# CUE vs FretMachine

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CUE at none against FretMachine's 1. FretMachine's advantage is update cadence (daily vs weekly). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FretMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. CUE asks for nothing beyond the download.

CUE ships an update weekly, FretMachine daily. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CUE | FretMachine |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretmachine-guitar-sequencer/id6772944355/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **1** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | **Daily** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 44 MB | 227 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [David Pina](https://appshunter.io/developer/1773309630) | [Kyuhwa Choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772944357) |

## What reviewers say

### CUE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cue-dj-map/id6759575893)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### FretMachine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretmachine-guitar-sequencer/id6772944355)

This app allows musicians to sketch guitar parts by placing chords on a fretboard and creating strumming patterns. It offers an intuitive alternative to traditional tab workflows, enabling users to build chord progressions and export ideas as MIDI files for DAWs.

**Highlights:** Fretboard chord input, Strumming pattern sequencer, Chord library with advanced chords, Real-time chord analysis, MIDI export for DAWs, Timeline arrangement

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Unlock | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CUE free?

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

### Is FretMachine free?

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

### Do CUE or FretMachine have ads?

Neither CUE nor FretMachine shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, CUE or FretMachine?

CUE ships an update weekly, and FretMachine daily. Most recently, CUE was updated on October 25, 2026 and FretMachine on November 5, 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.*