Comparison

Chords Maestro vs FretBuilder

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

Head to head
About

Chords Maestro

Master chords for 7 instruments, including piano and guitar, with this comprehensive reference and learning tool. Explore, hear, and play chords, adapting them to your vocal range or desired key. Ideal for songwriters, teachers, and hobbyists.

Highlights
  • 7 instrument support (piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, mandolin, balalaika)
  • View chords as notes, tabs, keys, diagrams, and photos
  • Hear chords with original instrument sounds
  • Adapt chord progressions to vocal range or key
  • Left and Right-Handed Support
  • High-Resolution Interface
Features
Read full description

Unlock your musical potential with Chords Maestro — the complete chord reference and learning tool for beginners and professionals. Master 7 Instruments in One App: Piano, Guitar, Bass, Ukulele, Banjo, Mandolin and Balalaika! Whether you are composing, arranging, or practicing, this powerful app helps you explore, hear, and play chords across multiple instruments with ease. Key Features: + Switch between all the 7 Instruments INSTANTLY (piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, banjo, mandolin & balalaika) + View chords as notes (for piano), tabs (for string instruments), keys, string diagrams & photos, and hear them with the original instrument sounds + Adapt chord progressions to your vocal range or desired key + Left and Right-Handed Support + High-Resolution Interface: Clean & professional design Chords Maestro is ideal for: + Songwriters needing quick, accurate chord references + Music teachers and students creating learning materials + Hobbyists building chord sheets or songbooks + Beginners + Digital creators Praised by Musicians Around the World: + “The best app for putting chords on a sheet. Easy to create songbooks with chords and lyrics”. (by Mykindaguy) + “Unbeatable... saves so much work”. (by palo12) + “Essential for every beginner and music lover” (by jsevillamar) + “Great app. Ideal for searching and creating chord sheets”. (by azertyqwerty2014) One-time purchase! No subscriptions! Just powerful, easy-to-use tools to support your music journey! Get Chords Maestro today and start creating your best music!

About

FretBuilder

Features
Read full description

Grow as a musician by visualizing notes on your instrument's fretboard. With this app, you can view some (or all) of your instrument's fretboard, tap to hear pitches at any string/fret, and use overlays to help you quickly identify pitches. The app supports multiple fretted string instruments, including guitar, bass guitar, and ukulele. It also features some of the most common preset tunings. Some advanced features of the app are enabled with a subscription, including custom fretboard designs (via photo library selection), custom instrument tunings, and a special overlay mode that lets you tap any position on the fretboard to see the individual pitch! More features are planned, so keep your eyes peeled and your instruments tuned! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Chords Maestro4 screens
FretBuilder4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: FretBuilder at Free against Chords Maestro's $8.99. Chords Maestro's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and device support (4 vs 2). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

FretBuilder is free to download; Chords Maestro costs $8.99 up front. FretBuilder sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Chords Maestro asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Chords Maestro versus FretBuilder: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChords MaestroFretBuilder
Price$8.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews54.5% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better—
Update frequency—Every 15 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size56 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMax SchleeBrandon Fraune

In-app purchases

None

Chords Maestro

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

FretBuilder

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly premium$1.991 Month
  • Yearly premium$19.991 Year

Questions

Is Chords Maestro free?
Chords Maestro costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is FretBuilder free?
FretBuilder is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Chords Maestro or FretBuilder have ads?
Neither Chords Maestro nor FretBuilder shows ads.

Other comparisons