Comparison

Pianola vs Chords Weaver

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

Head to head
About

Pianola

This app turns your MIDI-capable piano into an interactive music player. Connect wirelessly or via USB to play your MIDI files, control tempo and pitch, and organize your music library. It's designed for an intuitive and effortless musical experience.

Highlights
  • Wireless Bluetooth MIDI connection
  • USB MIDI support
  • Library and playlist management
  • Adjustable tempo and pitch
  • Background playback
  • Includes a starter MIDI library
Currently charting
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Pianola transforms your MIDI-capable piano into an effortless musical experience. Whether you have a digital piano or an acoustic piano outfitted with a PianoDisc, QRS PNOmation, or Yamaha Disklavier system, Pianola makes playing your favorite songs as easy as do-re-mi. Connect iPhone or iPad to your piano wirelessly via Bluetooth or with a USB MIDI adapter, browse your MIDI file collection, and let the music play! Key Features • Wireless Bluetooth MIDI — Connect to any BLE-MIDI compatible device with a single tap. • USB MIDI Support — Connect using a USB to MIDI adapter or a USB OTG cable on supported devices. • Simple Library Management — Browse MIDI files from your device, iCloud, or network storage. Create playlists to organize your music. • Tempo Control — Speed up or slow down playback. • Velocity Curves — Fine-tune the dynamics to suit your piano and room acoustics. • Pitch Adjustment — Transpose playback in real-time. Great for vocalists who want to sing along. • Background Playback — Music keeps playing while you use other apps. • Ready to Play — Includes a MIDI library to get the party started. Designed for Everyone Pianola offers an interface that feels familiar and intuitive. Large, clear controls. No hidden menus. No overwhelming options. Just the features you need, right where you expect them. Transform your piano into the jukebox it was meant to be!

About

Chords Weaver

Features
Read full description

Chords Weaver is a hands-on chord instrument you play by ear. Pick a note on the keyboard and it filters to the chords that fit. Choose one, and two pads open up: one shapes its voicing (spread, inversion, octave) while the other suggests where to go next, the right side resolving, the left adding tension. Build a progression on the timeline, and a live piano roll shows exactly what will play. Press play and the progression comes alive with arpeggios, block grooves and strums, each chord ringing in time. Turn on Drift and the voicings slowly wander on their own, so the loop keeps evolving. MORE - Rich arpeggios: ascent/descent, ternary grooves (waltz, shuffle, jig 6/8), a lilting 7/4, and sparse syncopated patterns (charleston, tresillo, offbeat, push). - MIDI Out to your synths, DAW or hardware, with a 24 PPQN clock. - Four scenes, copy and paste, and a "roll a matching bridge" helper. - Optional cloud save: sign in and your progressions follow you to every device. The app works fully offline. - Five languages: English, Français, Español, Русский, 日本語. Free to download. Weaving, voicings, playback and saving are all free. A one-time Pro unlock adds MIDI/WAV/text export and live MIDI-out. No ads, no subscriptions. Signing in is only for optional cloud sync.

Screenshots

Pianola4 screens
Chords Weaver4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Chords Weaver at Free against Pianola's $0.99. Chords Weaver also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). Pianola's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and chart position (#177 vs unranked). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Chords Weaver is free to download; Pianola costs $0.99 up front. Chords Weaver sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pianola asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pianola ships an update weekly, Chords Weaver every 5 days. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Pianola versus Chords Weaver: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPianolaChords Weaver
Price$0.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid—
Best chart rank#177 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size110 MB33 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDarrel FarrisLoup Vuarnesson

In-app purchases

None

Pianola

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Chords Weaver

One-time1
  • Chords Weaver Pro$5.99

Questions

Is Pianola free?
Pianola costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Chords Weaver free?
Chords Weaver is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pianola or Chords Weaver have ads?
Neither Pianola nor Chords Weaver shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pianola or Chords Weaver?
Pianola ships an update weekly, and Chords Weaver every 5 days. Most recently, Pianola was updated on October 25, 2026 and Chords Weaver on October 25, 2026.

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