Comparison

Fretionary vs BeThere Schools

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

BeThere Schools

This app helps schools enforce phone-free environments by automatically restricting phone access during school hours and on campus. It allows students to maintain normal phone use outside of these times and ensures access to essential school-approved apps.

Highlights
  • Automatic phone restrictions during school hours
  • Geofencing for campus-wide enforcement
  • No device collection or pouches required
  • Student-initiated setup
  • Centralized school management
  • Access to essential apps
Read full description

BeThere helps schools create a consistent phone-free environment without collecting devices, requiring pouches, or relying on students to activate restrictions manually. Once a student completes setup, BeThere uses the school’s approved schedule and campus location to apply phone restrictions automatically during designated school hours. When the school day ends—or during approved breaks—the student’s normal phone access returns. BeThere is designed to help students stay focused, participate more fully, and experience school without constant digital distraction. HOW IT WORKS • Join your school using its secure school code and approved student email • Complete a one-time setup for location and Screen Time permissions • Phone restrictions activate automatically according to school hours and campus boundaries • Approved breaks, early-release schedules, and school-wide changes are handled automatically • Students can always access essential apps and functions permitted by their school BUILT FOR REAL SCHOOL DAYS BeThere can support regular schedules, lunch periods, shortened days, holidays, temporary pauses, and other school-specific policies. Schools manage the experience centrally so students do not need to remember to turn anything on or off. PRIVACY BY DESIGN BeThere does not read students’ messages, emails, photos, or browsing history. Location is used to determine whether the student is within the school’s designated campus area. BeThere is built to support phone-free school policies while collecting only the information necessary to operate the service. A participating school account is required to use BeThere.

Screenshots

Fretionary4 screens
BeThere Schools4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BeThere Schools at 5.0 against Fretionary's 4.5. BeThere Schools also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ads (none vs shown). Fretionary's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 11 days) and ratings volume (28 vs 4). On price and iOS requirement 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. BeThere Schools asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BeThere Schools 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 4, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fretionary ships an update every 4 days, BeThere Schools every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Fretionary versus BeThere Schools: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretionaryBeThere Schools
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (28 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews77.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings28 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 11 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBrandon SumnerDetezo Inc.

Customer experience

Fretionary

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

BeThere Schools

All ratings4 ratings
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
None

BeThere Schools

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fretionary free?
Fretionary is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is BeThere Schools free?
BeThere Schools is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Fretionary or BeThere Schools?
BeThere Schools is rated higher. Fretionary averages 4.5 out of 5 from 28 ratings, while BeThere Schools averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do Fretionary or BeThere Schools have ads?
Fretionary shows ads; BeThere Schools does not.
Which is updated more often, Fretionary or BeThere Schools?
Fretionary ships an update every 4 days, and BeThere Schools every 11 days. Most recently, Fretionary was updated on October 25, 2026 and BeThere Schools on October 20, 2026.

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