# The Strad vs The Live Room

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: The Live Room at none against The Strad's 24. On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. The Strad sells 24 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per 3 months. The Live Room asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Strad ships an update every 7 months, The Live Room every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Strad | The Live Room |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.3 (38 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **38** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 21 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 | 13.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Newsquest Specialist Media Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/511856637) | [Ovic Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1580081115) |

## What reviewers say

### The Strad

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-strad/id511856633)

Access the world's leading string music magazine, featuring interviews, in-depth articles on instruments, and masterclass sheet music. Explore the latest news, commentary, and analysis for makers, musicians, and teachers.

**Highlights:** Interviews with star string players, In-depth articles on instruments, Masterclass sheet music section, News, comment, and analysis, Exclusive videos and audio clips, Interactive links

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

**In-app purchases (24)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| The Strad | $14.99 | per 3 months |
| The Strad | $59.99 | per year |
| June 2012 (id:736861) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2012 (id:736003) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2013 and De... (id:738002) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2014 (id:738506) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2013 (id:736381) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2013 (id:735750) | $4.99 | one-time |
| March 2016 (id:738737) | $4.99 | one-time |
| May 2020 And De... (id:771419) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2017 (id:757689) | $4.99 | one-time |
| December 2024 (pp:1024896) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2019 an... (id:762634) | $4.99 | one-time |
| April 2016 (id:745918) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2017 (id:757679) | $4.99 | one-time |
| November 2017 (id:757687) | $4.99 | one-time |
| February 2019 (id:766008) | $4.99 | one-time |
| September 2020 (id:771411) | $4.99 | one-time |
| October 2018 (id:762640) | $4.99 | one-time |
| July 2024 (pp:1024926) | $4.99 | one-time |
| January 2025 a... (pp:1110854) | $5.99 | one-time |
| The Strad Magazine 2 back issue bundle | $7.99 | one-time |
| Great Instruments (id:810171) | $14.99 | one-time |
| The Strad | $179.99 | one-time |


### The Live Room

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-live-room/id1207871903)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Strad free?

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

### Is The Live Room free?

The Live Room is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do The Strad or The Live Room have ads?

Neither The Strad nor The Live Room shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Strad or The Live Room?

The Strad ships an update every 7 months, and The Live Room every 5 months. Most recently, The Strad was updated on November 1, 2026 and The Live Room on October 26, 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.*