# Tuner HD vs Fretcetera

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Fretcetera at none against Tuner HD's 3. Fretcetera also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and ratings volume (11 vs 2). Tuner HD's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 92%) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 12.0). On price, rating and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tuner HD sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Fretcetera asks for nothing beyond the download.

Tuner HD holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fretcetera has 11 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Tuner HD's written reviews are positive against 92% of Fretcetera's.

Tuner HD ships an update every 2 months, Fretcetera every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tuner HD | Fretcetera |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tuner-hd/id671112940/reviews)** | [4.8 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretcetera/id1262938497/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **11** |
| Positive reviews | **100.0% of reviews** | 91.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 74 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Panoramic Software Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/329216366) | [Joel Pipher](https://appshunter.io/developer/1262938496) |

## What reviewers say

### Tuner HD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tuner-hd/id671112940)

This highly accurate and customizable digital tuner is a must-have for musicians of all levels. It offers visual feedback with LED indicators and a frequency graph, along with automatic or manual note selection. An optional metronome is available for purchase.

**Highlights:** High precision digital tuning, Visual pitch deviation indicators, Sound frequency graph display, Automatic or manual note selection, Wide detection range (A0-C8), Proprietary tuning logic for mobile

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Metronome | $0.99 | one-time |
| Digital Tuner: Remove Ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Full Version | $1.99 | one-time |


### Fretcetera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretcetera/id1262938497)

This app helps musicians find chords, scales, and progressions for string instruments in any tuning. It calculates optimal fingerings based on playability and user-defined preferences, and can generate chord transition suggestions.

**Highlights:** Chord and scale finder, Custom tuning support, Playability-based results, Progression builder, Chord transition suggestions, Instrument configuration

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tuner HD free?

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

### Is Fretcetera free?

Fretcetera is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Tuner HD or Fretcetera?

Tuner HD is rated higher. Tuner HD averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Fretcetera averages 4.8 from 11 ratings.

### Do Tuner HD or Fretcetera have ads?

Neither Tuner HD nor Fretcetera shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tuner HD or Fretcetera?

Tuner HD ships an update every 2 months, and Fretcetera every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tuner HD was updated on November 1, 2026 and Fretcetera on November 2, 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.*