Comparison

Transruler free vs Chords Pad

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

Head to head
About

Transruler free

This app helps musicians understand, visualize, and play various musical scales. It features interactive rulers to display scales and keys, allowing for easy transposition and learning of scale relationships. Play individual notes or entire scales with simple taps.

Highlights
  • Visualize musical scales
  • Easy transposition
  • Interactive scale rulers
  • Tap to play notes
  • Double-tap to play scales
  • Learn scale relationships
Features
Read full description

Transruler is an app to understand, display and play various musical scales. Transruler makes transposition easy. Transruler provides three rulers. The middle ruler contains all tones and semitones. The top and bottom ruler can each display a selectable scale. You can move each ruler and set the key note independently. You can play a single note by tapping once. A double tap on a scale ruler plays all notes in this scale. Double tap on the note ruler plays one octave. This all helps to visualize and learn the relationship between different scales and/or keys. This free version of Transruler displays an ad banner and just contains the Major, Minor and Blues scale. After purchasing an instrument or the editor Transruler free hides the ad banner and enables the following scales: - Major - Major (Pentatonic) - Minor - Minor (Pentatonic) - Minor (Harmonic) - Minor (Melodic) - Blues Minor - Blues Major - Gypsy Major - Gypsy Minor - Ionian - Dorian - Phrygian - Lydian - Mixolydian - Aeolian

About

Chords Pad

Explore musical chords with an interactive keyboard display and customizable pads. Visualize chord tones, experiment with progressions, and play notes via MIDI. Unlock advanced features and sounds through in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Chord tone display on keyboard
  • Customizable chord pads
  • Chord progression builder
  • MIDI Bluetooth support
  • Multiple chord list layouts
  • Adjustable keyboard range
Read full description

This app can easily check the sound and the display on the keyboard of the chord tone of musical chords. We have prepared various UI for checking the chords. Use the method that suits you. - Pad Display - Chord List - Pad Display - Custom Pad - Chord Progress [Chord List] You can select from the following patterns for the chord button list display. It supports chord reordering and toggling chord visibility. - Each key : Displays all types of chord patterns in a list for each key - Vertical : Displays all types of chord patterns vertically and each key horizontally - Horizontal : Displays all types of chord patterns horizontally with each key vertically [Custom pad] Larger buttons than the chord list are arranged. You can freely set the chord and key for each button. [Chord Progress] Add common chord progressions from presets or create your own. You can also edit individual chords, transpose, reorder, and delete chord progressions. In either case, when the chord button is tapped, the selected chord is played and the chord tone is displayed on the keyboard. * If you'd like to display all the chord patterns including tension (b9, # 9, 11, # 11, b13, 13), You need In-App Purchase. [Chord inversion area] When you select a chord in "Chord List" or "Custom Pad," its root position and inversions appear below the chord button area. Example: - CM7 : C E G B (Root position) - CM7/E : E G B C - CM7/G : G B C E - CM7/B : B C E G The note after "/" indicates the bass note. Scroll horizontally through the inversions and tap a button to play it and display its notes on the keyboard. The inversion area for "Custom Pad" can be shown or hidden with "Inversion display" in Settings. Other features: - Supports chord reordering and toggling chord visibility in the "Chord List". ([Settings screen] - [Edit Chord List]) - The keyboard can be slid with the slider. (range: C2 ~ C7) And the keyboard also supports playing. - There are 28 types in all kinds of sound. (It is 9 kinds can be used in the initial state. To use all type, you need In-App Purchase.) - Supports Bluetooth MIDI connection. - Supports sending MIDI messages (note on / off). Chord list: M, 7, 7(b5), 7(#5), 6, 6 9, 9, add9, M7, M9, M7(b5), M7(#5), m, m6, m6 9, m(#5), m add9, m7, mM7, m7(b5), m7(#5), m9, mM9, aug, dim, dim7, sus4, 7sus4, 9sus4, M7sus4, M9sus4, sus2, 7sus2, M7sus2 (To use below, you need In-App Purchase.) 7(b9), 7(#9), 7(#11), 7(b13), 7(13), 7(b9 #11), 7(b9 b13), 7(b9 13), 9(#11), 9(b13), 9(13), 7(#9 #11), 7(#9 b13), 7(#9 13), M7(#11), M9(#11), M7(13), M9(13), m7(11), m7(13), m9(11), m7(b5 11), m7(b5 13) If you would like to create more flexible chord progressions or compose music using chords, try iOS app "Piano Chords Master".

Screenshots

Transruler free4 screens
Chords Pad4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chords Pad at 77% against Transruler free's 11%. Chords Pad also leads on rating (4.9 vs 3.0) and ratings volume (96 vs 2). Transruler free's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (6.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Transruler free sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and Chords Pad sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chords Pad holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Chords Pad has 96 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 11% of Transruler free's written reviews are positive against 77% of Chords Pad's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Transruler free ships an update every 2 months, Chords Pad every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Transruler free versus Chords Pad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTransruler freeChords Pad
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.0 (2 ratings)4.9 (96 ratings) — better
Positive reviews10.5% of reviews77.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings296 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS6.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB10 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperUwe TilemannLoop-Sessions.LLC.

Customer experience

Transruler free

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive10.5%
Neutral5.3%
Negative84.2%

Chords Pad

All ratings96 ratings
Positive99.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative1.0%
Written reviews31 reviews
Positive77.4%
Neutral9.7%
Negative12.9%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Transruler free

One-time3
  • Transruler Piano$1.99
  • Transruler Guitar$1.99
  • Transruler Editor$1.99
3 purchases

Chords Pad

One-time3
  • All sounds are available$0.99
  • All chords are available$2.49
  • Always remove ads.$7.99

Questions

Is Transruler free free?
Transruler free is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chords Pad free?
Chords Pad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Transruler free or Chords Pad?
Chords Pad is rated higher. Transruler free averages 3.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Chords Pad averages 4.9 from 96 ratings.
Do Transruler free or Chords Pad have ads?
Chords Pad shows ads; Transruler free does not.
Which is updated more often, Transruler free or Chords Pad?
Transruler free ships an update every 2 months, and Chords Pad every 6 weeks. Most recently, Transruler free was updated on November 11, 2026 and Chords Pad on November 3, 2026.

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