Comparison

ChordPainter vs PianoToolbox

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

Head to head
About

ChordPainter

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Chordpainter creates songbooks of piano songs as chord diagrams without any knowledge of music notes. What has always been standard for guitarists, Chordpainter now also creates this for piano players. Simply input chords via midi or enter them manually. The chords are automatically recognized and can be edited or renamed as desired. Then simply print or export as pictures, by email or into Dropbox. All features in an overview: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Creation of chord images with up to 10 notes per chord - Automatic recognition of chords separated for the left and right hand - Input chords manually or via MIDI keyboard - Automatic detection of Midi inputs and display of the Midi source - Bluetooth Midi adapters from Yamaha or QuiccoSound are also supported - Transfer a chord to the current song via button or MIDI trigger - Piano is fully playable with sound, either manually or via MIDI input - Clear button to remove all entered notes - Free definable Midi trigger (setting is stored) - Complete online manual available in the App - Notes, program changes or controller (pedal) are accepted as Midi trigger - Midi Analyzer in the main display for all incoming MIDI events - Intelligent mode to assign chords to the right and left hand - Display of the intervals, separated for chords of the right and left hand - All chords in the song can be sorted using Drag & Drop - Language in the APP can be switched between English and German - Chords can be edited, renamed or deleted also after creation - Optimized user interface for all iPad sizes - When naming the chords, there are buttons for common chord suffixes - Chord images optimized for high-resolution printing on laser printers in grayscale - Songbook view to display all the chords of a song large on one page with Midi scrolling - PDF Export for all songs and demo songs to printout or for use in other APPs - Sound output with real sampled piano sounds including velocity - Sound can be enabled or disabled (setting is saved) - Export der Akkordbilder in die Bilder Gallery oder Dropbox - Constantly expanded list of demo songs, partial with songbook PDFs - Song library with an unlimited number of songs - List view with all songs plus number of chords in the song - Songs can be created, copied, renamed or loaded for editing - Export of chord images to the Gallery or Dropbox - You can also export by email (default email address stored) - Automatic backup of the song library when export by mail or dropbox - Restore the song library with "Open in" function in iOS

About

PianoToolbox

Connect to your digital piano via Bluetooth to unlock its full capabilities. Explore and customize instrument sounds with deep parameter editing, and manage built-in musical content like metronomes and songs.

Highlights
  • Visual sound browser
  • Deep sound parameter editing
  • Custom sound storage
  • Metronome and rhythm control
  • Built-in song playback
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Using Bluetooth to pair the app to your piano, you will discover the full potential of your instrument. Features: 1. Browse the available sounds quickly using our visual browser. 2. Edit the piano sounds by accessing deep parameters such as string resonance, damper resonance, reverb, chorus, etc. You can also adjust pitch (tuning and temperament) and control different keyboard settings (split, layer, etc). 3. Store your own sounds as favourites and recall them instantly. 4. Browse, play and control the music contents on your piano such as metronome, built-in rhythm accompaniments and songs.

Screenshots

PianoToolbox4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PianoToolbox at Free against ChordPainter's $2.99. PianoToolbox also leads on update cadence (every 7 months vs every 22 months) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement 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

PianoToolbox is free to download; ChordPainter costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ChordPainter ships an update every 22 months, PianoToolbox every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and July 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
ChordPainter versus PianoToolbox: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChordPainterPianoToolbox
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating—4.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 22 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS13.013
Further details — not scored
Size195 MB43 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan ArnholdClemen Software (ShangHai) Co., Ltd

In-app purchases

None

ChordPainter

No in-app purchases

None

PianoToolbox

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ChordPainter free?
ChordPainter costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PianoToolbox free?
PianoToolbox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ChordPainter or PianoToolbox have ads?
Neither ChordPainter nor PianoToolbox shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ChordPainter or PianoToolbox?
ChordPainter ships an update every 22 months, and PianoToolbox every 7 months. Most recently, ChordPainter was updated on September 19, 2026 and PianoToolbox on July 8, 2026.

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