Rootless Voicings vs Modes
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Rootless Voicings
This app assists musicians in learning and practicing rootless voicings. It offers features like random chord generation, note display options, filtering by key and voicing type, and a timed practice mode. Users can also listen to chords, play bass notes, and follow the circle of fifths.
- Random chord generation
- Optional note display
- Chord filtering by key and voicing
- Timed practice mode
- Listen to chord sounds
- Bass note playback
- Circle of fifths guide
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Do you need help learning your rootless voicing chords, or just need a helping hand when practicing them? If so, then look no further. This app is just for you! It allows you to: - Generate a random chord for you to play - Enable or disable the display of the notes for that chord if you are still learning - Enable you to filter the chords generated based on key type, and/or voicing type - Use a timed mode to test your knowledge - Listen to the chord as it should sound - Play a bass note either by itself, before the chord, or with the chord - Follow the circle of fifths anti-clockwise for your rootless voicings - Learn your 2-5-1 chord progressions
Modes
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Modes is a hands-on music theory lab for iPhone and iPad. Whether you're writing a song, preparing for a lesson, or exploring new harmonic territory, Modes gives you instant access to scales, chords, voicings, and modulation paths, all in one beautiful, distraction-free interface. Now with Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight search, and Home Screen widgets. SCALE & CHORD FINDER Play notes on the interactive multi-octave keyboard or connect a MIDI controller. Modes identifies the chord you're playing in real time: major, minor, diminished, augmented, extended, suspended, and more. It ranks every matching scale by note coverage. Filter results by scale category (diatonic, melodic minor, harmonic minor, pentatonic, bebop, symmetric, world, and more) to zero in on the sound you're after. 65 SCALES & MODES From the seven diatonic modes through melodic minor, harmonic minor, double harmonic, Neapolitan, bebop, the full set of pentatonic modes, blues, whole tone, diminished, augmented, and world scales like Hirajōshi, Kumoi, In Sen, Persian, and Enigmatic. Every scale is spelled out with interval tokens and highlighted on the keyboard. NOTES IN KEY Pick any root and scale to see every in-key note highlighted across two octaves. Instantly visualise which notes belong and where the root sits. SCALE CHORDS Generate diatonic triads or sevenths for every degree of your chosen scale. View roman numerals, chord names, harmonic function badges (tonic, subdominant, dominant, and 30+ detailed labels), and voiced keyboard renderings, all aligned for easy comparison. 8 VOICING TYPES Build chords in tertian, sus2, sus4, sixth, add, quartal, quintal, and power voicings. Choose from triads up to thirteenths, with every extension automatically labelled. SHARED NOTES & SHARED CHORDS Compare any two keys side by side. See which notes overlap, which are unique, and which chords both keys share. Essential for smooth modulation and reharmonisation. BORROWED CHORDS Analyse your key for native diatonic chords alongside every borrowed option from parallel modes, grouped by source mode. Discover fresh harmonic colour without leaving your tonal centre. CIRCLE OF FIFTHS Interactive dual-ring circle (major outside, natural minor inside). Tap a sector to retune the key. See dominant, subdominant, relative, parallel, and nearby key relationships at a glance, with modulation difficulty badges and key-signature details. CIRCLE OF THIRDS Explore chromatic mediant relationships on a diminished-cycle diagram. Major and minor buttons for every pitch class reveal mediant, relative, and parallel connections. Perfect for cinematic and neo-Riemannian modulation planning. MIDI SUPPORT Connect any class-compliant MIDI keyboard or controller. Played notes merge with on-screen taps for seamless detection. SIRI, SHORTCUTS & SPOTLIGHT Ask Siri or run a Shortcut to show a scale's notes, list the chords in a key, identify a scale or chord, spell a chord, find the interval between two notes, transpose a note, or open the circle of fifths and borrowed chords. Scales and chords are indexed in Spotlight, so you can search for them straight from your Home Screen. HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Add the Scale of the Day and Chord of the Day widgets to your Home or Lock Screen for a daily dose of theory, tappable straight into the app. DESIGNED FOR MUSICIANS • Runs entirely offline. No account, no ads, no tracking • Dark-mode aware interface • Adaptive layouts for iPhone and iPad • Enharmonic spelling: automatic, sharps, or flats • Pinch-to-zoom keyboard from 1 to 9 octaves Whether you're a producer sketching chord progressions, a guitarist learning modes, a pianist studying jazz harmony, or a student preparing for theory exams, Modes puts deep music theory at your fingertips. Fast, visual, and always within reach. Try free for 7 days! After the trial, unlock full access with a one-time purchase — no subscriptions.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Modes at Free against Rootless Voicings's $1.99. Rootless Voicings's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On update cadence, ads 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
Modes is free to download; Rootless Voicings costs $1.99 up front. Modes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Rootless Voicings asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 8, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Rootless Voicings | Modes |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 1 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 — better | 17.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 14 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Paul Toal | GITC |
In-app purchases
Rootless Voicings
No in-app purchases
Modes
- Full Access$9.99
Questions
Is Rootless Voicings free?
Is Modes free?
Do Rootless Voicings or Modes have ads?
Which is updated more often, Rootless Voicings or Modes?
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