Comparison

C.ARP vs Chord Graph

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

Head to head
About

C.ARP

This app offers a unique approach to music creation, inspired by vintage instruments. It allows users to play chords and melodies with intuitive touch controls, apply real-time audio effects, and utilize a dynamic rhythm section. Advanced features include sampling, MIDI output via Bluetooth, and an iPad-optimized interface.

Highlights
  • Chord and melody playing
  • Real-time audio effects
  • Dynamic rhythm section
  • Sampling and looping
  • MIDI output via Bluetooth
  • iPad optimized interface
  • In-app tutorial
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

C.ARP is a totally different keyboard. Inspired by old keyboards, omnichords and tape effects, it lets you play chords and melodies as well. Its design makes everything easier for a musician who just wants to play on mobile. Just hold on a button and then swipe or tap on the right section. But if you prefer, you can access chords and notes directly on the notes grid. Pitch them, harmonize, use mod wheel and apply real-time audio effects too. Rhythm section follows you every chord you choose: pick up the style you prefer, adjust BPMs, mute other instrument, change different midi settings, change drums and play them with drum pads. Do arpeggios with different sounds and rhythmic fractions, create different sound environments with delay, reverb and rotation. The design has also been updated for iPads, so you can enjoy the buttons and sections rearranged for the screen size. Record your voice or everything else as a sample, adjust its length, reverse or loop it, make chords and melodies with it and explore other cool features on this 4th version. There's also a tutorial inside! And finally: we added bluetooth out. It means you can connect your iPhone to your Mac and send midi notes right in your preferred DAW. Just follow the guide inside. Thanks to everyone who helped me: Giacomo, Virginia, Mattia, Andrea, Giulia, Cristiano, and the others. Thanks to the masters Suriani, Frankie and Calcutta. For every question or suggestion don't hesitate to write to me

About

Chord Graph

Features
Read full description

Chord Graph — see where your harmony can go Chord Graph turns music theory into something you can see and hear. Pick a key, mode, and starting chord, and the app builds a harmony graph around it: chords as nodes, real relationships as edges—diatonic motion, dominants, modal color, jazz substitutions, and more. Whether you write songs, teach, arrange, or practice at the keyboard, Chord Graph helps you move from “what chord am I on?” to “what could happen next—and why?” VISUALIZE HARMONY • Interactive graph centered on your focus chord • Tap neighbors to explore outgoing moves • Highlight suggested progression paths on the canvas • Inspector explains the selected chord or connection in plain language DISCOVER PROGRESSIONS • Ranked 4- and 8-bar progression ideas from your starting chord • Pop and Jazz style profiles that weight different harmonic moves • Next chord suggestions when you want one step at a time • Optional target ending chord to steer where a progression lands ANALYZE & EXPERIMENT • Suggest tools: paste chords from a lead sheet or sketch (e.g. two chords) and get completions or emotional alternatives • Progression analyzer for the path you’re exploring • Diatonic defaults: triads, sus chords, or 7ths—your choice HEAR IT • Built-in audio preview: play focus chords and full progressions • Tempo and loop for sketching ideas quickly • Stereo spread and reverb for a more musical audition BUILT FOR THEORY THAT STAYS HONEST ChordGraph is powered by a dedicated theory engine (keys, modes including major, minor, and common modes, triads through extensions, alterations, slash chords). Suggestions are scored and explained—not random chord wheels. WHO IT’S FOR • Songwriters looking for fresh cadences and bridges • Students learning functional harmony and jazz moves • Teachers demonstrating voice-leading and chord function • Keyboard and guitar players who think in chord symbols REQUIREMENTS Chord Graph is designed for Mac with a spacious layout: sidebar controls, harmony graph, and inspector working together. A future iPad version may follow; this listing reflects the Mac app. Start from any chord. Follow the graph. Hear the path. Understand the why.

Screenshots

C.ARP4 screens
Chord Graph3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chord Graph at $4.99 against C.ARP's $9.99. C.ARP's advantage is chart position (#102 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On 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

C.ARP costs $9.99 and Chord Graph $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
C.ARP versus Chord Graph: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterC.ARPChord Graph
Price$9.99$4.99 — better
Rating4.3 (114 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews74.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings114 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#102 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPaolo GiorgiDX Wave Limited

Bugs and requests

C.ARP

Reported bugs

40 issues
  • Sound doesn't work
  • No sound
  • App crashes when opening
  • App crashes when trying to open
  • App auto-quits on start
Show 35 more
  • Chord panel smaller after update
  • System setting always out
  • App crashes after using only once
  • App crashes when pressing a button
  • MIDI Send is broken
  • Can't open the app on Mac
  • Can't close the menu
  • App crashes if sample button is pressed
  • Sample button crashes the app
  • Strumming doesn't work
  • App crashes when sample or reverse is pressed
  • App is not stable / crashy
  • Sampling function is DOA
  • Sampler doesn't work / crashes
  • Crash problem
  • Send midi function greyed out
  • App crashes when pressing the red sample button
  • Sampler crashes the app 100%
  • App crashes when attempting to use record feature
  • Sample button keeps crashing the app
  • Record, loop, or reverse buttons cause crash
  • Bugs related to recording/sampling
  • Sampler may crash
  • Audio panel covers gear button
  • E chord is extremely low octave and sounds muddled
  • App crashes when trying to start an audio recording
  • Certain audio glitches with recording and looping
  • Buttons crash the app
  • App crashes when pressing the sample button
  • Sample and reverse buttons crash the app
  • MIDI out doesn't seem to work
  • Latency is a killer
  • Chord doesn't trigger if not hit perfectly
  • Sliding finger doesn't sound chord
  • Sound can be tinny/harsh

Requested features

18 requests
  • Rearrange layout to be chromatic
  • AUV3 support
  • Inter-app-audio / GarageBand integration
  • MIDI out functionality
  • Save last state
Show 13 more
  • Contextual help menus
  • More sound design options
  • Make it an Auv3 midi controller
  • Support iPad
  • Add "midi out" option
  • Make it an audio app extension for GarageBand
  • Add a way to use this app as a Bluetooth midi controller
  • Add a visual distinction for individual buttons
  • Add velocity on the strum bar
  • Allow autoplay chord to hold like a drone
  • Transpose reverb of strummed notes
  • Add midi connectivity with external devices and other apps
  • Add custom colors for themes

Chord Graph

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

C.ARP

No in-app purchases

None

Chord Graph

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is C.ARP free?
C.ARP costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chord Graph free?
Chord Graph costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do C.ARP or Chord Graph have ads?
Neither C.ARP nor Chord Graph shows ads.

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