Comparison

maxChord vs Chord Degree

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

Head to head
About

maxChord

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Chords under your thumb. maxChord turns chord progressions into something you play with one hand. The pads are laid out in whatever key you choose, so everything you touch is already in tune. Tap one to play it. Hold it and drag, and the chord morphs β€” sevenths, sus, diminished, extensions β€” each one a direction rather than a menu. Common notes keep ringing while the rest move, so a progression bends instead of jumping. Then build the song. PLAY β€’ Eight chord pads, in key, labelled with roman numerals β€’ Drag any pad in eight directions to morph it live β€’ Chord Lock keeps a variation as the pad's new resting chord β€’ Inversions, slash chords, and automatic voice leading β€’ Three modes: Chords, Arpeggiator, and Lead SEQUENCE β€’ Multi-track sequencer built from chord tiles, not a note grid β€’ Split, resize, and drag tiles to build rhythm by feel β€’ Sixteen patterns, chained into sections to arrange a whole song β€’ Per-track instrument, octave, volume, arpeggiator rate, and effects β€’ Record from the pads or from a MIDI controller in real time SOUND β€’ Sampled instruments: grand piano, upright, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, vibraphone, harp, strings, brass, nylon guitar, church organ, and choir β€’ A fifteen-voice analogue synth bank with real filter envelopes and oscillator detune β€’ Eight effects β€” drive, filter, chorus, flanger, phaser, tremolo, delay, reverb β€” per track and across the whole mix, each swept with a single thumb CONNECT β€’ MIDI in and out, including per-track output β€’ Clock sync in both directions β€’ Play maxChord from a controller, or drive Logic, Ableton, or GarageBand from it maxChord has no account, no ads, and no analytics. It does not collect your data, and it works entirely offline. Your songs live on your device and can be exported to a single file whenever you want them somewhere else. Made for people who hear the chord before they can name it. β€” maxChord Pro unlocks everything after a 3-day free trial: €1.99/month, €9.99/year, or €22.99 once for lifetime access. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends, and can be managed in your Apple Account settings. Privacy Policy: https://maximumschmidt.github.io/maxchord-site/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Chord Degree

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Knowing harmony doesn’t mean you can react fast enough. On stage, while improvising, transcribing, composing, arranging, or taking an exam, there’s no time to stop and work it out. Chord Degree isn’t a music theory reference. It’s a high-speed chord and scale-degree reflex trainer for every musician. Whatever your instrument or experience level, from beginners to working professionals and seasoned players, focused two-way training turns chord-to-degree and degree-to-chord recognition into an automatic response. Train with standard practice, timed challenges, ii-V-I drills, and essential chord progressions. The unique match-3 game mode makes repetition more engaging, less tedious, and easier to stick with. Built-in statistics combine practice volume, accuracy, and response speed to show your proficiency in every key. Mistakes and weak areas are tracked automatically, so every session has a clear purpose. It doesn’t train how much you know. It trains how fast you can use it when it matters. No account required. No ads. Try it free, then unlock unlimited training with a subscription or one-time purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

maxChord4 screens
Chord Degree4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Chord Degree at 3 against maxChord's 1. Chord Degree also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. maxChord sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and Chord Degree sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
maxChord versus Chord Degree: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParametermaxChordChord Degree
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 10 daysβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS17.015.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size317 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMaximilian Schmidtε˜‰ζ™¨ ηŽ‹

In-app purchases

3 purchases

maxChord

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Yearly3 Days trial$8.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime$19.99
2 purchases

Chord Degree

Subscriptions1
  • Monthly Unlimited Training$3.991 Month
One-time1
  • Lifetime Unlock$14.99

Questions

Is maxChord free?
maxChord is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Chord Degree free?
Chord Degree is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do maxChord or Chord Degree have ads?
Neither maxChord nor Chord Degree shows ads.

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