Comparison

D'Tools vs TONEX Control

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

Head to head
About

D'Tools

This app is a comprehensive toolkit for guitarists, offering features like a chord library, scale explorer, digital tuner, and metronome. It provides professional-grade utilities to help players of all levels improve their technique and explore musical possibilities.

Highlights
  • Chord library with 7,000+ chords
  • Scale and arpeggio explorer
  • Professional-grade digital tuner
  • Hyper-accurate digital metronome
  • Chord finder by fret selection
  • Lefty mode for chords
Read full description

Newly updated to support the latest iPhones and iOS 12, D'Tools (formerly Guitar Tools) is the ultimate hand-held utility kit for guitar players of any style or skill level, brought to you by D'Addario & Company, Inc., the world's largest designer, manufacturer and distributor of musical instrument accessories. Enjoy the full functionality of the Chordmaster and Scale Wizard apps, the core features of ProTune and ProTempo. Developed exclusively for iOS by the minds at Audiofile Engineering, D'Tools packs a wealth of easy-to-use, professional-grade guitar utilities into one elegant application for your iPhone or iPod touch. FEATURES: CHORDS Explore a library of more than 7,000 guitar chords by simply tapping and strumming the touch screen. View chords in every position up and down the guitar neck and hear each one played back in pristine audio. There's even a "lefty" mode for the oft-neglected southpaw. CHORD FINDER You know how to play it, but what do you call it? Select frets and finger positions to discover the proper name for your chord. SCALES Improve your technique by choosing from thousands of scales, modes and arpeggios to practice. Try multiple positions and alternate tunings to boost your versatility. Use "big stretches" for unique, challenging fingerings. TUNER Keep your instrument in tune with a professional-grade digital tuner, powered by Audiofile Engineering's precise AETune™ pitch detection technology. Choose between strobe or needle interface and access dozens of presets. METRONOME Keep in time with a hyper-accurate and visually stunning digital metronome. Set tempos numerically or by tapping the touch screen. Choose from multiple sounds and time signatures. --- D'Tools was developed by Audiofile Engineering, a leading developer of audio software for OS X and iOS.

About

TONEX Control

This free companion app provides guitarists and bassists with wireless control over their TONEX Plug. It offers real-time editing, extensive preset management, and access to a vast online community of tone models and presets. Practice tools like a tuner and metronome are also included.

Highlights
  • Real-time amp, cab, and effect editing
  • Unlimited user preset management
  • Access to ToneNET community
  • Bluetooth streaming for practice
  • Built-in tuner and metronome
  • Instant device connectivity
Read full description

Play beyond limits. Real amps. Total freedom. Take full control of your tone from your mobile device with TONEX Control, the official free companion app for TONEX ONE+ and TONEX Plug. Edit, manage, and expand your rig in real time with seamless access to ToneNET, deep tone shaping tools, and complete preset control. Whether you're practicing, recording, or building a pedalboard rig, TONEX Control keeps everything connected and within reach. KEY FEATURES Full Real-Time Editing Shape your sound with intuitive control over amps, cabs, effects, IRs, and EQ. Complete Preset Management Access and edit onboard presets or store unlimited presets on your mobile device. Organize, assign, and back up your sounds with ease. ToneNET Access Explore over 60,000 Tone Models and presets from the global TONEX community. Search, demo, and download new tones instantly. Wireless Control for TONEX ONE+ Connect via Bluetooth for real-time editing, tone transfer, and full control of your pedal. Seamless TONEX Plug Integration Manage and organize your tones on the go while keeping your library synced. Advanced Tone Shaping Edit amps, cabs, VIR and IRs, EQ, noise gate, compression, modulation, delay, and reverb. Built-In Practice Tools Stay in tune and in time with a built-in tuner and metronome. Fast, Connected Workflow Instantly connect and sync presets and settings across the TONEX ecosystem. TONEX Control is your mobile command center for tone. Download now and take full control of your rig, anywhere you play.

Screenshots

D'Tools3 screens
TONEX Control4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: D'Tools at 3.6 against TONEX Control's 1.9. D'Tools also leads on review sentiment (49% vs 17%) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.0). TONEX Control's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. D'Tools sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. TONEX Control asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

D'Tools holds the better App Store score, 3.6 against 1.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 30 and 15 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of D'Tools's written reviews are positive against 17% of TONEX Control's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

D'Tools ships an update every 4 months, TONEX Control every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
D'Tools versus TONEX Control: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterD'ToolsTONEX Control
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (30 ratings) — better1.9 (15 ratings)
Positive reviews49.0% of reviews — better17.2% of reviews
Number of ratings30 — better15
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB124 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperD'Addario & Company, Inc.IK Multimedia US, LLC

Customer experience

D'Tools

All ratings30 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral10.0%
Negative30.0%
Written reviews151 reviews
Positive49.0%
Neutral16.6%
Negative34.4%

TONEX Control

All ratings15 ratings
Positive13.3%
Neutral13.3%
Negative73.3%
Written reviews29 reviews
Positive17.2%
Neutral27.6%
Negative55.2%

Bugs and requests

D'Tools

Reported bugs

14 issues
  • Chord finder crashes app repeatedly
  • Tuner stops working after iOS updates
  • Microphone access not granted or requested properly
  • Audio/sound stops working after app closure
  • Metronome has no sound intermittently
Show 9 more
  • App crashes when accessing 'Find Stores' or 'Find Teachers' features
  • Chord finder displays 'no chord' for valid chords
  • Tuner reads notes sharp or flat (off by semitones)
  • App crashes after receiving phone calls
  • Chord finder cannot recognize bar chords
  • Cannot select open strings in chord finder
  • App requires internet connection to function
  • Incompatibility with iOS 7, 8, 11, and 12.5.7
  • Tuner frequency range too limited (doesn't go below A1)

Requested features

13 requests
  • Mute button for metronome
  • Bluetooth audio output for metronome
  • Dark mode/dark background for tuner visibility
  • Ability to change tuning in chord dictionary
  • Auto-play feature for continuous chord/scale playback
Show 8 more
  • Poly-rhythm metronome
  • 3 notes per string scale display option
  • Bass-specific scale options
  • Ability to play pitch reference tone (440Hz, etc.)
  • Support for alternate tunings
  • Background metronome playback during multitasking
  • Restore previous purchases button
  • Microphone access request on app launch

TONEX Control

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

D'Tools

One-time1
  • Buzz Feiten Tuning System$19.99
None

TONEX Control

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is D'Tools free?
D'Tools is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TONEX Control free?
TONEX Control is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, D'Tools or TONEX Control?
D'Tools is rated higher. D'Tools averages 3.6 out of 5 from 30 ratings, while TONEX Control averages 1.9 from 15 ratings.
Do D'Tools or TONEX Control have ads?
Neither D'Tools nor TONEX Control shows ads.
Which is updated more often, D'Tools or TONEX Control?
D'Tools ships an update every 4 months, and TONEX Control every 3 months. Most recently, D'Tools was updated on October 9, 2026 and TONEX Control on October 9, 2026.

Other comparisons