StrumForge vs Guitar Visualizer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
StrumForge
Instantly generate countless guitar chord progressions and practice with built-in scales, tempo, and grooves. Explore various chord types and fingerings, and play along with integrated drum patterns. Designed for musicians to focus on playing and songwriting.
- Generate over 425,000 chord progressions
- Play along with chord diagrams in tempo
- Solo over progressions with scale diagrams
- Lock or randomize key
- Choose chord types (open, barre, triads, power)
- Built-in drum groove and tempo control
- Left-handed chord diagram support
Read full descriptionHide full description
StrumForge brings chord progressions, drum grooves, scales, triads, and arpeggios together in one practice app. Work on chord changes, build your timing, and practice improvisation with interactive diagrams and built-in playback. Instantly generate over 1 million unique, theory-based chord progressions across every key. Customize your practice loop, choose your guitar sound and rhythm, and play along at your own pace. No ads. No account required to get started. CHORD PROGRESSIONS • Generate theory-based progressions instantly across every key • Choose 2, 4, 8, 12, or 16 chords for focused loops or longer practice sessions • Select your key, mode, chord types, tempo, and guitar sound • Lock individual chords, change their voicings, or replace them manually • Explore open chords, barre chords, triads, and power chords • Add sevenths, suspended chords, and add9 chords • See chord shapes outlined on your scale diagram during playback or chord preview • Build your own progression to practice specific chord changes RHYTHM & DRUMS • Play along with sampled drum grooves that bring your practice to life • Unlock the full collection of 20 grooves with Pro, including rhythms in 4/4, 3/4, and 6/8 • Customize individual drum parts from light to busy, add fills, and choose an optional metronome click • Explore guitar strumming patterns and choose your strum independently of the drum groove • Adjust guitar and drum volumes to suit your practice • Save your drum settings and guitar strum with each favorite progression TRIADS & ARPEGGIOS • Explore every triad inversion and see how shapes connect across the fretboard • Play along with the Triad Trainer to practice changes in time • Learn moveable arpeggios through CAGED chord shapes • Follow animated TAB that highlights each fret as it plays • Adjust playback tempo, direction, and rhythm to practice at your own pace SCALES & FRETBOARD • Practice improvisation over progressions with matching mode and pentatonic scale diagrams • Explore CAGED scale shapes individually or across the full fretboard • Choose note or interval labels and highlight triads or characteristic intervals • Move diagrams to your preferred fretboard position • Explore chord shapes with interval, note, or suggested finger-placement labels • Use left-handed diagrams in portrait or landscape orientation UNLOCK STRUMFORGE PRO • Unlimited progression generation and longer progressions • Musical styles for mood-based generation • The full drum groove collection, customizable kits, fills, and independent guitar strumming • Triad Trainer and Arpeggio Trainer with animated TAB • Advanced scale tools and individual CAGED scale shapes • Save, revisit, and share favorite progressions, including your chosen scale and rhythm settings • Sync favorites and preferences across devices with an account • Track practice automatically with session stats and streaks • Built-in guitar tuner with popular alternate tunings and reference tones • Full-featured metronome with tap tempo, subdivisions, swing, and saved presets • Additional 12-string, overdrive, and arpeggiated guitar sounds • Dark mode and saved practice preferences From focused chord-change drills to exploring the whole fretboard, StrumForge helps you put music theory into practice—and discover ideas for your own songs along the way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Guitar Visualizer
Visualize scales, chords, and modes across the entire guitar fretboard. Understand music theory by seeing how notes and chords connect in real-time. Ideal for guitarists looking to deepen their understanding beyond memorization.
- Visualize all scales and modes
- See every chord and voicing
- Understand the CAGED system
- Layer scales and chords
- Analyze unknown chords
- Target specific scale degrees
- Multiple display modes
Read full descriptionHide full description
See the fretboard like never before. Guitar Visualizer is the intelligent fretboard tool that shows you every scale, chord, and mode in every position, in every key. No more googling chord diagrams. No more memorizing shapes one at a time. Just open the app and see it all. SUBSCRIPTION: Access to all features requires a paid subscription to Guitar Visualizer Pro, yearly or monthly ($19.99/year or $2.99/month in the US; prices vary by country and are shown in the app before you subscribe). New subscribers start with a 7-day free trial. Auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Manage or cancel anytime in iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. Key Features: SCALES & MODES: Every scale across the entire neck. Pentatonic, Major, Minor, Dorian, Mixolydian, and more. Switch between clean view, note names, and interval numbers with one tap. CHORDS & VOICINGS: Every chord type with real, playable voicings sourced from professional references. Major, Minor, 7ths, 9ths, diminished, augmented, sus chords, and more — all with multiple positions across the neck. THE CAGED SYSTEM: See how chord shapes connect across the fretboard. The CAGED system, fully visualized — switch between C, A, G, E, and D positions instantly. TWO LAYERS: See a scale and a chord at the same time. Layer them together to understand which notes overlap — the fastest way to connect theory to playing. CHORD ANALYZER: Tap any notes on the fretboard and the analyzer identifies what chord you're playing. It even recognizes specific voicing shapes. TARGET NOTES: Highlight specific scale degrees to focus your practice. See which notes are the 3rd, the 5th, the 7th — across every position. DISPLAY MODES: Switch between clean fretboard, note names, or interval numbers. See the theory your way. Built for guitarists who want to understand what they're playing — not just memorize it. Terms of Service: https://www.notion.so/Terms-of-Service-Guitar-Visualizer-341d65a2466a80aaadf2eea2a8e2cc66 Customer Support: We really care about your experience! If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to hello@guitarvisualizerapp.com and we will reach out to you as soon as possible.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: StrumForge at free against Guitar Visualizer's subscription. StrumForge also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 6 weeks) and rating (4.9 vs 4.7). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. StrumForge sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days and Guitar Visualizer sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
StrumForge holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 53 and 34 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
StrumForge ships an update every 3 days, Guitar Visualizer every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on October 20, 2026.
| Parameter | StrumForge | Guitar Visualizer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.9 (53 ratings) — better | 4.7 (34 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 53 — better | 34 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Subscription |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 15.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 66 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Adam Spain | Juan Negron |
Customer experience
StrumForge
Guitar Visualizer
In-app purchases
StrumForge
- StrumForge Pro Weekly7 Days trial$2.997 Days
- StrumForge Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
- StrumForge Pro Annual$24.991 Year
- Lifetime Pro$49.99
Guitar Visualizer
- Guitar Visualizer Pro7 Days trial$0.991 Month
Questions
Is StrumForge free?
Is Guitar Visualizer free?
Which has better reviews, StrumForge or Guitar Visualizer?
Do StrumForge or Guitar Visualizer have ads?
Which is updated more often, StrumForge or Guitar Visualizer?
Other comparisons















