Comparison

Fretboard Map vs FretMaster

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

Head to head
About

Fretboard Map

Features
Read full description

Fretboard Map helps beginning guitarists understand the fretboard visually. Explore the CAGED system, shell voicings, chord tones, and an interactive note map to move beyond open chords and the first three frets. Guided practice paths help you learn roots, octaves, CAGED shapes, and fretboard connections. Hear the notes you are learning with separate recorded acoustic and electric guitar sounds. Play a chord together or hear its tones one at a time as an arpeggio. The acoustic sound uses nylon-string guitar recordings; the electric sound uses pickup recordings with gentle amplifier processing. Both sounds are included for offline playback. Key features: - Diatonic chord diagrams across seven modes, with chord and arpeggio playback - All five CAGED shapes and shell voicings - Triads and major, minor, dominant, and half-diminished seventh chords - Switch between note names and scale degrees - Interactive note learning and guided daily practice - Acoustic and electric guitar playback for notes, chords, and arpeggios - Built-in tuner with 440 Hz, 432 Hz, and 430 Hz reference standards - Landscape layouts for iPhone and iPad - English and Simplified Chinese interfaces No account is required. Build your understanding of chord shapes, note locations, and connections across the guitar neck.

About

FretMaster

Features
Read full description

Make the guitar fretboard second nature. FretMaster helps you practice note names, intervals and major-scale degrees through focused, interactive drills. FOUR WAYS TO PRACTICE โ€ข Find the Note: read a note name and tap its string and fret. โ€ข Name the Note: identify the note at a highlighted position. โ€ข Interval in Position: use an anchor note and an interval to name the target note. โ€ข Random Key: work with major keys and scale degrees to identify notes in context. START WITH FOUR. GROW TO TWELVE. Choose from four clear A/B/C/D answer buttons, or switch instantly to the full 12-note wheel during practice. In wheel mode, choose circle-of-fifths or chromatic order. Adjust the interval range as you progress. LEARN FROM EACH ANSWER Clear answer feedback, streaks and practice statistics help you see your accuracy and keep working on unfamiliar fretboard relationships. No account is required. Training settings and statistics are stored locally on your device. Available in Simplified Chinese and English.

Screenshots

Fretboard Map4 screens
FretMaster4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: FretMaster at every 2 days against Fretboard Map's every 9 days. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Fretboard Map ships an update every 9 days, FretMaster every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
Fretboard Map versus FretMaster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretboard MapFretMaster
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 9 daysEvery 2 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size16 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJialang Zhang็‘ž ่‘ฃ

In-app purchases

None

Fretboard Map

No in-app purchases

None

FretMaster

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Fretboard Map free?
Fretboard Map is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is FretMaster free?
FretMaster is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Fretboard Map or FretMaster have ads?
Neither Fretboard Map nor FretMaster shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Fretboard Map or FretMaster?
Fretboard Map ships an update every 9 days, and FretMaster every 2 days. Most recently, Fretboard Map was updated on October 28, 2026 and FretMaster on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons