# FretBuilder vs Fretwise

The clearest difference is update cadence: Fretwise at weekly against FretBuilder's every 15 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FretBuilder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Fretwise sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

FretBuilder ships an update every 15 months, Fretwise weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 9, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FretBuilder | Fretwise |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 15 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 16 MB | 4 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | **17.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Fraune](https://appshunter.io/developer/1662190391) | [Sebastian Bolling](https://appshunter.io/developer/1416824787) |

## What reviewers say

### FretBuilder

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretbuilder/id6505123345)

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly premium | $1.99 | per month |
| Yearly premium | $19.99 | per year |


### Fretwise

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretwise/id6757199291)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FretBuilder free?

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

### Is Fretwise free?

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

### Do FretBuilder or Fretwise have ads?

Neither FretBuilder nor Fretwise shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FretBuilder or Fretwise?

FretBuilder ships an update every 15 months, and Fretwise weekly. Most recently, FretBuilder was updated on September 19, 2026 and Fretwise on September 9, 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.*