These apps are mentioned in the breakdown of this job. Open each one to compare strengths and limits. The order of the list is not a ranking of fitness.
Rank 5. Review score: 72 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 350 ratings
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A beautiful, deep chord reference with inversions, string sets and a built-in metronome, and many call it the best chord dictionary and say it finally helped them get it. It works for bass too via the first four strings. It stumbles on price, with extended chords and moving up the neck sold piecemeal, and on a bug where a paid neck unlock doesn't kick in. It also lacks bookmarks for favorite chords and fingering display.
Praised: Beautiful and visual, inversions and string sets, built-in metronome, best chord dictionary, works for bass too
Complaints: Expensive with piecemeal unlocks, bug where paid neck unlock fails, no bookmarks for favorite chords, no fingering display
Best for: A guitarist and bassist wanting a beautiful, deep reference of chords and inversions for songwriting and learning
Rank 31. Review score: 55 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 1,313 ratings
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Valued for a deep chord library with lots of variations and for playing each chord back with exactly the shown fingering, which helps you understand it. It breaks on two things: ads pop up almost every time you switch back into the app, making it nearly unusable alongside a browser, and many complex chord shapes like C9 or D9 are physically unplayable, as if generated by a computer rather than a guitarist.
Praised: Deep chord library, many variations, plays the chord with the shown fingering, well organized
Complaints: Ads almost every time you return to the app, many complex chord shapes are unplayable, no barre chords, some fingering errors
Best for: People who want a large chord library with playback and can tolerate the ads
Rank 9. Review score: 66 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 6,275 ratings
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It is a reliable chord reference with an extensive library across the whole fretboard, the CAGED approach, and practice for switching between chords, and many use it for years. But people are angry about the move to subscriptions: things they once bought for life or as a one-off, like reverse chord lookup and the scales section, are now locked behind a yearly charge, and old purchases will not restore on a new device. There are gaps in the library and finicky guitar detection through the mic without an external audio interface.
Praised: Extensive chord library across the whole fretboard, CAGED approach, practice switching between chords, a reliable reference for years, the Scale Bank companion for scales
Complaints: Things once bought as a one-off or for life now locked behind a subscription, old purchases will not restore on a new device, gaps in the chord library, mic finicky at hearing the guitar without an external audio interface
Best for: Beginner and intermediate guitarists who want a reliable chord reference and practice switching between chords
Rank 3. Review score: 72 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.8★ · 1,356 ratings
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People love it as a fast, clean chord reference with no ads: it is handy to grab a chord shape on the fly, the graphics are pleasant, and it suits beginners and intermediates. It breaks on completeness, users complain about missing chords like A, B, F# and flats, and only one or two variations per chord, so advanced players feel boxed in. Beginners with no base sometimes cannot tell how to read the fret diagram.
Praised: Fast and clear chord reference, pleasant graphics, no ads, simple interface, good for beginners
Complaints: Missing A, B, F# and flat chords, only one or two variations per chord, too limited for advanced players, no guidance for beginners on reading the fretboard, not updated in a while
Best for: Beginners and intermediates who want a quick reference of basic chord shapes at hand
Rank 38. Review score: 48 out of 100. App Store rating: 4.7★ · 795 ratings
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A free library of chords and tabs for various instruments where you can add and create your own songs, a favorite for many over the years. But a recent update broke the essentials, the app won't open or crashes every 10 minutes, saved songs vanished, transposing was removed, and even after paying you still get an ad before every song.
Praised: Free chords and tabs, handy search, you can create your own songs, large song database, saving favorites
Complaints: Won't open or crashes after the update, saved songs disappear, transposing removed, ads even in the paid version, support doesn't respond
Best for: Guitarists who need a free base of chords and tabs with their own songs
Rank 46. Review score: 42 out of 100. App Store rating: 3.9★ · 554 ratings
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A tabs and chords library people loved for years for its huge song database, set lists, transposing, and autoscroll for playing on stage without sheet music. But the developer abandoned it, autoscroll and Bluetooth page-turning stopped working, the app won't even open on newer iOS, support doesn't reply for 4 months, and some features were simply cut.
Praised: Huge song database, set lists, transposing, autoscroll for performances, replaces paper sheet music on iPad
Complaints: Autoscroll and Bluetooth page-turning broke, won't open on newer iOS, support silent for months, features cut after purchase
Best for: Performing musicians who need set lists and tab autoscroll, if they can accept the abandonment
