Comparison

Polybeep vs Chord Borrower

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

Head to head
About

Polybeep

Create unique music with a polyrhythmic sound machine. Record or load samples, arrange them into looping shapes, and apply various effects. MIDI input is supported, and songs can be exported as WAV files.

Highlights
  • Polyrhythmic sound generation
  • Record microphone audio
  • Load sample files
  • Looping shape arrangement
  • Extensive audio effects
  • MIDI input support
  • Export to WAV
Features
Read full description

From the creators of DefleMask and Minimic, introducing Polybeep, a magnificent polyrhythmic sound machine designed to unlock your creativity. We even prepared a built-in tutorial to get you started. With aesthetically pleasing colors and design alongside unmatched visual feedback, you can really feel the beeping beeps and the poly rhythms. Yes, you can set up polyrhythms as easy as 3-4-5. You can record sounds directly from your microphone or load sample files. There’s some magic to make them sound great. Arrange the sounds into up to 6 looping shapes that can be configured as polygons of 3~16 vertices, then tweak their effects (delay, reverb, EQ, panning, chorus, and more), make a sequence of many melodies, and you’ll have a song in no time! You can even tap to change the tempo based on a rhythmic pulse. MIDI device input is as well supported! MIDI output coming soon! (notes, sync) macOS version is also available! Polybeep has been designed with a touch screen in mind from day one but it works perfectly fine on computers. When ready, you can save your songs and export them to wav files. We’d love to hear the songs that you come up with!

About

Chord Borrower

Features
Read full description

Chord Borrower — Modal Chord Progressions Borrow chords from any mode. Build progressions that sound nothing like everyone else's. Chord Borrower turns your phone into a modal chord instrument. Pick a key, and instantly play the seven diatonic chords of that scale — then stack on chords borrowed from Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, harmonic minor, melodic minor, and every other mode hiding inside your key. Tap through rows of chord buttons to hear how a single root note sounds across completely different modal colors, and build progressions no ordinary chord app could give you. Play in any key, any mode Choose a major or minor key, and your primary row lights up with its seven diatonic triads. Add up to six more rows, each pulled from a different mode built on that same root — the full set of major-scale modes, plus the modes of harmonic and melodic minor. Compare Ionian against Mixolydian, or drop into Phrygian dominant, all without changing key. Shape every chord your way Tap a chord button, then dial in its quality — 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, sus2, or sus4. Each button remembers its own setting, so you can build a progression where every chord has its own color and extension, exactly as you shaped it. Choose your voice Play everything through piano, kalimba, acoustic guitar, or synth — warm, musical presets that make every chord (and every borrowed mode) sound great. Designed to inspire A single clean screen, pastel colors, soft rounded buttons, and a friendly, uncluttered layout keep the focus on your ears, not the interface. Whether you're a songwriter chasing a fresh progression, a music student exploring modal theory, or just someone who loves the sound of an unexpected chord, Chord Borrower makes modal harmony playable, visual, and fun.

Screenshots

Polybeep4 screens
Chord Borrower2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chord Borrower at $2.99 against Polybeep's $4.99. Polybeep's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Polybeep costs $4.99 and Chord Borrower $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Polybeep versus Chord Borrower: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPolybeepChord Borrower
Price$4.99$2.99 — better
Rating4.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size101 MB186 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLeonardo DemartinoAaron Wilford

In-app purchases

None

Polybeep

No in-app purchases

None

Chord Borrower

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Polybeep free?
Polybeep costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chord Borrower free?
Chord Borrower costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Polybeep or Chord Borrower have ads?
Neither Polybeep nor Chord Borrower shows ads.

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