FretMachine vs MIDI Memos
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
MIDI Memos
Quickly capture musical ideas with a single tap. Record MIDI from external keyboards or the built-in on-screen piano, then instantly share clean MIDI files to your favorite DAWs. It's a streamlined tool for songwriters and musicians.
- One-tap MIDI recording
- On-screen piano keyboard
- Background recording
- Automatic take splitting
- MIDI file sharing to DAWs
- Take library with search and favorites
- Adjustable tempo and metronome
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MIDI Memos is the fastest way to capture a musical idea on your iPhone or iPad. One button, one tap, you're recording. Play your MIDI keyboard or tap the built-in on-screen piano. Tap stop. You've got a clean Standard MIDI File ready to share to GarageBand, Logic, Ableton, Cubase, or any DAW. That's it. No setup, no tracks, no menus to navigate. WHAT IT DOES • Records MIDI from any Bluetooth or USB-C MIDI keyboard, controller, or pad • Built-in on-screen piano — set the exact number of keys, slide the starting note one key at a time, and play full-width in landscape • Background recording keeps capturing while the screen is locked or you switch to another app • Optional auto-split breaks a long session into separate takes at the silences (off by default) • A quick summary after each take — see the note count, length, detected key, and tempo, then rename, favorite, or discard it on the spot • Plays back every take through a high-quality piano so you can audition immediately • Optional metronome click during recording • Adjustable tempo (40–240 BPM), embedded in every exported file so it imports at the right tempo • Share .mid files instantly via AirDrop, Files, Mail, Messages, or directly to any DAW • Take library with favorites, search, and a 30-day trash so accidental deletes are recoverable • Universal — works on iPhone and iPad • No accounts, no tracking, no ads WHO IT'S FOR • Songwriters who want to capture a melody before it slips away • Producers who need a quick MIDI sketchpad away from the studio • Pianists and keyboardists practicing on a digital piano who want to log a take • Teachers and students who want a no-friction way to record an exercise • Anyone who has ever thought "I had an idea, but by the time I opened my DAW it was gone" WHY IT'S DIFFERENT Most DAWs are powerful and complex. MIDI Memos is the opposite — a single-purpose utility that does one thing well. There is no project to create, no track to arm, no preset to pick. The big red button is the entire interface. PRIVACY Your recordings stay on your device and are never uploaded. There are no accounts and no ads. MIDI Memos sends anonymous usage analytics and crash reports so bugs get fixed; none of it is used to track you across other apps. REQUIREMENTS • iOS 18 or later • iPhone or iPad • A MIDI keyboard via Bluetooth or USB is recommended; on-screen keyboard works too
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: MIDI Memos at none against FretMachine's 1. FretMachine's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 3 days) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. FretMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MIDI Memos asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for FretMachine against 5.0 for MIDI Memos. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.
FretMachine ships an update daily, MIDI Memos every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | FretMachine | MIDI Memos |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Daily — better | Every 3 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 227 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kyuhwa Choi | Mayank Sanganeria |
Customer experience
FretMachine
MIDI Memos
In-app purchases
FretMachine
- Pro Unlock$4.99
MIDI Memos
No in-app purchases









