# Basichords vs Mandolin Tuner EM

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basichords | Mandolin Tuner EM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basichords/id384890606/reviews)** | [4.0 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandolin-tuner-em-1/id1481362092/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **11** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **75.4% of reviews** | 66.7% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | **8.4** | 12.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tekartik](https://appshunter.io/developer/361656490) | [myrApps](https://appshunter.io/developer/954211898) |

## What reviewers say

### Basichords

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basichords/id384890606)

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.

**Highlights:** Chord diagrams for multiple instruments, Auto-play chords, Interactive chord diagrams, Finger placement guidance, Chord and note information, Left-handed display option

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and clean interface
- 🎸 Versatile for multiple instruments
- 💡 Shows alternate chord voicings
- 🆓 Great free app
- ⏱️ Fast chord lookup

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes when switching instruments
- 📉 Ads can be intrusive
- 🔗 Broken links to paid version
- ⚠️ Some chord types missing (e.g., diminished triads)
- 🤔 Confusing interface for some users

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when changing instruments
- Crashes when going to settings
- App crashes on startup
- App disappears on iPad 1
- Crashes after iOS updates

**Requested features**

- Baritone Ukulele chords
- FSus2 open voicing
- Alternate odd open chords
- Option to remove ads (paid version)
- Improve link to paid version


### Mandolin Tuner EM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandolin-tuner-em-1/id1481362092)

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.

**Highlights:** Alternate mandolin tunings, Adjustable reference note frequency, Automatic string detection, Common chord fingerings, Multiple note naming schemes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Upgrade | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basichords free?

Basichords is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Mandolin Tuner EM free?

Mandolin Tuner EM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM?

Basichords is rated higher. Basichords averages 4.1 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Mandolin Tuner EM averages 4.0 from 9 ratings.

### Do Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM have ads?

Mandolin Tuner EM shows ads; Basichords does not.

### Which is updated more often, Basichords or Mandolin Tuner EM?

Basichords ships an update every 4 months, and Mandolin Tuner EM every 5 months. Most recently, Basichords was updated on October 24, 2026 and Mandolin Tuner EM on October 24, 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.*