Comparison

FretMachine vs cratedigger.fm

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Fretboard chord input
  • Strumming pattern sequencer
  • Chord library with advanced chords
  • Real-time chord analysis
  • MIDI export for DAWs
  • Timeline arrangement
Read full description

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.

About

cratedigger.fm

Features
Read full description

cratedigger.fm is a music discovery app for people who'd rather dig for gems than be fed by an algorithm. Hit play and lean back while a continuous, radio-style stream surfaces independent artists, curated labels, and deep cuts — all sourced from Bandcamp, where artists keep the majority of what you spend. DISCOVER, DON'T SCROLL Pick a genre or tag, press play, and let the crates roll. cratedigger.fm builds a never-ending feed of releases you won't find on the front page of the big streaming services. WAYS TO LISTEN • Discovery — a continuous feed of hand-picked releases across genres • Curated Labels — stream straight from independent labels worth knowing • My Radio — build a personal station from the labels and artists you love • Favorites — star tracks and grow your own collection • Playlists — save and organize the tracks you keep coming back to YOUR BANDCAMP, IN SYNC Connect your Bandcamp profile to sync your wishlist and library — so the music you already want and own travels with you, right inside the player. PLAYS LIKE A REAL MUSIC APP • Background playback — keep listening with the screen off or while using other apps • Lock-screen and Control Center controls — play, pause, and skip without unlocking • Automatic track-to-track advancement across full listening sessions SUPPORT ARTISTS DIRECTLY Found something you love? One tap takes you to Bandcamp to buy it — so your money goes to the people who made the music, not a middle-meddling-person. BUILT FOR THE HEADS • Clean, distraction-free player • Dark mode, easy on the eyes • No ads and no third-party trackers beyond anonymous usage analytics cratedigger.fm is an independent app for discovering music on Bandcamp. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bandcamp. Made for the heads, not the algorithms.

Screenshots

FretMachine4 screens
cratedigger.fm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: cratedigger.fm at none against FretMachine's 1. FretMachine's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 10 days). On price, ads, device support 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. FretMachine sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. cratedigger.fm asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

FretMachine ships an update daily, cratedigger.fm every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
FretMachine versus cratedigger.fm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretMachinecratedigger.fm
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size227 MB12 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperKyuhwa ChoiRasmus Kjærbo

In-app purchases

1 purchases

FretMachine

One-time1
  • Pro Unlock$9.99
None

cratedigger.fm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is FretMachine free?
FretMachine is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is cratedigger.fm free?
cratedigger.fm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do FretMachine or cratedigger.fm have ads?
Neither FretMachine nor cratedigger.fm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, FretMachine or cratedigger.fm?
FretMachine ships an update daily, and cratedigger.fm every 10 days. Most recently, FretMachine was updated on September 23, 2026 and cratedigger.fm on September 27, 2026.

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