# the Craic vs Strum Machine

The clearest difference is price: Strum Machine at Free against the Craic's $4.99. Strum Machine also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.3) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 2 months). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Strum Machine is free to download; the Craic costs $4.99 up front. the Craic sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $1.39 per month and Strum Machine sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Strum Machine holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Strum Machine has 120 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 75% of the Craic's written reviews are positive against 89% of Strum Machine's.

the Craic ships an update every 2 months, Strum Machine fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | the Craic | Strum Machine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.3 (13 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-craic/id586009292/reviews) | **[4.7 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 13 | **120** |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | **88.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#176** |
| Size | 60 MB | 77 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wil Macaulay](https://appshunter.io/developer/301735019) | [Luke Abbott LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1509158552) |

## What reviewers say

### the Craic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-craic/id586009292)

This app transforms your device into a portable digital tunebook, offering thousands of traditional tunes in ABC notation. Easily search, play, and organize music for various instruments, with options to create custom sets and collections. Import tunes from multiple sources and share them as ABC or PDF.

**Highlights:** Searchable tune library, Create and play tune sets, Organize favorite tunes, Import ABC notation, Playback with tempo control, Edit ABC notation, Print and share tunes

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly supporter | $1.39 | per month |
| Yearly supporter | $12.99 | per year |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Huge Tip | $19.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use interface
- 🎵 Great for learning tunes
- 🗂️ Good for managing tune libraries
- 🌐 Easy online searching and downloading
- 🎶 Ability to alter and add notes/bowings

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Won't read past errors in older ABC spec
- 🐛 Doesn't report ABC spec errors
- 🎚️ No support for multi-voice (e.g., SATB grandstaff)
- 🎼 Small note heads
- 🎚️ Does not cover concertinas

**Reported bugs**

- Won't read past errors in older ABC spec
- Doesn't report ABC spec errors
- No support for multi-voice (e.g., SATB grandstaff)
- Small note heads
- Does not cover concertinas

**Requested features**

- Support for multi-voice ABC notation
- Larger note heads
- Support for concertinas (especially CG Anglo)
- Option to select tunes only from Favourites list
- Option to rearrange items within a set


### Strum Machine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strum-machine-backing-tracks/id1509158553)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Grossing · Music (US App Store)

Generate realistic backing tracks for practice with real instrument audio. Customize chord progressions, keys, and tempo. Features a large song library, song editor, and band customization options. Works offline and syncs across devices.

**Highlights:** Realistic instrument audio backing tracks, Customizable chord progressions, keys, and tempo, Extensive song library, Simple song editor, Band and instrument customization, Cross-platform syncing and offline mode

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $4.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is the Craic free?

the Craic costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is Strum Machine free?

Strum Machine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, the Craic or Strum Machine?

Strum Machine is rated higher. the Craic averages 4.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Strum Machine averages 4.7 from 120 ratings.

### Do the Craic or Strum Machine have ads?

Neither the Craic nor Strum Machine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, the Craic or Strum Machine?

the Craic ships an update every 2 months, and Strum Machine fortnightly. Most recently, the Craic was updated on October 22, 2026 and Strum Machine on October 29, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*