Comparison

Jam Assist vs Cadence Chords

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

Head to head
About

Jam Assist

This app listens to music and identifies the key, scale, and mode being played. It then visually displays these scales on guitar, bass, and piano fretboards, highlighting notes as they sound. It's designed for improvisation and learning musical scales by ear.

Highlights
  • Real-time key, scale, and mode detection
  • Visual scale display on guitar, bass, and piano
  • Live note highlighting on fretboards
  • Supports major, minor, pentatonic, and modes
  • Offline, on-device processing
  • No cloud, accounts, or network required
Features
Read full description

What key is this song in? What scale should you play over it? Point your phone at the music and Jam Assist listens, then names the key, scale, and mode it hears - and lights up exactly where to play it on your guitar, bass, and piano. It is a compass for your ear, not an autopilot. Most tools only help once you already know the key: a chord chart, a tab, a scale diagram to copy. Jam Assist works one step earlier, for the moment you cannot hear it yet. It listens to whatever is actually sounding and tells you where you are: the key, the scale, the mode, live. That is the missing half. Key finders can hear a song but stop at the name and never show you the fretboard. Scale libraries show you the fretboard but cannot hear a thing, so you have to already know the scale to look it up. Jam Assist does both at once: it hears the music and lays that exact scale under your fingers, in real time. What you can do with it: - Jam and improvise in the right key over any track or backing loop - Work out what scale to solo over by ear, instead of guessing - Find the key of a song by ear, on guitar, bass, or piano - Watch the scale shapes light up live while you play - Learn the modes by hearing them named the moment they happen What it detects, honestly: It hears the notes in the room and names the key, scale, and mode: major and minor, all seven modes (Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Locrian), major and minor pentatonic, blues, hirajoshi, insen, and whole tone. It shows you the scale to play, not chords, and it is not a tuner. It reads live sound, so it is never a static scale dictionary you flip through. Private by design: everything runs on your device, mic in only. No cloud, no accounts, no network, nothing leaves your phone. Hear it, see the fretboard, and jam in the right key.

About

Cadence Chords

Read full description

Cadence trains your musical ear. Learn to recognise, name and play back chords in short, addictive practice rounds that make you a little better every day. Whether you're just starting with music theory or sharpening skills you already have, Cadence builds the ability that matters most: hearing and understanding chords. PRACTICE MODES • By ear — hear a chord and name its root and quality. • By sight — watch the keys light up on the keyboard and identify the chord. • Root key — listen to a chord progression with a groove and work out the key. (Premium) • Play back — replay the chord you're shown using your microphone or the on-screen keyboard. (Premium) PIANO AND GUITAR Pick your instrument. Cadence plays real piano and guitar sounds and shows the correct shape on the keyboard or guitar diagram. AT YOUR LEVEL Choose which chord qualities you practise and whether sharps and flats appear. From simple major/minor to seventh and extended chords — you set the difficulty. STAY MOTIVATED Keep a daily streak going, earn XP for every correct answer and watch yourself improve. Set a daily reminder to turn practice into a habit. FREE & PREMIUM Practise every day for free. Cadence Premium (€4.99/month) removes the daily limit, unlocks every practice mode, removes ads, and gives you access to all upcoming features. New practice modes are always on the way. Start training today and build an ear you can rely on. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Jam Assist3 screens
Cadence Chords4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Jam Assist at none against Cadence Chords's 1. Jam Assist also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). Cadence Chords's advantage is iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.6). On price 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

Both are free to download. Cadence Chords sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $3.99 per month. Jam Assist asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jam Assist ships an update every 2 days, Cadence Chords every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
Jam Assist versus Cadence Chords: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJam AssistCadence Chords
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.615.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB76 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaxim OranskyLich Software

In-app purchases

None

Jam Assist

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Cadence Chords

Subscriptions1
  • Cadence Chords Premium$3.991 Month

Questions

Is Jam Assist free?
Jam Assist is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Cadence Chords free?
Cadence Chords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Jam Assist or Cadence Chords have ads?
Cadence Chords shows ads; Jam Assist does not.
Which is updated more often, Jam Assist or Cadence Chords?
Jam Assist ships an update every 2 days, and Cadence Chords every 5 days. Most recently, Jam Assist was updated on October 31, 2026 and Cadence Chords on November 5, 2026.

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