Comparison

OtoTheory vs Harmony Chack

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

Head to head
About

OtoTheory

Create music theory-correct chord progressions intuitively, even without prior knowledge. Features AI song analysis, real-time editing with backing tracks, and MIDI export for digital audio workstations.

Highlights
  • AI Chord Import
  • Chord Progression Builder
  • 15 Groove Patterns
  • 50 Presets
  • OtoTheory AI Suggestions
  • MIDI Export
  • Fretboard & Keyboard Views
Features
Read full description

Write chord progressions that hold together musically, without studying theory first. Choose a key, choose a preset, and it plays immediately with drums, bass and keys behind it. Then replace chords while the loop runs until it becomes your own. Or start from sound: detect chords from your own audio, or from a quick recording of your playing. The result is editable, so use it as a draft for learning a part by ear, or turn a recorded idea into a progression. Free to start. HOW IT WORKS 1. Choose a key and scale. Only the chords that fit are offered. 2. Choose a preset, place chords yourself, or detect them from your own audio. 3. Press play. A full backing arrangement starts. 4. Replace any chord while it plays, and keep what works. WHAT YOU GET FREE - Chord Progression Builder All 12 keys and every scale. Tensions and slash chords included. Auto-loop, BPM 40-180. - Chord Detection From an audio file or your own recording. Correct anything the detection missed and keep building from there. Free to try, and unlimited with Pro. - Stem Separation Split an imported song into four parts (vocals, drums, bass and other) and play just the parts you want to hear. All on-device. Works on iPhone and iPad with an A14 Bionic, M1 or later chip. - Playback Tools for Learning by Ear Play an imported song at 0.75x or 0.5x without changing its pitch. Use Repeat to loop just the bars you select, Pitch to shift the key in half steps, and EQ to bring out low or high sounds. - 60+ Progression Presets Pop, Rock, Jazz, Blues, Ballad and more, all free. - 12 Groove Styles Straight, Bounce, Strum, Piano, Shuffle, Pulse, Lo-Fi, a sustained-chord mode for the harmony, plus 6/8 and 12/8 ballad and rock. - Chord Import Ask any AI chatbot for a song's chords and paste them in: instant analysis and playback. - Suggestions OtoTheory proposes chords that fit the key, the scale and the chords around the slot you are editing. All come from music theory, so the progression holds together. - Key & Scale Analysis Auto-detect key and scale, with fit % and degree notation (I, IV, V). - Fretboard & Keyboard Guitar, bass and piano views. Chord tones light up in real time as the progression plays. Tap a note to hear it. - Section Management Verse, Chorus, Bridge, with repeat counts per section. - Capo Suggestions Find easier shapes for acoustic guitar. - 3 Local Saves (sketches and detected songs combined) PRO - Unlimited Chord Detection and Recording The heart of Pro. Detect from your own audio, or record yourself and detect from that, as often as you like. - Unlimited Saves + iCloud Sync Keep every idea, not just three. Sync between iPhone and iPad, and carry it to a new device. - 38 More Groove Styles (50 in all) City Pop, Neo-Soul, Bossa Nova, Lounge Jazz, Amapiano, Trap, Afrobeats, Reggaeton, Salsa, Gospel, Arena Rock and more, plus 6/8 and 12/8 feels. - MIDI Export A readable chord track, guide tones, a bass track and section markers. Kick, snare, hi-hat and each percussion instrument arrive on separate tracks, so you can rebalance, swap samples or re-quantize one without touching the rest. Tested in Logic Pro, Cubase and Ableton Live. - Audio Export Groove-backed audio for video and social posts. - No House Banners The in-app promotional banner is gone. Pro is monthly, yearly or a one-time purchase. Prices are shown in the app. WHO IT IS FOR Guitarists who want to write songs before studying theory. Producers sketching pre-production before opening a DAW. Players who want scale guides to solo over their own changes. FAQ Q: Do I need to know music theory? A: No. Choose a key and scale, and only the chords that fit are offered. Q: What does Pro add? A: Mainly unlimited chord detection: the free tier has a cap, Pro has none. It also adds unlimited saves with iCloud sync, 38 more grooves, and MIDI and audio export. support@ototheory.com Privacy: https://ototheory.com/privacy Terms: https://ototheory.com/terms

About

Harmony Chack

Features
Read full description

Hear the harmony that's in your head โ€” and find out whether it actually works. You don't need an instrument. Play it on the on-screen keyboard, stack the parts, and listen. WHAT IT'S FOR - Adding a harmony line to a guitar solo - Working out how to voice a string arrangement - Saving a chord progression before you forget it - Thinking it through on headphones, anywhere WHAT YOU CAN DO Lay down chords The seven chords that fit your key are right there โ€” tap to place one. Or build your own from a root, accidental, 7th, sus4 and tensions. Slash chords are supported. Common progressions like II-V-I and the blues can be dropped in whole. Stack up harmonies Record straight from the on-screen keyboard, up to four harmony parts. Each part has its own color, so you can see at a glance which note belongs where. Set the volume of each part, or hide one for a moment. Fix it afterwards Grab a recorded note and move it. Change its pitch, shorten it, delete it. No need to play the part again. Quantize to 16ths and other grids. Check it while it plays Play along with a click, drums and chord backing. Change the tempo and time signature, and loop a fixed number of bars so you can hear the same spot over and over. See it your way Switch between staff notation and piano roll. Zoom in horizontally for fine timing, or out vertically to see a wider range. Keep it Save what you build as a song, name it, and reorder your list. FREE Up to 8 bars, and two rock rhythms. Building chords, four harmony parts, recording and editing are all free. PREMIUM (one-time purchase) Unlocks all 16 bars and adds jazz, bossa nova, samba and techno rhythms. Pay once โ€” nothing further. Note: the app is designed for landscape. Works on both iPhone and iPad.

Screenshots

OtoTheory4 screens
Harmony Chack4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: OtoTheory at every 2 days against Harmony Chack's fortnightly. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. OtoTheory sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Harmony Chack sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

OtoTheory ships an update every 2 days, Harmony Chack fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 7 level
OtoTheory versus Harmony Chack: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOtoTheoryHarmony Chack
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews90.9% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 2 days โ€” betterFortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size58 MB34 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNORITO HARADAHironori Karube

In-app purchases

2 purchases

OtoTheory

Subscriptions2
  • OtoTheory7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • OtoTheory Pro (Annual)7 Days trial$49.991 Year
1 purchases

Harmony Chack

One-time1
  • ใƒ—ใƒฌใƒŸใ‚ขใƒ $0.99

Questions

Is OtoTheory free?
OtoTheory is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Harmony Chack free?
Harmony Chack is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do OtoTheory or Harmony Chack have ads?
Neither OtoTheory nor Harmony Chack shows ads.
Which is updated more often, OtoTheory or Harmony Chack?
OtoTheory ships an update every 2 days, and Harmony Chack fortnightly. Most recently, OtoTheory was updated on November 5, 2026 and Harmony Chack on November 6, 2026.

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