
- Freeplay mode
- Alternate tunings (drop D, DADGAD)


### StringMaster Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/stringmaster-lite/id605222142)

Learn guitar fretboards quickly with this educational tool. It offers sophisticated chord tools and can be upgraded to support more instruments and advanced features like MIDI playback and songwriting.

**Highlights:** Guitar fretboard learning, Chord tools, Supports multiple instruments (via IAP), MIDI playback (via IAP), Songwriting capability (via IAP)

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Metronome and Tuner | $3.99 | one-time |
| Fretlight Guitar Support | $3.99 | one-time |
| Enable All Instruments | $3.99 | one-time |
| StringMaster Pro Upgrade | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GuitarNotes free?

GuitarNotes costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is StringMaster Lite free?

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

### Which has better reviews, GuitarNotes or StringMaster Lite?

StringMaster Lite is rated higher. GuitarNotes averages 4.7 out of 5 from 222 ratings, while StringMaster Lite averages 4.9 from 24 ratings.

### Do GuitarNotes or StringMaster Lite have ads?

Neither GuitarNotes nor StringMaster Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GuitarNotes or StringMaster Lite?

GuitarNotes ships an update every 5 months, and StringMaster Lite every 6 months. Most recently, GuitarNotes was updated on October 18, 2026 and StringMaster Lite on September 23, 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.*