# FretMachine vs Tonic Synths

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tonic Synths at none against FretMachine's 1. FretMachine's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 11 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. FretMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Tonic Synths 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 Tonic Synths. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

FretMachine ships an update daily, Tonic Synths every 11 days. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FretMachine | Tonic Synths |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretmachine-guitar-sequencer/id6772944355/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonic-synths/id6781071843/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 11 days |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 227 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kyuhwa Choi](https://appshunter.io/developer/6772944357) | [UpTech Works, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190352695) |

## What reviewers say

### FretMachine

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretmachine-guitar-sequencer/id6772944355)

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.

**Highlights:** Fretboard chord input, Strumming pattern sequencer, Chord library with advanced chords, Real-time chord analysis, MIDI export for DAWs, Timeline arrangement

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Unlock | $9.99 | one-time |


### Tonic Synths

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonic-synths/id6781071843)

This app offers a portable music studio with 14 unique synthesizers for creating and sculpting audio. Users can draw sounds, program melodies, and apply effects like reverb and compression. Recordings can be exported as WAV files for use in other projects.

**Highlights:** 14 unique synthesizers, XY pad sound sculpting, 8-step melody programming, Resonant filter sculpting, Reverb and compressor effects, 60-second audio recording, WAV file export

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FretMachine free?

FretMachine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Tonic Synths free?

Tonic Synths is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, FretMachine or Tonic Synths?

FretMachine and Tonic Synths are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do FretMachine or Tonic Synths have ads?

Neither FretMachine nor Tonic Synths shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FretMachine or Tonic Synths?

FretMachine ships an update daily, and Tonic Synths every 11 days. Most recently, FretMachine was updated on August 25, 2026 and Tonic Synths on September 12, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*