# The Chord Detector vs AU EngineCore

The clearest difference is price: The Chord Detector at $1.99 against AU EngineCore's $22.99. The Chord Detector also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 16.6). AU EngineCore's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 6 weeks). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

The Chord Detector costs $1.99 and AU EngineCore $22.99 up front. The Chord Detector sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. AU EngineCore asks for nothing beyond the download.

The Chord Detector ships an update every 6 weeks, AU EngineCore weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | The Chord Detector | AU EngineCore |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **$1.99** | $22.99 |
| Rating | **[2.1 (24 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chord-detector/id420873903/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **24** | — |
| Positive reviews | 51.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 26 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **9.0** | 16.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simon Hopkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1544800451) | [Antonio Sorin TASU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1883473854) |

## What reviewers say

### The Chord Detector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-chord-detector/id420873903)

This app analyzes audio files and detects musical chords. It supports various sources like your music library, Dropbox, YouTube, and SoundCloud. Learn to play songs by seeing chords displayed in real-time as the music plays.

**Highlights:** Automatic chord detection, Analyze music library, Dropbox, YouTube, SoundCloud, Real-time chord display, Tempo and capo adjustment, Support for various chord types, Queueing of tracks for analysis

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Ukulele Chord Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Banjo Chord Pack | $0.99 | one-time |
| Mandolin Chord Pack | $0.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Accurate chord detection
- 👍 Useful capo and tempo features
- 🎶 Helps learn songs quickly
- 💰 Good value for money

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Inaccurate chord detection for complex songs
- 🚫 Incompatible with DRM-protected tracks
- ⚠️ Crashes and stops working after updates
- 🕰️ Slow chord change detection

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when trying to detect chords
- YouTube/SoundCloud integration no longer works
- Chord detection stops after 25-60 seconds of playback

**Requested features**

- Add support for more chord types (9th, 11th, etc.)
- Allow editing/correcting detected chords
- Implement a looping/repeat function
- Add support for more instruments (ukulele, bass, etc.)


### AU EngineCore

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/au-enginecore/id6766300671)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is The Chord Detector free?

The Chord Detector costs $1.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is AU EngineCore free?

AU EngineCore costs $22.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do The Chord Detector or AU EngineCore have ads?

Neither The Chord Detector nor AU EngineCore shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, The Chord Detector or AU EngineCore?

The Chord Detector ships an update every 6 weeks, and AU EngineCore weekly. Most recently, The Chord Detector was updated on November 7, 2026 and AU EngineCore on October 31, 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.*