ChordMapMidi vs 5ths Machine
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ChordMapMidi
This app is a MIDI controller for exploring musical chords and progressions in major and minor keys. It sends note information to other synthesizer apps on your device, making it a portable tool for musicians and educators.
- Explore chords and progressions
- Major and minor keys
- MIDI controller functionality
- Sends note information to synth apps
- Portable music tool
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ChordMapMidi allows you to explore chords and chord progressions in both major and minor keys, one finger tap at a time. Note: ChordMapMidi is a MIDI controller. It doesn't create sound on its own. It sends note information to synthesizer apps you have on your device. ChordMapMidi is useful for songwriters, MIDI musicians, music educators... especially in places where the only instrument you have is the phone in your pocket. Have fun exploring chords and progressions!
5ths Machine
Explore the theoretical intricacies of key signatures with an interactive quiz. Learn about the 12-position equal temperament system and discover how to identify keys with an unusual number of sharps. Understand music theory through a unique perspective.
- Key signature quiz
- Equal temperament system explanation
- Theoretical key signature exploration
- Background information on music theory
- Quiz tips and strategies
- Chronology of music theory concepts
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Think you know your key signatures cold? Answer this: which key has 41 sharps? The equal temperament system is a circle with 12 positions, just like a clock. And, just like on a clock, the hands keep going around and around forever. The key signature of 41 sharps is theoretically consistent with the Western diatonic system ― learn why, and learn how to find out what key it is. The Background Information and the Quiz Tips explain the system in detail, and Chronology puts it all in perspective. Enjoy the “Perpetual 5ths Machine Boogie” while key signatures you’ve never seen before pass by on parade. Then, buckle down and solve the Quiz questions. NOW you understand music theory the 5ths Machine way!
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: ChordMapMidi at every 8 months against 5ths Machine's every 24 months. ChordMapMidi also leads on ratings volume (5 vs 1). 5ths Machine's advantage is price ($1.99 vs $3.99) and device support (3 vs 1). On rating, ads, 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
ChordMapMidi costs $3.99 and 5ths Machine $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for ChordMapMidi against 5.0 for 5ths Machine. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ChordMapMidi has 5 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
ChordMapMidi ships an update every 8 months, 5ths Machine every 24 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChordMapMidi | 5ths Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $3.99 | $1.99 — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (5 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 52.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 5 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months — better | Every 24 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 4 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Malcolm Mugglin | Lucy Hudson |
Customer experience
ChordMapMidi
5ths Machine
In-app purchases
ChordMapMidi
No in-app purchases
5ths Machine
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ChordMapMidi free?
Is 5ths Machine free?
Which has better reviews, ChordMapMidi or 5ths Machine?
Do ChordMapMidi or 5ths Machine have ads?
Which is updated more often, ChordMapMidi or 5ths Machine?
Other comparisons
