# Fretref vs StrumLab Jam

The clearest difference is update cadence: StrumLab Jam at fortnightly against Fretref's every 3 months. Fretref's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fretref sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and StrumLab Jam sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Fretref ships an update every 3 months, StrumLab Jam fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fretref | StrumLab Jam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strumlab-jam/id6747805038/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **2** |
| Positive reviews | — | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Size | 102 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Panña Creative Studios](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796769835) | [Gary Harkness](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812698395) |

## What reviewers say

### Fretref

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretref-guitar-handbook/id6742094111)

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium - Monthly Subscription | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium - Yearly Subscription | $18.49 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |


### StrumLab Jam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/strumlab-jam/id6747805038)

Enhance your guitar practice with a vast library of YouTube backing tracks. Visualize your fretboard in real-time, filter by genre and key, and receive practice reminders. Unlock over 1000 tracks and advanced features with a premium subscription.

**Highlights:** 100+ free backing tracks, 1000+ premium tracks, Real-time fretboard visualization, Genre, key, and scale filtering, Scheduled practice reminders, Full fretboard view (0-12 frets)

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Plan | $2.99 | per year |
| StrumLab Jam Pro | $24.99 | per year |
| StrumLab All Access | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fretref free?

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

### Is StrumLab Jam free?

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

### Do Fretref or StrumLab Jam have ads?

Neither Fretref nor StrumLab Jam shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Fretref or StrumLab Jam?

Fretref ships an update every 3 months, and StrumLab Jam fortnightly. Most recently, Fretref was updated on October 12, 2026 and StrumLab Jam on October 22, 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.*