# Fretionary vs Study Shield

The clearest difference is monetization model: Fretionary at free with in-app purchases against Study Shield's subscription. Fretionary also leads on ratings volume (25 vs 1). Study Shield's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Fretionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and Study Shield sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Study Shield holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fretionary has 25 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

## The numbers

| Metric | Fretionary | Study Shield |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (25 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretionary/id6761344883/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-shield-focus-timer/id6788942268/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **25** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | — |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 57 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brandon Sumner](https://appshunter.io/developer/1889019674) | [Lambtor LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896673012) |

## What reviewers say

### Fretionary

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretionary/id6761344883)

This app transforms your device into an interactive guitar fretboard, visualizing scales, chords, and progressions. It offers color-coded displays and real audio playback to aid music theory learning.

**Highlights:** Interactive fretboard visualization, 14 scales and modes, 25 chord types, CAGED system shapes, Chord progression builder, Color-coded by function

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fretionary Pro Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Fretionary Pro Annual | $24.99 | per year |
| Fretionary Pro Lifetime | $44.99 | one-time |


### Study Shield

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/study-shield-focus-timer/id6788942268)

This app helps you focus on studying by blocking distracting applications and tracking your progress. It offers individual and group study sessions, gamified elements, and detailed analytics to build effective study habits.

**Highlights:** App blocking focus timer, Class and grade tracking, 24/7 study rooms, Live study groups with chat, Leaderboards and school comparisons, Habit building streaks, Detailed study analytics

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Study Shield Pro Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Study Shield Pro Annual | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Fretionary free?

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

### Is Study Shield free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Fretionary or Study Shield?

Study Shield is rated higher. Fretionary averages 4.6 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Study Shield averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Fretionary or Study Shield have ads?

Fretionary shows ads; Study Shield does not.

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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.*