Comparison

Just The Chords vs PocketSongbook

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

Head to head
About

Just The Chords

This app provides a streamlined songbook for guitarists, focusing on chord progressions and song structure. It features smart chord detection, one-tap transposition, and custom diagram creation for efficient practice and performance.

Highlights
  • Smart chord detection and suggestions
  • One-tap song transposition
  • Personalized songbook organization
  • Song structure builder
  • Custom chord diagram creation
  • Data export and import
Features
Read full description

Just The Chords is a focused songbook for guitarists who care about structure and simplicity. Instead of crowded tabs and distracting lyrics, Just The Chords lets you capture only what matters: chord progressions, song sections, capo positions, and custom voicings—presented in a clean, elegant interface built for real practice and performance. When creating chord diagrams, you can start typing a chord name to see suggested chords and voicings from the built-in chord library, or begin with a blank fretboard and let the app intelligently detect the chord name as you place your fingers. This makes it easy to document standard shapes, explore alternate voicings, and capture your own discoveries without guessing or switching apps. Need to change the key? Instantly transpose an entire song to a new key—perfect for accommodating a singer’s range or adapting a song on the fly during rehearsal. Whether you’re learning songs, arranging covers, or building original progressions, Just The Chords keeps everything clear, organized, and easy to reference when it counts. Key Features: • Smart Chord Detection & Suggestions Type a chord name to browse suggested shapes and voicings, or build one from scratch and have the app automatically identify the chord as you create the fingering. • One-Tap Transposition Transpose a song to any key instantly—ideal for adjusting to a singer’s range without rewriting charts. • Personal Songbook Store your songs with title, artist, and capo position—organized and always accessible. • Song Structure Builder Lay out Intros, Verses, Choruses, Bridges, and more so you can see the full shape of a song at a glance. • Custom Chord Diagrams Save detected chords and unique voicings for reuse across songs. • Designed for Guitarists A premium dark walnut woodgrain theme with pearl-style accents that feels at home on a music stand or stage. • Free to Start, Upgrade Anytime Use the app free with up to 5 songs, or unlock unlimited songs. • Your Data, Your Control Export and import your songbook anytime for safe backups or device transfers. Stop juggling notebooks, screenshots, and scattered notes. Focus on the music. Just the chords. Pricing & Terms: Just The Chords is free to use for up to 5 songs. To unlock unlimited songs, you can choose from the following options: • Monthly or Yearly Subscription: Automatically renews until canceled. • One-Time Purchase: Pay once for lifetime access. Subscription Legal Details: • Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. • Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. • You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal by going to your Account Settings on the App Store after purchase. --- Legal Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://kashmo.github.io/justthechords-support/#privacy

About

PocketSongbook

Easily write and organize chord charts for songs. Transpose music, manage setlists for performances, and customize your view for clarity. Works offline and prioritizes user privacy with no ads or in-app purchases.

Highlights
  • Fast chord chart entry
  • Customizable song sections
  • Organized setlists
  • Offline functionality
  • Transpose songs
  • Import/export JSON and PDF
  • Privacy-focused design
Features
Read full description

PocketSongbook helps you write chord charts quickly, transpose songs, and organize setlists for rehearsals and live performance on iPhone and iPad. WRITE CHORDS FASTER Enter roots, accidentals, chord qualities and extensions, numbers, slash notation, bar lines, spaces, and line breaks using a keyboard designed specifically for chords. BUILD CLEAR CHORD CHARTS Organize each song into sections and choose between Bar Grid View and No Grid View. Add time signatures and repeats where needed. ORGANIZE YOUR SONGBOOK Find songs quickly with search and arrange them in setlists in the order you want to play them. Your active songbook and setlist are saved automatically and restored when you reopen the app. READY WHILE PLAYING Transpose songs, adjust text sizes and colors, and move quickly from one song to the next during rehearsals or performances. MORE ROOM ON IPAD View your songbook or setlist alongside the selected song in portrait or landscape. Adjust the column widths or hide the list to give your chord chart more space. IMPORT, EXPORT AND BACK UP Import songbooks or selected songs from compatible JSON files. Export your songbook and setlists as JSON for backups and sharing, or create PDF copies for printing and reference. Automatic saving keeps your current work on the device; JSON export gives you a separate copy outside the app. FOCUSED AND PRIVATE • No in-app purchases • No subscriptions • No advertising • No account • No analytics or tracking • No cloud service or backend PocketSongbook works offline. Songs and settings are stored locally on each device, with no automatic synchronization between devices. Available in English and Italian.

Screenshots

Just The Chords4 screens
PocketSongbook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PocketSongbook at none against Just The Chords's 3. Just The Chords's advantage is ratings volume (4 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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

Both are free to download. Just The Chords sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. PocketSongbook asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Just The Chords against 5.0 for PocketSongbook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Just The Chords versus PocketSongbook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJust The ChordsPocketSongbook
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (4 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings4 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size58 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKashan AkinsMarco Passerai

Customer experience

Just The Chords

All ratings4 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

PocketSongbook

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Just The Chords

Subscriptions2
  • Premium (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Premium (Yearly)$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium (Lifetime)$49.99
None

PocketSongbook

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Just The Chords free?
Just The Chords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PocketSongbook free?
PocketSongbook is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Just The Chords or PocketSongbook?
Just The Chords and PocketSongbook are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 4 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Just The Chords or PocketSongbook have ads?
Neither Just The Chords nor PocketSongbook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Just The Chords or PocketSongbook?
Just The Chords ships an update weekly, and PocketSongbook weekly. Most recently, Just The Chords was updated on October 30, 2026 and PocketSongbook on October 31, 2026.

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