AxeModes vs popchord
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
AxeModes
This app helps guitarists learn various musical modes and scales from any root note. It features a dynamic fretboard, scale degree visualization, and audio playback for each note, along with chord accompaniment.
- Learn major, minor, and other scale modes
- Dynamic fretboard display
- Color-code and show/hide scale degrees
- Hear individual note sounds
- Play chord accompaniment
- Context-sensitive help
Read full descriptionHide full description
Learn all the associated Modes of the Major, Melodic Minor, Harmonic Minor, Harmonic Major, Double Harmonic Major, Hexatonic, Pentatonic, and Diminished Scales. Starting from any Root Note. (Hundreds and hundreds of combinations!) Dynamically generated Fretboard. Show between 2 and 22 Frets at a time. Color code any Scale Degree(s). Show or hide any Scale Degree(s). Click on any Note to hear what it sounds like. Play Chord accompaniment for any Scale/Mode/Root combination. Context sensitive help available on every screen.
popchord
Generate hundreds of chords instantly with this music creation tool. Explore various scales and chord types to build song sets, then perform using built-in instruments or send MIDI wirelessly to your DAW. A free one-month trial unlocks all pro features.
- Chord Grid for instant chord playing
- Hundreds of chords from 50+ scales
- Vast library of chord types
- Built-in instrument for performance
- Wireless MIDI transmission to DAWs
- Customizable play area with themes
- iCloud backup for creations
Read full descriptionHide full description
Craft your next hit song with popchord, a chord generating improvisation and performance instrument. Play hundreds of chords with just a tap. Create sets with automatically generated chords from over 50 musical scales – no music theory knowledge required. Edit your sets using a vast library of chord types. Perform your idea using a built-in instrument or wirelessly transmit MIDI to your favorite DAW instruments on macOS. Unlock all pro features for free for one month with a new trial. • Use the Chord Grid to play hundreds of chords with a tap • Perform with over 13 built-in instruments • Create a set using a vast library of musical scales • Customize your play area with over 30 themes • Wirelessly send MIDI to your favorite DAW instrument* • Your creations are backed up privately to your iCloud account • Available for iPhone and iPad * Wireless MIDI requires a supported Mac with Bluetooth/Wifi Terms: https://popchord.app/tos Privacy Policy: https://popchord.app/privacy-policy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: popchord at Free against AxeModes's $4.99. AxeModes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 3 months). On rating, 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
popchord is free to download; AxeModes costs $4.99 up front. popchord sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per year. AxeModes asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for AxeModes against 5.0 for popchord. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.
AxeModes ships an update every 4 days, popchord every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | AxeModes | popchord |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.2 — better | 18.1 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Joseph Svantner | Float Point |
Customer experience
AxeModes
popchord
In-app purchases
AxeModes
No in-app purchases
popchord
- popchord pro1 Month trial$4.991 Year
- popchord pro$14.99
