NoteHound vs FretMachine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NoteHound
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NoteHound is the music practice app for musicians who learn by ear. Slow any song to 0.1× without dropping the key. Loop the trickiest bar with sample-accurate A-B markers and a count-in click. Transcribe what you hear onto a piano roll, a 4-to-8-string guitar tab, or a live fretboard. Export to MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, or a ZIP bundle for your teacher. No subscription. No account. Your audio and your transcriptions stay on your device. FEATURES SLOW DOWN MUSIC • 0.1× to 3.0× variable speed • Pitch-preserving time-stretch — the key never changes, even at the extremes • Speed ramp: automatically walk a loop from slow to performance tempo over n repetitions • Tap tempo and BPM detection • Tempo-map aware — handles songs that change tempo A-B LOOPING & PRACTICE TOOLS • Sample-accurate loop boundaries on the waveform • Count-in beats and pre-roll bar so you join the loop on the downbeat • Per-loop speed settings • Named sections (verse / chorus / solo / bridge) painted onto the waveform • Audio notes — pin a voice memo anywhere on the waveform (a fingering cue, a practice reminder, a note from a teacher) and the recording auto-plays when the playhead reaches that point • Practice tracking with mastery stages: learning → practising → up-to-speed → mastered • Per-loop attempt history with max-speed-reached PIANO ROLL EDITOR • Tap notes onto a quantised grid; drag, multi-select, group, draw • Audio sync — your transcription follows the recording bar by bar • Independent display transpose so you can read in any key • Plays through nine built-in synth voices LIVE FRETBOARD VIEW • Tap a note, see exactly where it lives on the neck • Multi-string highlighting for chord shapes • Adapts automatically to the project's tuning (standard, drop D, drop C, DADGAD, baritone, 7- and 8-string) • Full-fingerboard or focused-range display • Pairs with the tab editor — every note tapped on the tab lights up on the fretboard, and vice versa GUITAR TAB EDITOR • 4 to 8 strings, any tuning • 25+ articulations: bends, slides, hammer-ons, pull-offs, harmonics, palm mutes, ghost notes, dead notes, vibrato, trills, grace notes, tied notes, let-ring • Automatic fret-position suggestions based on the previous and next notes • Audio sync with the recording so the tab cursor tracks playback • Works for guitar, bass, baritone guitar, 7- and 8-string electric, ukulele 9-INSTRUMENT MULTI-TOUCH KEYBOARD • Acoustic piano, electric piano, Rhodes, organ, synth pad, strings, bass, guitar, vibraphone • Velocity-sensitive on supported devices • Doubles as a real-time MIDI-input target MIDI • Class-compliant USB and Bluetooth MIDI controllers — plug in, no drivers, no setup • Learn-mode mapping for any control to any parameter (foot pedal → play/pause, knob → speed, pad → loop toggle) • Real-time note input straight to the piano roll • MIDI file import preserves notes, tempo map, and section markers EXPORT • MIDI, PDF, MusicXML, plain-text tab, .tab, or a ZIP bundle of all of them • Hand a transcription to any DAW or notation app: Logic Pro, Ableton Live, Sibelius, Dorico, MuseScore, Finale, Guitar Pro FREE vs PRO Free includes two starter projects, basic A-B looping, the on-screen keyboard, and the 0.25× to 1.5× speed range. NoteHound Pro is a one-time $4.99 unlock — no subscription, restore on every device with the same Apple ID. Pro adds: • Unlimited projects • Full 0.1× to 3.0× speed range • Piano roll editor • Guitar tab editor + live fretboard view • MIDI input and MIDI file import • Every export format • Speed ramp, named sections, audio notes per section DESIGNED FOR Self-taught guitarists, pianists, and bassists. Music students. Music teachers preparing materials. Producers reverse-engineering a sample. Drummers learning fills. Anyone who learns songs by ear. Requires iPhone or iPad on iOS 17 or later. No account needed.
FretMachine
This app allows musicians to sketch guitar parts by placing chords on a fretboard and creating strumming patterns. It offers an intuitive alternative to traditional tab workflows, enabling users to build chord progressions and export ideas as MIDI files for DAWs.
- Fretboard chord input
- Strumming pattern sequencer
- Chord library with advanced chords
- Real-time chord analysis
- MIDI export for DAWs
- Timeline arrangement
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Place chords on the fretboard. Sketch guitar parts with strumming patterns. FretMachine is a guitar chord and strumming sequencer for musicians, producers, songwriters, and DAW users. Unlike traditional tab-based workflows, FretMachine provides a more intuitive way to create guitar parts. Place chords on a fretboard-style interface, create strumming patterns in the rhythm sequencer, and arrange your ideas on the timeline. When you place notes on the fretboard, FretMachine analyzes the shape in real time and shows you the chord name. You can also choose chords directly from the chord library and quickly build chord progressions. Once your chords are ready, create strumming patterns on the rhythm grid, arrange them on the timeline, and export your ideas as MIDI files for further production in your DAW. KEY FEATURES • Strum-Based Sequencing Create guitar ideas around chords and strumming rhythms instead of entering notes one by one. • Pattern-Based Sequencer Arrange strumming and rhythm patterns freely on the timeline to structure your song ideas. • Chord Library Supports Basic Triads, 7th chords, tension chords such as 9th/11th/13th, sus/add chords, Altered chords, and a variety of guitar voicings. • Reverse Chord Finder Place notes on the fretboard and see the chord name analyzed in real time. • Fretboard Input Enter and sequence chord shapes while viewing a visual guitar fretboard interface. • Rhythm & Strumming Pattern Editor Design strumming rhythms on a grid using downstrokes and upstrokes. • MIDI Export Export completed guitar parts as MIDI files and bring them into your DAW. FretMachine helps you quickly build guitar-focused ideas, from chord sketches to pattern-based song drafts.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: FretMachine at daily against NoteHound's every 9 days. FretMachine also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. NoteHound sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and FretMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
NoteHound ships an update every 9 days, FretMachine daily. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NoteHound | FretMachine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 9 days | Daily — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 227 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Francesco Farruggia | Kyuhwa Choi |
In-app purchases
NoteHound
- NoteHound Pro$9.99
FretMachine
- Pro Unlock$9.99









