Comparison

Fret Buddy vs Guitarling

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Fret Buddy

Features
Read full description

Fret Buddy – The Ultimate Guitar Practice Toolkit Master your guitar skills with Fret Buddy! Whether you're a beginner or an experienced musician, this all-in-one guitar practice app is designed to help you tune your guitar, transpose chords, train your ear, and stay on beat with ease. Unlock the power of essential guitar tools like the chord transposer, circle of fifths, chord library, tuner, metronome, and ear training exercises β€” plus bite-sized interactive lessons to help you truly understand the fretboard. Key Features: Bite-Sized Guitar Lessons Learn guitar theory with structured, easy-to-follow lessons covering triads, intervals, chord shapes, and more. Each lesson includes interactive fretboard quizzes to reinforce your knowledge and help you master the fretboard. Fretboard Visualizer See any note, scale, mode, or triad shape mapped on the fretboard to deepen your understanding of the guitar. Chord Transposer Effortlessly transpose chord progressions into any key with automatic key detection. Learn faster with chord shape visualizations (Full version feature). Guitar Tuner Achieve perfect tuning with a precise guitar tuner that filters out background noise. Supports multiple guitar tunings, with manual string-by-string tuning and vibration feedback in the full version. Metronome Stay on beat with a customizable metronome featuring multiple sound options. Tap to set the tempo and fine-tune your rhythm. (Full version: custom metronome sounds) Ear Training Tool Sharpen your musical ear with quick exercises to help you recognize notes, scales, and chord progressions. Unlock advanced difficulty levels in the full version. Interactive Circle of Fifths Explore music theory, chord progressions, and key signatures with the Interactive Circle of Fifths, your shortcut to understanding harmony. Chord Finder Explore an extensive collection of over 500 chords and 2000 possible positions for both guitar and ukulele in our beautifully designed chord finder. (Full version unlocks complex chords and ukulele chords) Why Choose Fret Buddy? All-in-One Toolkit – Includes tuner, chord transposer, metronome, ear training, and interactive lessons Free Version – Fully functional with minimal ads Premium Upgrade – Unlock chord shape visualizations, manual tuning, custom sounds, advanced ear training, and more User-Friendly Interface – Designed for guitarists, bass players, and fretted instrument musicians Light & Dark Mode – Practice anytime with a UI that adapts to you Upgrade to the Full Version Unlock premium features with a one-time purchase and enjoy an ad-free experience, advanced tuning options, and in-depth practice tools. Download Fret Buddy now and take your guitar practice to the next levelβ€”with theory that sticks and tools that deliver.

About

Guitarling

Features
Read full description

Guitarling helps you learn and practise guitar β€” from your first chord to building real fluency on the fretboard. Whether you're just starting out, getting back to the instrument, or putting in daily practice, Guitarling brings the tools and drills you need into one focused app. TOOLS β€’ Tuner β€” accurate microphone-based pitch detection β€’ Metronome β€” BPM 40–240, multiple time signatures, visual beat indicator β€’ Capo Tool β€” find playable keys with different capo positions β€’ Composer β€” composer your own music EAR TRAINING & THEORY β€’ Ear Mastery β€” note recognition, interval ID, chord quality detection β€’ Fretboard Mastery β€” note ID, interval finding, race mode, find-all β€’ Chord Mastery β€” identify voicings, build chords from intervals β€’ Tab Game β€” read tab notation under time pressure β€’ Scale & Chord Explorer β€” visualise scales and chord shapes β€’ Key Finder β€” analyse a chord sequence to find the key β€’ Circle of Fifths β€” interactive reference PRACTICE β€’ Practice Log β€” track every session automatically β€’ Guided Sessions β€” pre-built routines for chord transitions, scales, drills β€’ Practice Plans β€” set weekly minute goals per feature β€’ Finger Drills, Scale Drills, Chord Transitions β€” targeted technique work β€’ Fingerpicking β€” pattern practice with backing chords DESIGNED FOR REAL PRACTICE β€’ Works offline β€” every practice feature runs without a network β€’ Dark interface β€” easy on the eyes during late sessions β€’ Cross-device sync (Premium) β€” your progress follows you between phone, tablet, and web Subscription auto-renews monthly or annually unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime from your App Store account settings. Got feedback? Email support@guitarling.com β€” we read every message. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Fret Buddy4 screens
Guitarling4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Guitarling at none against Fret Buddy's shown. Guitarling also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 2 months). Fret Buddy's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Fret Buddy sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Guitarling sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $14.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fret Buddy ships an update every 2 months, Guitarling every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 3 level
Fret Buddy versus Guitarling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFret BuddyGuitarling
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 8 days β€” better
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 β€” better15.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size33 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPavlo TatarenkoAsaf Amit

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Fret Buddy

One-time1
  • Fret Buddy Full Version$2.99
1 purchases

Guitarling

Subscriptions1
  • Annual$14.991 Year

Questions

Is Fret Buddy free?
Fret Buddy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Guitarling free?
Guitarling is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Fret Buddy or Guitarling have ads?
Fret Buddy shows ads; Guitarling does not.
Which is updated more often, Fret Buddy or Guitarling?
Fret Buddy ships an update every 2 months, and Guitarling every 8 days. Most recently, Fret Buddy was updated on October 30, 2026 and Guitarling on October 31, 2026.

Other comparisons