Comparison

Strofa vs iStem

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

Head to head
About

Strofa

Features
Read full description

Strofa โ€” the songbook for performing musicians. Built for the moment the count-in starts: your charts, your set, and the tools that keep the screen out of the way. FEATURES โ€ข ChordPro chord & lyric charts โ€” transpose to any key instantly, capo-aware โ€ข Setlists you navigate hands-free with a foot pedal (AirTurn, MIDI, HID, Flic) โ€ข Auto-scroll that follows the song's length โ€ข Share your whole repertoire and setlists with your band, live โ€ข Backing tracks that transpose with you, without changing tempo โ€ข A built-in tuner and a sample-accurate metronome โ€ข Practice recordings, a MIDI backing band and stage control โ€ข Gig calendar, venues and contracts in one place โ€ข AI helpers โ€” clean up messy imports, format charts and auto-tag your library โ€ข Strofa Display โ€” put a screen at the venue so the crowd can send song requests and see what's playing and what you've played Strofa requires a subscription to use. Start with a 7-day free trial. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Prices vary by region and are shown in the app before you subscribe. Made by a working musician in Norway. Privacy policy: https://strofa.no/privacy Terms of use: https://strofa.no/terms

About

iStem

Features
Read full description

iStem lets you split songs into drums, bass, vocals, and other instruments, remix them, and practice with tempo/pitch/metronome controls. Features: - Split in instrument/vocal tracks - Detect beats - Count-in function - Speed up or slow down songs - Change pitch - Set up loops for detailed practice - No login or user data required - All computation is done on the device - Export to file

Screenshots

Strofa4 screens
iStem4 screens

Verdict

The call

Strofa and iStem are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Strofa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and iStem sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Strofa versus iStem: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStrofaiStem
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysโ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.416.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size98 MB79 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperFRANK IVERSENJan Maes

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Strofa

Subscriptions2
  • Strofa Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Strofa Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year
1 purchases

iStem

One-time1
  • iStem Activation$4.99

Questions

Is Strofa free?
Strofa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iStem free?
iStem is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Strofa or iStem have ads?
Neither Strofa nor iStem shows ads.

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