Comparison

WhatChord MIDI vs SS Tuner

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

Head to head
About

WhatChord MIDI

Identify chords from live MIDI input or manual note entry. Explore harmony, build chords, and browse scales with musically informed analysis. Learn and understand music theory with real-time feedback.

Highlights
  • Real-time chord recognition
  • Manual chord lookup
  • Explore chords and scales
  • Musically informed analysis
  • Alternative chord interpretations
  • MIDI compatibility
Read full description

Identify chords from live MIDI or manual note entry, follow the key as you play, then explore the harmony behind them. Stop guessing what chord you're playing. WhatChord gives musicians fast, musically informed chord names and live key context. Connect a Bluetooth or USB MIDI keyboard for instant feedback, or use the lookup pad to enter notes from any instrument, sheet music, or recording. Auto key detection listens to your recent live chords, shows confidence, and waits when the evidence is ambiguous. Explore Chords and Explore Scales let you build and hear chords, browse a wide range of scales, inspect keyboard patterns, and understand diatonic harmony. Play it. Explore it. Learn it. WhatChord goes beyond simple note matching. Its musically informed analysis considers inversions, extensions, slash chords, altered tones, key context, and conventional naming practices so chord names appear the way musicians expect to see them. When you're comping with a bassist, Ensemble mode names rootless voicings as the chords they imply and marks the implied root on the keyboard. FEATURES - Real-time chord recognition Chord names update immediately as you play. - Automatic key detection Auto mode estimates the current key from recent live chords, shows confidence across major and minor keys, and can keep the app's key context following your playing. - Manual chord lookup Enter notes directly to identify a chord, choose its bass note, and inspect alternative interpretations without connecting a MIDI device. - Explore chords Tap the chord card to open explore mode and build or hear chords without a keyboard by adjusting the root, quality, extensions, and bass note. - Explore scales Tap the scale-degree strip to browse a wide range of scales with tones, keyboard patterns, and diatonic chords. - Musically informed analysis Recognizes inversions, extensions, slash chords, upper structures, altered tones, and complex harmony. - Ensemble mode When comping with a bassist, switch to Ensemble so rootless voicings are named as the chords they imply. - Alternative interpretations See other valid chord names when more than one reading makes musical sense. - Context-aware spelling Uses enharmonic notation based on key signature and chord function. - Customizable notation Choose the chord symbol style you prefer. - MIDI compatibility Works with standard Bluetooth MIDI and USB MIDI keyboards and controllers. RECOGNITION WhatChord identifies everything from simple triads to rich extended harmony and follows key context from real playing. Whether you're practicing theory, learning progressions, exploring altered dominants, or working through dense extended chords, the app names what you play with accuracy and musical intent. PRIVACY WhatChord is free, contains no ads, and collects no personal data. All analysis happens locally on your device. GET STARTED Play through MIDI, enter notes manually, or start exploring chords, keys, and scales right away.

About

SS Tuner

This app provides essential tools for musicians, offering a precise instrument tuner and a reliable metronome. It's designed for ease of use, allowing players of all levels to quickly tune their instruments and practice their timing without distractions.

Highlights
  • Chromatic tuner for any stringed instrument
  • Real-time pitch detection
  • Responsive needle display
  • Metronome with full BPM range
  • Tap tempo functionality
  • Distraction-free interface
Features
Read full description

Stay Sharp. Play in tune. Keep the beat. SS Tuner is a fast, clean instrument tuner and metronome built for musicians who just want the tools to work. No ads, no subscriptions, no clutter. Whether you're picking up a guitar for the first time or you've been playing for 20 years, the fundamentals don't change: stay in tune, stay in time. TUNER Chromatic tuning that works for any stringed instrument. Guitar, bass, ukulele, mandolin, banjo, or anything else. Play a note, watch it lock in, move on. That's it. • Chromatic tuner - works for any instrument in any key • Real-time pitch detection using your device's microphone • Clear, responsive needle display • Works in rehearsals, studios, and noisier environments You don't need to scroll through preset tunings or tap through menus. Open the app, play a note, you're tuned. METRONOME The most underused practice tool in any musicians arsenal. The metronome doesn't lie, it tells you exactly where your timing breaks down so you can fix it. Use it to slow down a difficult chord change until it's smooth, then bring the tempo up. Use it to lock in a strumming pattern. Use it to practice scales. Use it to build the kind of muscle memory that holds up when you're playing with other people. • Full BPM range covering everything from slow ballads to fast leads • Tap tempo - just tap the beat and it sets itself • Clean, distraction-free display BUILT FOR EVERY PLAYER Just starting out? Good habits start on day one. You can't develop your ear or build real technique if you're practicing out of tune or rushing through rhythms. SS Tuner gives you the two tools that matter most, in one place, for free. Been playing for years? You already know: the best players are always the most consistent ones. A tuner that opens fast and responds accurately is something you reach for every single time you pick up the instrument. SS Tuner gets out of your way so you can get to playing. FREE. NO ADS. NO SUBSCRIPTIONS. EVER. Not "free with a $4.99/month Pro unlock" free. Not "free but we show you an ad between every session" free. Just free because a tuner and a metronome should not cost you money every month. Download it. Tune up. Play something.

Screenshots

WhatChord MIDI4 screens
SS Tuner2 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: WhatChord MIDI at 15.0 against SS Tuner's 17.0. On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for WhatChord MIDI against 5.0 for SS Tuner. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
WhatChord MIDI versus SS Tuner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWhatChord MIDISS Tuner
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyWeekly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron Bull SchaeferWill Bryant

Customer experience

WhatChord MIDI

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

SS Tuner

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

WhatChord MIDI

No in-app purchases

None

SS Tuner

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WhatChord MIDI free?
WhatChord MIDI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SS Tuner free?
SS Tuner is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, WhatChord MIDI or SS Tuner?
WhatChord MIDI and SS Tuner are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do WhatChord MIDI or SS Tuner have ads?
Neither WhatChord MIDI nor SS Tuner shows ads.

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