Comparison

FretStudio vs RiffAlly Jam

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

Head to head
About

FretStudio

Features
Read full description

FretStudio turns music into a language you can actually speak. Notes are the letters. Chords are the words. Progressions and melodies are your sentences. And songs are the stories you tell. FretStudio is one place to learn that language, practice it, and perform it. LEARN Structured tracks take you from your first note to full songs — built for real beginners, including short fingers and the barre-chord wall we all hit. Clear, step-by-step, no theory dumped on you before you need it. PLAY A practice studio built for progress: load any song, sync a backing track, slow the tempo without changing pitch, loop a tricky section, and watch the chord chart scroll in time. Automatic key and tempo detection does the setup for you. PERFORM Everything you need on stage. Build setlists, run a distraction-free teleprompter that scrolls with the music, rehearse a song, then take the whole set live. BRING YOUR OWN SONGS Import from ChordPro, OnSong, plain text, and more. Your library syncs to your own Dropbox or Google Drive, so your songs are yours and follow you everywhere. BUILT TO BE SEEN CLEARLY Every status and cue uses color and symbol — never color alone — so the app stays readable if you're color-blind. Free to start. Upgrade any time for the full learning path, unlimited songs, cloud sync, and the complete performance toolkit. Free, no account required FretStudio is free to use with 5 songs — the full app, not a demo. Import your own songs, practise, perform with the teleprompter, use gig mode, build lessons, transpose, and export. All of it works without creating an account. FretStudio Pro — 250 songs, unlimited setlists, and your library synced across every device through your own Dropbox or Google Drive. FretStudio Premium — Unlimited songs, plus teaching tools, student links, and community. FretStudio Lifetime — Premium forever, one payment. Create an account only when you want your library on more than one device. Your songs stay yours — export everything, anytime, on any plan. Music is a language. Come tell your story. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

RiffAlly Jam

Features
Read full description

Solo with a band. See the scale. Follow the chords. RiffAlly Jam is a guitar practice companion for improvisation, solos and chord changes. An on-device drums-and-bass backing band plays your progression while the live chord display and fretboard guide help you find your next phrase. START WITH FOUR ORIGINAL PROGRESSIONS • Choose Open Road, Minor Horizon, Soul Return or Dorian Pocket • Choose your practice key once and keep it when switching progressions • Edit individual chord roots and types, or reorder the four chords • Each progression loads its own tempo while preserving your band settings • Search by name or feel and make each progression your own SOLO WITH A VISUAL GUIDE • See the current chord and fretboard guide together during normal playback; larger text remains scrollable • Follow the scale pattern, current chord root and other chord tones as the band plays • Swipe the neck from open strings through fret 24, even while playing • Choose Dark Ebony, Maple or Walnut fretboard finishes SHAPE YOUR BACKING BAND • Choose from 14 rhythm styles, including Classic Rock, Dirty Rock, Blues Shuffle, Tight Funk, Jazz Swing and Bossa Nova • Pick Rock, Jazz or Vintage Brushes acoustic drums and Clean Finger, Clean Pick or Upright bass • All instrument sounds are included for offline practice; accompaniment is drums and bass, not recorded songs or guitar parts • Let each chord last one, two or four bars • Start with a count-in, then mute or rebalance drums and bass without stopping KEEP YOUR SETUPS Save jams locally and return to their keys, tempos, sounds and custom chords. In-app Help explains the controls and guide. Saved jams based on presets removed in version 1.1.1 are hidden, but their data remains on the device. PRIVATE BY DESIGN Music practice works offline, with no account or advertising. Jam collects no data. Optional tips and online support links require an internet connection; tips unlock no features and are never required.

Screenshots

FretStudio4 screens
RiffAlly Jam4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: FretStudio at none against RiffAlly Jam's 3. FretStudio also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. RiffAlly Jam sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. FretStudio asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
FretStudio versus RiffAlly Jam: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterFretStudioRiffAlly Jam
PriceFreeFree
Update frequency—Every 2 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFretStudio LLCFernando Lanner Cardoso

In-app purchases

None

FretStudio

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

RiffAlly Jam

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Supporter Tip$4.99
  • Generous Tip$9.99

Questions

Is FretStudio free?
FretStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RiffAlly Jam free?
RiffAlly Jam is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do FretStudio or RiffAlly Jam have ads?
Neither FretStudio nor RiffAlly Jam shows ads.

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