ChordUp vs polymachine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChordUp
This app is a musical instrument and MIDI controller that lets you play common chords instantly with a single touch. It offers multiple playing surfaces for chords, single notes, or strumming, and can control other music apps on the same or different devices.
- Instant chord selection with single touch
- Play full chords, single notes, or strum
- Control other music apps via MIDI
- 108 available chords
- 10 embedded instruments
- Smart sustain and chord locking
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ChordUp is a musical instrument and MIDI controller that allows you to play almost any common chord instantly. No need to configure presets for each song. Just grab ChordUp and start playing. SELECT CHORDS WITH A SINGLE TOUCH Unique chord selector allows you to play any available chord instantly. You don't need to make any pre-configurations or presets. Just tap on the key button and slide your finger to the required chord type. With a little practice you will be able to select any chord in a fraction of a second. PLAY FULL CHORDS, SINGLE NOTES OR STRUM Three playing surfaces allows you to easily play any rhythm pattern: full chords, bass and chord, strumming or arpeggios. CONTROL OTHER APPS ON THE SAME DEVICE You can use ChordUp to control your favourite soft or hard synthesizer through Core MIDI connection or though Audiobus 3 MIDI ports. CONTROL APPS ON ANOTHER IOS DEVICE OR YOUR MAC ChordUp can send MIDI notes to another iOS device through a Bluetooth MIDI connection. If you want to control an App running on your Mac you can connect through Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or USB. FEATURES • 108 available chords (9 chord types for each of the 12 notes). • 10 embedded instruments: Acoustic Piano, Electric Piano, Guitar, Organ, Accordion, Vibraphone, Strings, 3 synth sounds. • 12 pads surface (for piano like parts) • 6 strings surface (for guitar strumming, power chords and arpeggios) • Expression pad surface (allows to play full chords and control an expression parameter at the same time) • Smart sustain. With the sustain enabled, when you switch chords, only the notes of the current chord that don't belong to the next chord are muted. • Octave transposition. • Chord locking. You can lock one chord type for a chord button. • Buttons size adjustment on iPad. • CoreMIDI support. • Audiobus support (Audio sender port, MIDI sender port)
polymachine
This app offers a unique approach to music creation by combining geometric principles with modular synthesis. Explore generative algorithmic drums, oscillators, and harmonies, with specialized tools for 808s and kick drum integration.
- Geometric music theory integration
- Modular synthesis engine
- Generative algorithmic drums
- Oscillators and harmonies
- 808 and kick drum linking
- Log drum pattern generator
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Geometry of Music + Modular Synthesis Powerhouse, Generative Algorithmic Drums + Oscillators and Harmonies. FL Soft Clip and FL Distortion on 808s. 808s tied to Kicks. Log Drum Pattern generator
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: polymachine at Free against ChordUp's $5.99. polymachine also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). ChordUp's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 2.5) and ratings volume (41 vs 2). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
polymachine is free to download; ChordUp costs $5.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ChordUp holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChordUp has 41 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 94% of ChordUp's written reviews are positive against 100% of polymachine's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
ChordUp ships an update every 3 weeks, polymachine weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 26, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChordUp | polymachine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (41 ratings) — better | 2.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 41 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 30 MB | 93 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Dmitrii Klochkov | Mike Gao |
Customer experience
ChordUp
polymachine
In-app purchases
ChordUp
No in-app purchases
polymachine
No in-app purchases
