Comparison

Minute Chords vs Pentatonics

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

Head to head
About

Minute Chords

This app helps you practice and improve your chord transitions. Track your progress by timing how many chord changes you can make in one minute and aim to beat your personal best. It's designed to make learning guitar chords faster and more efficient.

Highlights
  • Chord transition timing
  • Score tracking
  • Progress monitoring
  • Clear chord sound guidance
  • Finger movement optimization
Features
Read full description

Minute Chords is the fastest way to build smooth, confident chord changes on guitar. The #1 skill bottleneck for beginner and intermediate players is slow chord transitions. Minute Chords fixes that with focused, timed practice β€” one minute per chord pair, tracked and scored. HOW IT WORKS β€’ App shows two random chords to switch between β€’ You get one minute β€” change chords as many times as you can β€’ Your score is recorded so you can track improvement over time β€’ Repeat daily for rapid, measurable progress CHORD LIBRARY (full version) A, Am, A7, B, Bm, B7, C, D, Dm, D7, E, Em, F, F easy, F bar, G, G v2 β€” 17 essential chords covering everything a beginner and intermediate player needs. WHY IT WORKS Deliberate practice with a timer forces you to stay focused. Seeing your score improve each session keeps you motivated. Most players see noticeable improvement within a week of daily practice. PERFECT FOR β€’ Complete beginners learning their first open chords β€’ Intermediate players cleaning up transitions β€’ Anyone who wants to build muscle memory fast β€’ Daily warm-up before band practice or lessons Free version includes the 6 most essential beginner chords. Upgrade once to unlock all 17 chords β€” no subscription, no ongoing fees.

About

Pentatonics

This app visualizes five-note scales and their connection to chords, offering a unique way to explore musical expression. It helps musicians improvise, compose, and understand harmony with clear visual aids and smart filtering options.

Highlights
  • Pentagon scale-chord visualizer
  • Six curated pentatonic scales
  • Smart chord filtering
  • Two-way transposition
  • Layered interval insight
  • Highlight chord tones
  • Save favorite combinations
Features
Read full description

Pentatonics - Take Five Less notes. More music. Visualized. Step back. Level up. Unlock a new world of musical expression with Pentatonics, the visually driven music theory tool that transforms five-note scales into endless creative possibilities. Whether you’re improvising, composing, or exploring harmony, Pentatonics shows you how to say more with less. What Makes It Different Visualize the Scale-Chord Connection A one-of-a-kind pentagon visualizer shows exactly how a scale maps onto a chord, highlighting chord tones, extensions, tensions, and color with instant clarity. Six Curated Pentatonics These aren’t basic box patterns. Each scale is chosen for its harmonic purpose: β€’ Minor 7 (1, b3, 4, 5, b7) β€’ Minor 6 (1, b3, 4, 5, 6) β€’ Minor 7b5 (1, b3, 4, b5, b7) β€’ Major b6 (1, 2, 3, 5, b6) β€’ Major b2 (1, b2, 3, 5, 6) β€’ Whole-Tone (1, 3, #4, #5, b7) Smart Chord Filtering Choose from 14 chord filters to match the sound you want: Major, Minor, Dominant β€” plus altered, sus, and extended voicings like #11, b9, b13, and more. Two-Way Transposition Transpose chord and scale roots independently. Practice in any key. Compose in any context. Teach with full flexibility. Layered Interval Insight Switch between note names and scale degrees to understand how each note functions inside the harmony. Highlight Chord Tones Color-coded overlays show you roots, thirds, sevenths, and more β€” helping you target the strongest notes in your lines. Smart Starting Points Pentatonics finds 47 unique entry points where each scale fits the chord best β€” based on harmonic fit, not guesswork. Across all keys and chords, that’s 7,896 ways to explore expressive sounds. Stay in the Flow β€’ Save your favorite combinations for fast recall β€’ History tracking keeps your recent choices just a tap away β€’ Built-in suggestions point you to the most musical options Who It’s For β€’ Musicians breaking out of tired scale shapes β€’ Improvisers searching for expressive new ideas β€’ Composers seeking color and clarity β€’ Teachers looking to simplify complex harmony β€’ Students learning how theory works in real music Explore. Visualize. Improvise. Pentatonics isn’t just a scale reference. It’s a launchpad for creative growth. Built for modern iOS with a clean, fast interface powered by SwiftUI, it’s designed to keep you thinking less about theory β€” and more about sound. Take five β€” and play like never before!

Screenshots

Minute Chords3 screens
Pentatonics4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Minute Chords at Free against Pentatonics's $0.99. Minute Chords also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.6). Pentatonics's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown). On review sentiment and device support 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

Minute Chords is free to download; Pentatonics costs $0.99 up front. Minute Chords sells 5 one-off in-app purchases. Pentatonics asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Minute Chords ships an update every 2 months, Pentatonics every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences Β· 2 level
Minute Chords versus Pentatonics: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMinute ChordsPentatonics
PriceFree β€” better$0.99
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 9 days β€” better
AdsYesNo β€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases β€” betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.6 β€” better17.6
Further details β€” not scored
Size14 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGerard GrundyOliver Richard Erich Naumann

Customer experience

Minute Chords

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Pentatonics

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Minute Chords

One-time5
  • Manual Chord Picker$0.99
  • Remove Adds$0.99
  • Tip / Support development$0.99
Show 2 more
  • Large Coffee$9.99
  • Extra Support$99.99
None

Pentatonics

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Minute Chords free?
Minute Chords is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pentatonics free?
Pentatonics costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do Minute Chords or Pentatonics have ads?
Minute Chords shows ads; Pentatonics does not.
Which is updated more often, Minute Chords or Pentatonics?
Minute Chords ships an update every 2 months, and Pentatonics every 9 days. Most recently, Minute Chords was updated on October 5, 2026 and Pentatonics on October 16, 2026.

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