Comparison

Fretionary vs UltraChord

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

Head to head
About

Fretionary

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
Read full description

Fretionary turns your entire fretboard into a visual theory map. Stop hunting for scale shapes on YouTube. Stop forgetting which chord is which. Fretionary puts every scale, chord, and progression you need right on an interactive fretboard — color-coded, labeled, and playable with real guitar audio. FEATURES • 14 scales & modes — Major, Minor, Pentatonic, Blues, Dorian, Lydian, and more • 36 chord types with fingering diagrams — Triads, 7ths, 9ths, 11ths, 13ths, Sus, Add, and more • CAGED system — all 5 shapes color-coded across the neck, with reference chord diagrams • 64 chord progressions — across Pop, Rock, Blues, Jazz, Latin, Motown, Gospel, Classical, Reggae, and more • Progressions builder — Common, Diatonic, or build your own from scratch • Practice drills — Name the Note, Find the Note, String Drill (Beginner to Advanced) • Identify — reverse chord lookup: tap any notes on the fretboard, get the chord name • Progress tracking — daily streak plus scales explored, chords learned, and progressions played • Interactive fretboard up to 24 frets — tap positions directly, focus on any range • Color-coded by function — roots, 3rds, 5ths, and extensions instantly visible • 9 alternate tunings — Standard, Drop D, Drop C, DADGAD, Open D/G/E, Eb Standard, and more • Real guitar audio — sample-based playback for every scale, chord, and progression • Built-in metronome (free) — BPM 40–240, six time signatures, tap-tempo • iPad optimized — full-screen fretboard with side-by-side controls FRETIONARY PRO Unlock all scales, chords, progressions, tunings, and practice modes. • Monthly: $7.99/month • Lifetime: $44.99 one time Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Privacy Policy: https://fretionary.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

UltraChord

Master chord recall and understanding with this music education app. It uses active recall and spaced repetition to help you learn chords quickly and accurately. Practice specific genres or create custom mixes, and hear chords played on various instruments.

Highlights
  • Chord recall and accuracy tracking
  • Spaced repetition learning
  • Genre-specific chord practice
  • Custom chord mixes
  • Hear chords on multiple instruments
  • Daily practice reminders and streaks
Features
Read full description

Know your chords. Don't calculate them. You see F#m7. Do the notes come straight to mind, or do you have to work them out? UltraChord helps you build faster, more confident chord recall, so you can spend less time calculating and more time playing, writing, and improvising. GETTING IT RIGHT IS JUST THE START Knowing a chord means more than finding the right answer eventually. UltraChord tracks accuracy and recall speed, helping you build toward knowing the notes without stopping to think. PRACTICE WHAT NEEDS WORK Spell chords and recall their guide tones from memory. Get immediate feedback, then revisit the chords that slow you down. Your practice adapts to your results. SEE YOUR PRACTICE PAY OFF Follow each chord's progress in your chord map. See what's becoming familiar and what still needs attention. LEARN THE CHORDS YOU'LL ACTUALLY PLAY Start with guided Fundamentals and Chord Building lessons, then explore Pop, Rock, Blues, and Jazz. Build a custom practice mix when you want to focus on your own selection. DON'T JUST MEMORIZE IT. HEAR IT. Hear individual notes and full chords with piano, nylon guitar, electric guitar, synthesizer, and choir sounds. Explore piano, guitar, and staff views to connect the chord symbol with its notes and sound. A LITTLE EVERY DAY ADDS UP Short daily sessions, streaks, and reminders help you keep coming back. Each practice is another step toward easier recall. Daily music theory, backed by science. UltraChord brings together active recall, spaced repetition, and immediate feedback - learning techniques that support lasting memory. START FREE Learn free with the full Fundamentals course and your first Chord Building lesson. Create a free account to save your lesson progress, scores, and streak. Subscribe for the remaining pathways, unlimited adaptive practice, custom mixes, and detailed progress. See the chord. Know the notes. You just know it. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Fretionary4 screens
UltraChord4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: UltraChord at 5.0 against Fretionary's 4.5. UltraChord also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). Fretionary's advantage is ratings volume (28 vs 3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 8 days). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Fretionary sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and UltraChord sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $19.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

UltraChord holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Fretionary has 28 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of Fretionary's written reviews are positive against 100% of UltraChord's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fretionary ships an update every 4 days, UltraChord every 8 days. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Fretionary versus UltraChord: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretionaryUltraChord
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (28 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings28 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB112 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon Sumnerbeau Kelsey

Customer experience

Fretionary

All ratings28 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral3.6%
Negative7.1%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive77.8%
Neutral11.1%
Negative11.1%

UltraChord

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Fretionary

Subscriptions2
  • Fretionary Pro Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Fretionary Pro Annual$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Fretionary Pro Lifetime$44.99
1 purchases

UltraChord

Subscriptions1
  • UltraChord Annual$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Fretionary free?
Fretionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is UltraChord free?
UltraChord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Fretionary or UltraChord?
UltraChord is rated higher. Fretionary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while UltraChord averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Fretionary or UltraChord have ads?
Fretionary shows ads; UltraChord does not.
Which is updated more often, Fretionary or UltraChord?
Fretionary ships an update every 4 days, and UltraChord every 8 days. Most recently, Fretionary was updated on October 24, 2026 and UltraChord on October 24, 2026.

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