Comparison

Chordial vs Mandolin Chords Compass

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

Head to head
About

Chordial

Access thousands of chord diagrams for guitar, ukulele, banjo, and mandolin. Learn fingerings, hear how chords sound, and view diagrams in right or left-handed formats. New instruments and tunings are added regularly.

Highlights
  • Thousands of chord diagrams
  • Multi-instrument support
  • Audio playback for chords
  • Right/left-handed diagrams
  • Fingerings and variations
  • Downloadable chord packs
Features
Read full description

Guitar Chords, Ukulele Chords, Banjo Chords and Mandolin Chord Chart Library. Lookup and learn chords for your instrument by accessing thousands of chord diagrams across multiple instruments using Chordial's unique and simple interface. Using the three tiered wheel simply dial up the chord diagram you want to see. Chord diagrams are complete with fingerings and multiple variations for each chord are provided. Click on the chord to hear what it should sound like on your selected instrument. Chords diagrams are presented in right or left handed form Chordial currently supports the following instruments: Guitar: EADGBE Ukulele: GCEA Banjo: GDGBD Mandolin: GDAE More instruments and tunings are being introduced all the time via automatic downloadable chord packs. If you want to see a particular instrument or tuning covered just contact us from with the app or email us at feedback@chord-detector.com and we will get straight onto it.

About

Mandolin Chords Compass

Access a vast library of mandolin chords with a virtual fretboard and authentic sound. Perfect for beginners and experienced players, it offers offline functionality and supports multiple mandolin family instruments. Master any song with this comprehensive practice and composition tool.

Highlights
  • Massive chord library
  • Virtual fretboard visualization
  • Authentic chord sound playback
  • Supports Mandolin, Mandola, Mandocello
  • Offline functionality
  • Left-handed mode
  • One-time purchase
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Take your mandolin playing to the next level. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned musician, Mandolin Chords Compass gives you instant access to a massive library of chords across the entire fretboard—accurate, intuitive, and easy to explore. Master 24,000 Chords With Precision And Simplicity:
 Quickly find the right voicing by selecting the chord root, type and addition and explore the options with just a few clicks. View each chord on a virtual fretboard and hear its authentic sound. It supports Mandolin, Mandola and Mandocello! All-in-One Professional Tool for Players and Creators: + Visualize chords in 17 fretboard positions + Listen to chord sounds + Left-handed mode, retina graphics, and adjustable volume + Designed for offline use, no internet or subscriptions required Built for Practice, Composition, and Teaching:
 Ideal for self-taught learners, classroom instructors, or songwriters creating custom progressions. Whether you're developing skills or composing original music, this app is your complete mandolin companion! Get Full Access with a One-Time Purchase:
 No subscriptions. No recurring fees. Just powerful features you own forever. Across all of your Apple devices —iPhone, iPad and Mac! Elevate your music and master the mandolin today! Get Mandolin Chords Compass and start playing with confidence!

Screenshots

Chordial3 screens
Mandolin Chords Compass4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chordial at 72% against Mandolin Chords Compass's 17%. Chordial also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 64 months). Mandolin Chords Compass's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and chart position (#168 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads 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

Chordial is free to download; Mandolin Chords Compass costs $4.99 up front. Chordial sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Mandolin Chords Compass asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Chordial holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 31 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of Chordial's written reviews are positive against 17% of Mandolin Chords Compass's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Chordial ships an update every 2 months, Mandolin Chords Compass every 64 months. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
Chordial versus Mandolin Chords Compass: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterChordialMandolin Chords Compass
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating4.1 (56 ratings) — better3.8 (31 ratings)
Positive reviews71.7% of reviews — better16.7% of reviews
Number of ratings56 — better31
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 64 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#168 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS10.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size20 MB24 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon HopkinMax Schlee

Customer experience

Chordial

All ratings56 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral10.7%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive71.7%
Neutral7.5%
Negative20.8%

Mandolin Chords Compass

All ratings31 ratings
Positive71.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative25.8%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive16.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative83.3%

Bugs and requests

Chordial

Reported bugs

9 issues
  • App crashes on launch
  • Black screen and returns to dashboard
  • Fatal crash when attempting to open
  • Doesn't work on iOS 14
  • Doesn't work on iOS 11
Show 4 more
  • No longer works after iOS upgrade
  • Incorrect fret locations for some chords
  • App doesn't open when clicked, shuts down immediately
  • Crashes immediately upon load (iOS 13.1.1)

Requested features

10 requests
  • Add support for more banjo tunings (eg. double C, drop d, sawmill)
  • Add Bass Guitar support
  • Show notes of chords on each string
  • Add chords for different tunes on banjo
  • Add more chords
Show 5 more
  • Add a tuner
  • Lay out chords in the 'circle of 5th'
  • Choose to play notes of each chord together or individually
  • Add better themes or color schemes
  • Add dark mode option

Mandolin Chords Compass

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Chordial

One-time5
  • Remove Advert Tier 1$0.99
  • Remove Advert Tier 2$1.99
  • Remove Advert Tier 3$2.99
Show 2 more
  • Remove Advert Tier 4$4.99
  • Remove Advert Tier 5$9.99
None

Mandolin Chords Compass

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Chordial free?
Chordial is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Mandolin Chords Compass free?
Mandolin Chords Compass costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass?
Chordial is rated higher. Chordial averages 4.1 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Mandolin Chords Compass averages 3.8 from 31 ratings.
Do Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass have ads?
Neither Chordial nor Mandolin Chords Compass shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass?
Chordial ships an update every 2 months, and Mandolin Chords Compass every 64 months. Most recently, Chordial was updated on October 23, 2026 and Mandolin Chords Compass on October 28, 2026.

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