Comparison

JustChords vs Chord Studio

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

Head to head
About

JustChords

Organize your song library with chord charts and lyrics. Create or import songs, sync across devices, and build setlists for live performances. Supports various music notations and audio playback.

Highlights
  • Chord chart and lyric editor
  • Import songs from online sources
  • iCloud device syncing
  • Setlist creation and sharing
  • AirPlay lyric projection
  • Audio player and recorder
  • Support for multiple music notations
Read full description

JustChords is your complete tool for cataloging chord charts and lyrics. Create charts from scratch, import them from files, or pull them from online sources — building a library that's always with you, synced across iPhone, iPad and Mac via iCloud. Use JustChords standalone or as an AUv3 plugin in your favorite DAW. FEATURES • Setlists, with sharing and collaboration • Song editor is based on ChordPro and supports chords & lyrics, note sheets (PDF), chord beats, guitar tabs and ABC notation • Change Key, Capo, Piano Transpose, Rewrite into key • Metronome & Tuner • Autoscroll • Guitar, ukulele and piano chord diagrams, including alternate tunings • Audio player & recorder. Attach your tracks from Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, URL or local file • Project lyrics or a dedicated stage display via AirPlay, with rich configuration options • Bluetooth / MIDI pedal support • Chord Beats — visualize chord duration right in your chords & lyrics, send chord notes over MIDI as they play, and trigger predefined MIDI messages on section changes • Tonic Pad — an ambient backing pad matched to your song's key • PlayTogether — keep your whole band in sync live, hands-free

About

Chord Studio

This app helps musicians play, recognize, and create chord progressions. It offers real-time chord recognition, MIDI keyboard support, and tools to craft and export custom musical arrangements. Enjoy a distraction-free experience with a clean interface and regular updates.

Highlights
  • Real-time chord recognition
  • Custom chord progression creation
  • MIDI keyboard support
  • Chord lookup and voicings
  • Built-in metronome
  • Export progressions to MIDI
Features
Read full description

Your all-in-one chord companion. Play and recognize chords live, craft custom progressions, and connect your MIDI keyboard. Play Mode - Recognize chords in real time while you play - Look up any chord and explore multiple voicings - MIDI keyboard support for seamless input - Built-in metronome to keep your practice tight - Challenge your chord skills and compete on global leaderboards - Or simply enjoy it as a elegantly designed piano in your pocket Songwriting Mode - Craft custom chord progressions with just a few taps - Instantly hear how your chords sound together - Choose from a wide range of instruments and playing styles - Customize playback with humanize, transposition, voicing adjustments, and more - Auto-detect chords from MIDI input for faster editing - Share with friends or export your progressions to MIDI files Designed for Musicians - Minimal, elegant design for the best user experience - Light / Dark Mode and customizable theme colors - 100% ad-free, so you can focus on your music - Regular updates with new features and content For questions or feedback, contact us anytime at chordstudio3572@outlook.com Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

JustChords4 screens
Chord Studio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: JustChords at 348 against Chord Studio's 1. JustChords also leads on iOS requirement (17.5 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. JustChords sells 7 one-off in-app purchases and Chord Studio sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for JustChords against 5.0 for Chord Studio. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: JustChords has 348 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 94% of JustChords's written reviews are positive against 100% of Chord Studio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

JustChords ships an update every 2 weeks, Chord Studio weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and July 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
JustChords versus Chord Studio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJustChordsChord Studio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (348 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews94.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings348 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.5 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size65 MB198 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMarek PalkaJin Zhang

Customer experience

JustChords

All ratings348 ratings
Positive98.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative0.3%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive94.2%
Neutral1.9%
Negative3.9%

Chord Studio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

JustChords

Reported bugs

11 issues
  • App crashes when importing songs from online sources
  • Pinch zoom feature stopped working
  • Songs disappearing from library
  • App unable to load songs from library in certain conditions
  • Multi-column view not functioning on iPad
Show 6 more
  • PDF export inconsistently includes/excludes metadata
  • Control+S keyboard shortcut non-functional on iPad and desktop
  • Choppy scrolling between songs
  • Tagging system filters incorrectly (excludes songs with multiple tags)
  • Songs won't open when tapped (reported on iPhone 8 with iOS 16.7.4)
  • Sticky notes placement requires manual adjustment

Requested features

8 requests
  • Apple Pencil direct annotation with eraser capability
  • Standard tag filtering logic (show songs with selected tags)
  • Bluetooth pedal support for song navigation without touching device
  • Web-based editor for songs
  • Direct in-app sharing to other users
Show 3 more
  • Improved documentation and user manual
  • Smoother song-to-song scrolling transitions
  • Dark mode option

Chord Studio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

7 purchases

JustChords

One-time7
  • Buy me a coffee$0.99
  • Nice Chords!$2.99
  • Buy me a pineapple$4.99
Show 4 more
  • Rock On!$6.99
  • Buy me a book$7.99
  • Big Thanks!$17.99
  • Legendary Support!$44.99
2 purchases

Chord Studio

Subscriptions1
  • Chord Studio Pro$1.991 Month
One-time1
  • Chord Studio Pro Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is JustChords free?
JustChords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chord Studio free?
Chord Studio is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, JustChords or Chord Studio?
Chord Studio is rated higher. JustChords averages 4.9 out of 5 from 348 ratings, while Chord Studio averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do JustChords or Chord Studio have ads?
Neither JustChords nor Chord Studio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, JustChords or Chord Studio?
JustChords ships an update every 2 weeks, and Chord Studio weekly. Most recently, JustChords was updated on September 26, 2026 and Chord Studio on July 27, 2026.

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