Comparison

MIDI Drum vs Chord Donkey

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

Head to head
About

MIDI Drum

Create and perform drum patterns with an 8-track sequencer. Connect to external instruments and apps via Bluetooth or USB MIDI. Share your creations and explore a library of user-made songs.

Highlights
  • 8-track drum sequencer
  • User-friendly interface
  • Live performance mode
  • General MIDI sound source
  • Bluetooth LE and USB MIDI support
  • Song library for sharing
  • Export Standard MIDI Files (paid add-on)
Features
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Key Features: - 8-track drum sequencer - Simple, user-friendly interface - Display and edit 4 to 48 steps across 4 cycles on a single screen - Live performance with up to 6 toggleable blocks - Built-in sound source compliant with General MIDI - Compatible with electronic instruments via MIDI connection (e.g., Casiotone, PortaTone, InstaChord) - Connection options: Bluetooth LE MIDI or USB MIDI - Extend sound sources by connecting with other apps such as bs-16i - Can be operated via external MIDI devices, keyboards, and page-turning switches - Song library for sharing self-created data and downloading from other users - Export Standard MIDI Files (SMF) – available as a paid add-on *Loading data created by other users is free. *In-app purchases apply across all devices. Official Website (Japanese): https://instachord.com/product/midi-drum/ User Manual (English): https://kantan-music.notion.site/MIDI-Drum-Manual-5976bdeba4f04900851f0e3c9ae247d6 Song Library: https://instachord.com/community/drum-data/ Developer: bismark [https://www.bismark.jp/

About

Chord Donkey

Features
Read full description

Stubbornly simple chord practice, now with an AI songwriting sidekick. Every guitar and ukulele chord, a practice room that follows along as you play, an AI that turns "a mellow campfire song" into a ready-to-play chord chart, and a tuner that actually listens. One stubbornly simple app. Free to try. One unlock covers Mac, iPhone & iPad. No subscription, no ads. EVERY CHORD, BOTH INSTRUMENTS Browse a full library of guitar and ukulele chords with clear finger diagrams. Filter by difficulty, hear each chord played aloud, and check your own playing against the mic. ▪ Audio playback for every chord ▪ Mic detection tells you if you nailed it ▪ Left-handed mode mirrors every diagram DESCRIBE A SONG, GET A CHART Tell ChordDonkey what you want, like "a slow, sad ukulele song about rain" or "an upbeat three-chord campfire strummer," and the AI song builder writes a complete chord chart: sections, lyric ideas, strum patterns, all matched to your skill level. Your unlock includes 25 AI-generated songs, with refill packs if you catch the bug. ▪ Plain words in, playable chord charts out ▪ Sticks to chords you can actually play, at your level ▪ Strum patterns included ▪ Generated songs drop straight into your practice room BUILD SONGS, SECTION BY SECTION Drop chords into verses and choruses, add lyrics and strum patterns, and play along. Start with the built-in starter songs (your first four chords are waiting) or write your own. PRACTICE THAT ACTUALLY LISTENS Start a practice session and ChordDonkey follows along through the mic. Each chord clears when you nail it, the sonloop mode keeps you going until it sticks. TUNE UP, HIT RECORD A real-time pitch tuner for guitar and ukulele and a built-in recorder to capture and hear yourself improve. THE SAME DONKEY, IN YOUR POCKET One purchase covers Mac, iPhone, and iPad, and iCloud keeps your songs and settings in step across all of them. The two spots that had them: the opening line now uses a comma, and the AI section's example prompts are folded in d of dash asides. Still worth confirming the "lyric ideas" claim against the generator before you submit.

Screenshots

MIDI Drum4 screens
Chord Donkey4 screens

Verdict

The call

MIDI Drum and Chord Donkey are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. MIDI Drum sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Chord Donkey sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIDI Drum ships an update every 3 weeks, Chord Donkey fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
MIDI Drum versus Chord Donkey: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI DrumChord Donkey
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (3 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size32 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperInstaChord Corp.PIxel Guild, LLC

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MIDI Drum

One-time2
  • Save in proprietary format$4.99
  • Export as SMF$4.99
2 purchases

Chord Donkey

One-time2
  • 50 Song Generations$1.99
  • Chord Donkey Unlock$4.99

Questions

Is MIDI Drum free?
MIDI Drum is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chord Donkey free?
Chord Donkey is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MIDI Drum or Chord Donkey have ads?
Neither MIDI Drum nor Chord Donkey shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDI Drum or Chord Donkey?
MIDI Drum ships an update every 3 weeks, and Chord Donkey fortnightly. Most recently, MIDI Drum was updated on October 13, 2026 and Chord Donkey on October 19, 2026.

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