# Guitarist's Reference vs Tonality

The clearest difference is price: Tonality at $7.99 against Guitarist's Reference's $19.99. Tonality also leads on review sentiment (97% vs 62%) and ratings volume (129 vs 16). Guitarist's Reference's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On rating, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Guitarist's Reference costs $19.99 and Tonality $7.99 up front. Tonality sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Guitarist's Reference asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for Guitarist's Reference against 4.8 for Tonality. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Tonality has 129 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 62% of Guitarist's Reference's written reviews are positive against 97% of Tonality's.

Guitarist's Reference ships an update every 3 weeks, Tonality fortnightly. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guitarist's Reference | Tonality |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$7.99** |
| Rating | [4.8 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitarists-reference/id304048049/reviews) | **[4.8 (129 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonality-music-theory/id1467552236/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 16 | **129** |
| Positive reviews | 62.0% of reviews | **97.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 79 MB | 110 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.0 | 12.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [My App Catalog LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/304048052) | [Bryce Hostetler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1352752190) |

## What reviewers say

### Guitarist's Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitarists-reference/id304048049)

This comprehensive suite offers a vast collection of guitar chords, scales, and arpeggios with clear diagrams and detailed theory. It includes tools for finding chord-scale relationships, exploring alternate tunings, and even a virtual guitar for practice.

**Highlights:** 3000+ guitar chords with diagrams, 42 scale types including modes and pentatonics, Arpeggio finder, 36 alternate tunings, Chord-scale relationship guide, Virtual guitar, Guitar tuner

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Comprehensive guitar reference
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Reverse chord finder
- 🚀 Detailed chord, scale, and arpeggio information
- 👍 Great for beginners and advanced players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and freezes
- 🔧 Missing some common chord and scale voicings
- 🔧 Chord playback implementation could be improved
- 🔧 Outdated or lacking support for newer iOS versions
- 🔧 Interface could use a more modern design

**Reported bugs**

- Chord finder not detecting all chord inversions
- Issues with alternate tuning functionality
- Compatibility problems with newer iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Ability to overlay multiple scales
- Customizable chord/scale display options
- Integrated tuner functionality
- Support for more alternate tunings
- Improved chord/scale audio playback


### Tonality

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tonality-music-theory/id1467552236)

This app is a comprehensive music theory reference tool for musicians. It offers extensive chord and scale dictionaries, ear training exercises, and interactive tools like the Circle of Fifths. It also includes MIDI functionality for composition and performance.

**Highlights:** Chord and scale dictionaries, Chord identification from microphone, Interactive Circle of Fifths, Ear training exercises, MIDI and AUv3 plugins, Chord pads for composition

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Excellent for music theory learning
- 💡 Versatile tool for songwriting
- 🚀 Seamless MIDI integration
- 🎵 Great for ear training
- 🎹 Useful for practicing chords and scales

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🤔 Can be overwhelming for new users
- 🎨 Color scheme can be hard on eyes
- 🤷‍♂️ Some features not intuitive
- 🎶 App icon appearance noted

**Reported bugs**

- MIDI mappings reset when switching keys
- AUv3 version not showing up in AUM
- Difficulty assigning pads to MIDI controller
- Trouble identifying inverted chords

**Requested features**

- Add pedal function for note release
- Add arpeggios
- Add fingering diagrams
- Ability to set global MIDI mappings on pads
- Solfege audio unit (fixed and movable do)


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guitarist's Reference free?

Guitarist's Reference costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Tonality free?

Tonality costs $7.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Guitarist's Reference or Tonality?

Tonality is rated higher. Guitarist's Reference averages 4.8 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while Tonality averages 4.8 from 129 ratings.

### Do Guitarist's Reference or Tonality have ads?

Neither Guitarist's Reference nor Tonality shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guitarist's Reference or Tonality?

Guitarist's Reference ships an update every 3 weeks, and Tonality fortnightly. Most recently, Guitarist's Reference was updated on November 6, 2026 and Tonality on November 6, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*