# Chordial vs Mandolin Chords Compass Lite

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Chordial at 72% against Mandolin Chords Compass Lite's 0%. Chordial also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 69 months) and ratings volume (56 vs 12). Mandolin Chords Compass Lite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and rating (4.4 vs 4.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Chordial sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Mandolin Chords Compass Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

Mandolin Chords Compass Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 56 and 12 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 72% of Chordial's written reviews are positive against 0% of Mandolin Chords Compass Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Chordial ships an update every 2 months, Mandolin Chords Compass Lite every 69 months. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Chordial | Mandolin Chords Compass Lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (56 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordial-chord-dictionary/id647573181/reviews) | **[4.4 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandolin-chords-compass-lite/id1121687970/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **56** | 12 |
| Positive reviews | **71.7% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 69 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 20 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **10.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simon Hopkin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1544800451) | [Max Schlee](https://appshunter.io/developer/429770420) |

## What reviewers say

### Chordial

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chordial-chord-dictionary/id647573181)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Remove Advert Tier 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advert Tier 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advert Tier 3 | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advert Tier 4 | $4.99 | one-time |
| Remove Advert Tier 5 | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and easy to use
- 🎶 Accurate chord diagrams
- ✨ Beautiful and clean design
- 🎵 Plays chords
- 🎸 Supports multiple instruments (guitar, ukulele, banjo, mandolin)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashing issues
- ⚠️ Incompatible with newer iOS versions
- 🤔 Enharmonically incorrect chord names
- 🪕 Limited banjo tunings
- ❌ Some chord arrangements incorrect

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Mandolin Chords Compass Lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mandolin-chords-compass-lite/id1121687970)

Instantly discover over 8,000 mandolin chord voicings across all fretboard positions. Hear how each chord sounds and find the perfect fit for your music without needing a music theory degree. Supports mandolin, mandola, and mandocello.

**Highlights:** 8,000+ chord voicings, Instant visual chord diagrams, Audio playback for each chord, 56 chord types supported, Supports Mandolin, Mandola, Mandocello, Left-handed friendly, Offline access

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Chordial free?

Chordial is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Mandolin Chords Compass Lite free?

Mandolin Chords Compass Lite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass Lite?

Mandolin Chords Compass Lite is rated higher. Chordial averages 4.1 out of 5 from 56 ratings, while Mandolin Chords Compass Lite averages 4.4 from 12 ratings.

### Do Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass Lite have ads?

Neither Chordial nor Mandolin Chords Compass Lite shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Chordial or Mandolin Chords Compass Lite?

Chordial ships an update every 2 months, and Mandolin Chords Compass Lite every 69 months. Most recently, Chordial was updated on November 1, 2026 and Mandolin Chords Compass Lite on November 6, 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.*