Comparison

Guitar Chords by Ear vs DotDash

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

Head to head
About

Guitar Chords by Ear

Features
Read full description

The guitar is the most popular musical instrument. Campfires, house parties, social gatherings , someone playing the guitar is always a must for a good time. Today we present to you the easiest, most fun and seamless way to learn playing the guitar chords and most prominent chord progressions in a realistic musical context. Part of the revolutionary ‘..by Ear’ series, this app provides you with the fastest way to learn all the chords and become fluent in playing the guitar, also being able to transcribe real songs and their chord progressions on the fly, with all that in a matter of a week or two instead of years of practice. And many people after decades of playing still don’t possess this skill so no matter which level you are, you will be able to gain powerful results from this app. You will learn all the chords and all the most frequent chord progressions in one sweep, all that in a matter of days. This kind of skill takes many hours with a tutor and many hours of homework to master yet this app provides you with the most streamlined way to achieve that. The vintage legendary 1970s acoustic $120000 guitar that is used for the sounds is very hard to come by and very rich sounding so as a bonus you get this lash sound in your pocket and it is a very inspiring way to practice.

About

DotDash

Master Morse code with this modern trainer. It offers adaptive audio, speed drills, and progress tracking using scientifically designed lessons. Ideal for beginners and experienced users looking to improve fluency.

Highlights
  • Progressive learning from 2 letters to 40+ characters
  • Adaptive speed training (5-40 WPM)
  • Spaced repetition for retention
  • Real-time feedback
  • 50 structured lessons
  • Multiple practice drill types
  • Offline mode
Features
Read full description

MASTER MORSE CODE BY EAR DotDash teaches you to hear Morse the way operators do: sounds first, never a lookup table. One guided session a day, five minutes, and the letters start to feel like words. WHY DOTDASH? • Audio-first — every character is learned by ear at full 20 WPM character speed; the dot-dash pattern is only ever shown as feedback • Koch method, done properly — start with E and T, add one character at a time, never move on below 90% accuracy • Farnsworth spacing that tightens as you improve — from 8 to 15 WPM effective, automatically • Spaced repetition — weak letters come back at the right moment, mastered ones fade out • Unit checkpoints — copy real 5-character code groups, the same test amateur radio classes use • Beep, your signal-lamp coach, listens and reacts as you learn ONE DAILY SESSION Warm-up reviews → one new character → mixed recognition, recall and sending drills → words you can already spell. Beginners hear their first letters in under a minute. PRACTICE YOUR WAY • Recall drill — hear a letter, tap it from everything you have learned • Sending drill — key the rhythm on a straight-key pad with instant grading • Word copy — real words, Q-codes and ham abbreviations built only from your letters • Daily mystery word — a word puzzle that gets slower with each try; share your solve speed • Decoder and reference library — look up or hear any character, prosign or Q-code STAY ON TRACK • Learning path with unit checkpoints and progress for every character • Daily streak and XP • Per-character accuracy and speed • A gentle reminder when your next session is ready PROFESSIONAL AUDIO • Clean sidetone, adjustable 400–1000 Hz • Character speed 5–40 WPM with independent Farnsworth spacing • Plays with the screen off PERFECT FOR • Amateur radio operators preparing for CW on the air • Pilots, sailors and anyone who works with beacons • Preppers, scouts and emergency-ready families • Puzzle lovers and anyone who wants a skill most people never learn PREMIUM Try free for 3 days, then subscribe yearly or weekly, or buy once and keep it forever. Premium unlocks the full learning path, unlimited practice and sync across devices. FEATURES AT A GLANCE • 36 characters + prosigns and punctuation • 300 words, Q-codes and abbreviations • Guided daily session, 4 practice modes, daily challenge • Spaced repetition and unit checkpoints • Works offline · No ads --- Privacy Policy: https://policyforge.co/policy/privacy-dotdash-privacy-policy Terms of Service: https://policyforge.co/policy/terms-dotdash-terms-of-service Support: hello@getdotdash.today

Screenshots

Guitar Chords by Ear3 screens
DotDash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DotDash at Free against Guitar Chords by Ear's $12.99. DotDash also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Guitar Chords by Ear's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.1). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

DotDash is free to download; Guitar Chords by Ear costs $12.99 up front. DotDash sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Guitar Chords by Ear asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guitar Chords by Ear ships an update every 5 months, DotDash every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 13, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Guitar Chords by Ear versus DotDash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitar Chords by EarDotDash
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating—2.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size105 MB62 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperOleg SokolovPaul Ekirapa

In-app purchases

None

Guitar Chords by Ear

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

DotDash

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
  • Premium Weekly$5.997 Days
  • Premium Yearly3 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$49.99

Questions

Is Guitar Chords by Ear free?
Guitar Chords by Ear costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DotDash free?
DotDash is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Guitar Chords by Ear or DotDash have ads?
Neither Guitar Chords by Ear nor DotDash shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Guitar Chords by Ear or DotDash?
Guitar Chords by Ear ships an update every 5 months, and DotDash every 2 weeks. Most recently, Guitar Chords by Ear was updated on September 13, 2026 and DotDash on October 2, 2026.

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