Comparison

GuitarBuddy Scales vs StrumBuddy

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

Head to head
About

GuitarBuddy Scales

Features
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GuitarBuddy Scales helps you study guitar theory with fast practice games built around the fretboard. Choose a key and scale, then train the skills that matter on a real instrument: Fret Guess: identify the right note for a highlighted fretboard position Ear Hunt: hear a note and find it on the fretboard Scale Detective: listen to a short phrase and recognize the degree pattern Designed for focused practice sessions: - Full fretboard view in landscape - Major, Natural Minor, Minor Pentatonic, and Major Pentatonic scales - Session tracking with accuracy, streaks, score, and max score Local history of study sessions saved on device Clean visual layout built for quick repetition GuitarBuddy Scales is made for players who want stronger fretboard recall, better scale fluency, and sharper musical perception.

About

StrumBuddy

Features
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Learn acoustic guitar five minutes a day β€” with a coach that actually listens. StrumBuddy uses your iPhone's mic to hear you play, then gives the kind of feedback a good teacher would: not just "right or wrong," but exactly which string buzzed, which note didn't ring, and which chord change is falling apart under tempo. Then it tells you the one thing to work on next. WHY STRUMBUDDY IS DIFFERENT β€’ It listens. Play a real acoustic guitar β€” no tapping along to a screen. β€’ Per-string feedback. See clean vs. muted vs. buzzing for every string, so you know precisely what to fix. β€’ An adaptive coach. StrumBuddy tracks your individual skills, finds your weak spots, and shows its reasoning β€” "your C is fine; it's the change into it that needs work." β€’ A 5-minute daily habit. One tap starts a short guided session that always ends on a win, with a streak to keep you going. WHAT'S INSIDE β€’ Chord trainer with live, per-string cleanliness feedback β€’ Chromatic tuner β€’ Transition drills with a metronome to tighten your chord changes β€’ A guided daily session picked for you by the coach β€’ A skill path that grows as you do BUILT FOR BEGINNERS Most people who pick up a guitar quit within a few months. StrumBuddy is built to get you past that β€” small daily wins, clear next steps, and feedback that meets you where you are. PRIVATE BY DESIGN StrumBuddy processes audio on your device. No account, no tracking, nothing sent to a server. Grab your guitar and play. StrumBuddy is listening.

Screenshots

GuitarBuddy Scales3 screens
StrumBuddy4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: StrumBuddy at none against GuitarBuddy Scales's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 5 level
GuitarBuddy Scales versus StrumBuddy: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitarBuddy ScalesStrumBuddy
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysβ€”
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPod β€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 β€” better16.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size26 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOTAVIO AUGUSTO SANTOS DE SOUZAColin Watson

In-app purchases

None

GuitarBuddy Scales

No in-app purchases

None

StrumBuddy

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GuitarBuddy Scales free?
GuitarBuddy Scales is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is StrumBuddy free?
StrumBuddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GuitarBuddy Scales or StrumBuddy have ads?
GuitarBuddy Scales shows ads; StrumBuddy does not.

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