Basichords vs Mandolin Tuner EM
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Basichords
Access chord diagrams for a variety of stringed instruments, including guitar, ukulele, and banjo. Features include auto-play, interactive diagrams, finger placement guides, and detailed chord/note information. Supports multiple tunings and left-handed players.
- Chord diagrams for multiple instruments
- Auto-play chords
- Interactive chord diagrams
- Finger placement guidance
- Chord and note information
- Left-handed display option
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Chord positions for Guitar, Ukulele, Bouzouki, Cavaquinho, Mandolin, Mandola & Banjo: - auto play of the chords when selected - ability to play the chord by tapping on its diagram - finger position, to tell which finger goes where in the easiest manner - chord information (root, 3rd, 5th, 7th...) or note information (C, G, E...) for each string - option for left-handed display and disabling the autoplay feature - ad supported Supported tunings: - Guitar E-A-D-G-B-E (more than 2100 positions) - Ukulele G-C-E-A/A-D-F#-B (900+) - Cavaquinho D-G-B-D (1100+) - Mandolin/Bouzouki G-D-A-E (900+) - Mandola C-G-D-A (900+) - Banjo C-G-B-D (700+) / D-G-B-D (1100+)
Mandolin Tuner EM
This application provides a precise tuning experience for mandolin players, supporting various alternate tunings and offering a quick reference for common chords with fingerings. It features automatic string detection and adjustable reference frequencies for accurate tuning.
- Alternate mandolin tunings
- Adjustable reference note frequency
- Automatic string detection
- Common chord fingerings
- Multiple note naming schemes
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Alternate mandolin tunings (Piccolo/sopranino, Tenor/alto, Octave/mandola). Adjustable reference note frequency (A440). Automatic detection of tuned strings. Most common chords with fingerings and string tones as quick reference. Various note naming schemes: English (CDEFGAB), German (CDEFGAH), Latin (DoReMiFa...)
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Basichords at none against Mandolin Tuner EM's 1. Basichords also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (75% vs 67%). On price, rating, ratings volume 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
Both are free to download. Mandolin Tuner EM sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Basichords asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Basichords against 4.0 for Mandolin Tuner EM. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 9 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of Basichords's written reviews are positive against 67% of Mandolin Tuner EM's.
Basichords ships an update every 4 months, Mandolin Tuner EM every 5 months. Both last shipped on October 24, 2026.
| Parameter | Basichords | Mandolin Tuner EM |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.1 (11 ratings) — better | 4.0 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.4% of reviews — better | 66.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 9 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.4 — better | 12.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tekartik | myrApps |
Customer experience
Basichords
Mandolin Tuner EM
Bugs and requests
Basichords
Reported bugs
7 issues- Crashes when changing instruments
- Crashes when going to settings
- App crashes on startup
- App disappears on iPad 1
- Crashes after iOS updates
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- Link to paid version not working
- Ads taking over the app
Requested features
12 requests- Baritone Ukulele chords
- FSus2 open voicing
- Alternate odd open chords
- Option to remove ads (paid version)
- Improve link to paid version
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- Add diminished triads
- Add / chords (e.g., d/f# and g/d)
- Add C#m chord
- Add drop D ukulele tuning (DGBE)
- Add bass guitar chords
- Add C2 chord
- Left-handed view option
Mandolin Tuner EM
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Basichords
No in-app purchases
Mandolin Tuner EM
- Premium Upgrade$3.99
Questions
Is Basichords free?
Is Mandolin Tuner EM free?
Which has better reviews, Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM?
Do Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM have ads?
Which is updated more often, Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM?
Other comparisons
