Comparison

Pocket Guitar Chords vs Basic Guitar Chords

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

Head to head
About

Pocket Guitar Chords

Access a comprehensive library of common guitar chords, including major, minor, diminished, and seventh variations. This app provides essential chord diagrams for guitarists of all levels.

Highlights
  • Collection of common guitar chords
  • 15 different chord types
  • Major chords
  • Minor chords
  • Diminished chords
  • Seventh chords
Features
Read full description

Every chord you need, and your songs ready for the stage. Pocket Guitar Chords is a fast, clear chord reference with everything you need to play your songs live: chord charts, set lists, and a stage view built to be read at arm's length. CHORDS • 180 chords: every root with 15 chord types, from major and minor to 7ths, sus, 6/9, augmented and diminished • More than one shape for most chords, with finger numbers • Hear every chord: strum it, or play it string by string • Capo control that shifts the sound to match • Search by name (try “Bm7”) and keep your favorites one tap away • “Sounds great with” suggests chords that go together • Left-handed diagrams NAME THAT CHORD Tap where your fingers are on the fretboard and the app tells you what you’re playing, then lets you hear it. SONGS • Chart the chords for each song, section by section • Transpose up or down, set a capo and tempo • Tap any chord to hear it • Auto-scroll while you play SET LISTS • Put songs in running order for a gig, with the venue and date • Play the set: big, high-contrast chords on a dark screen that stays awake, with the next song shown at the bottom • Step through the set song by song WIDGETS • Next Gig: your upcoming set list and its songs on your home or lock screen • Chord of the Day: a new chord every day ALSO • Designed for iPhone and iPad • Light and dark appearance • No account needed. Your songs and set lists stay on your device.

About

Basic Guitar Chords

Features
Read full description

Basic Guitar Chords is a fast, no-nonsense chord reference for guitarists who are practicing on a real instrument — not a virtual one. Look up any chord, see exactly where your fingers go, and hear what it's supposed to sound like. That's it. No lessons, no scores, no gamification — just a clean chord book that fits in your pocket. What's inside: • 144 chords — every root note (C through B) across 12 chord types: major, minor, 7, m7, maj7, dim, dim7, aug, sus2, sus4, 7sus4, and power chords • Realistic fretboard diagrams — proper string gauges, fret markers, barre chords shown correctly, and open chords displayed the way beginners actually learn them • Reference sound — a plucked-string tone for every note and a one-tap Strum to hear the full chord • Auto mode — repeats the chord every few seconds on its own, so you can keep both hands on your guitar instead of tapping the screen • Key transpose & Drop D — shift any chord shape up or down to match your voice, or drop the low string a whole step Built for players who already know their way around a guitar and just need a quick, accurate reference — not another app trying to teach you music theory.

Screenshots

Pocket Guitar Chords4 screens
Basic Guitar Chords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pocket Guitar Chords at every 9 days against Basic Guitar Chords's every 56 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pocket Guitar Chords ships an update every 9 days, Basic Guitar Chords every 56 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Pocket Guitar Chords versus Basic Guitar Chords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocket Guitar ChordsBasic Guitar Chords
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.4K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews96.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.4K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days — betterEvery 56 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB24 MB
Age rating12+17+
DeveloperJohn WalboltChotika Towmontree

Bugs and requests

Pocket Guitar Chords

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes when accessing certain augmented chords
  • Issues with chord display in split-screen mode

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to save/bookmark favorite chords
  • Option to hear chord samples
  • Improved navigation between chords
  • Expanded chord library with more variations

Basic Guitar Chords

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Pocket Guitar Chords

No in-app purchases

None

Basic Guitar Chords

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pocket Guitar Chords free?
Pocket Guitar Chords is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Basic Guitar Chords free?
Basic Guitar Chords is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Pocket Guitar Chords or Basic Guitar Chords have ads?
Neither Pocket Guitar Chords nor Basic Guitar Chords shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pocket Guitar Chords or Basic Guitar Chords?
Pocket Guitar Chords ships an update every 9 days, and Basic Guitar Chords every 56 months. Most recently, Pocket Guitar Chords was updated on October 15, 2026 and Basic Guitar Chords on October 10, 2026.

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