Comparison

Open String Guitar Chords vs Serphonica

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

Head to head
About

Open String Guitar Chords

Explore a vast collection of open string guitar chords with multiple voicings and transposition options. This app provides instant playback, optimal fingerings, and scale degree information for musicians of all levels.

Highlights
  • 596 open string chords
  • Chord transposition with capo
  • Optimal fingerings provided
  • Instant chord playback
  • 3 guitar sound banks
  • Scale degree display
Features
Read full description

This application contains a unique collection of beautiful air open string chords which differs drastically from our other previously released chord applications. Thanks to the open strings you can get a very wide fingerings, and when you transpose chord you can use a capo. In the 1960's one of the first guitarists who used open-string chords was Chet Atkins and Merle Travis. After, such guitarists as Lenny Breau and Tommy Emmanuel were using these chords in their music. Later, chords with open strings were used by such famous great guitarists as John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, Paco de Lucia, Al Di Meola, Nuno Bettencourt and others. These chords are found in all styles of music, from classical to progressive metal. Open String Guitar Chords app is not only just a collection of chords (when "Slow" or "Fast" behavior selected), but it also shows their possible voicings (when "Auto" behavior selected). Both beginners and professionals can benefit from this app and take enough material for their music. ●●●●● Features: --------------- ● 596 different open string chords, which can be easily transposed (using a capo) to any desired key, resulting in about 5,000 of total open string chords! ● transpose chords to any desired key by dragging notes on the screen with your finger. A capo will appear on the fretboard when you transpose open string chords ● only the best sounding chords were selected for you and presented in this collection ● every chord provided with corresponding optimal fingerings for your comfort ● degree feature to see scale degree of selected note ● instant playback of selected chord with acoustic guitar sounds ● 3 guitar sound banks to select from: Acoustic, Piezo and Chorused ● note names are displayed inside the playback cursor ● sharp and flat signatures correspond to the current chord's key ● 3 modes (behaviors) of chord's playback: Slow, Fast and Auto ● manual step by step note playback in both directions ● manual note selection by tapping notes on the screen ● designed for both iPhone and iPad For support and more info about this and other products please visit our website: http://www.fonexsis.com

About

Serphonica

Develop your musical ear with a comprehensive suite of training exercises and practice tools. Features include interval and chord recognition, scale training, rhythm echo, and sight-reading. Includes a chromatic tuner, metronome, and live fretboard.

Highlights
  • Interval training
  • Chord recognition
  • Scale trainer
  • Rhythm echo
  • Chromatic tuner
  • Metronome
  • Live fretboard
Features
Read full description

Serphonica — Ear Training & Music Practice Develop your musical ear with a comprehensive suite of training exercises and practice tools — all in one beautifully designed app. EAR TRAINING • Interval Training — Identify ascending and descending intervals. Build the foundation of relative pitch recognition. • Chord Recognition — Hear a chord and name it. Major, minor, diminished, augmented, seventh — train them all by ear. • Scale Trainer — Learn scales note by note with real-time pitch detection. Play on your instrument and get instant feedback. • Rhythm Echo — Listen to a rhythmic pattern and tap it back. Develop your timing and internal clock. • Echo Mode — Hear a note, play it back on your instrument. Serphonica listens and tells you if you got it right. After 3 tries, a fretboard hint shows you where to find the note. • Sight Reading — Read notes on the staff and play them on your instrument. Real-time detection tracks your accuracy. • Melody Memory — Listen to a melody and play it back from memory. Start with short phrases and work your way up. • Theory Quizzes — Test your knowledge of intervals, scales, keys, and chord construction. • Call & Response — Musical phrases are played for you to echo back, training your ear and technique together. BUILT-IN TOOLS • Chromatic Tuner — Real-time pitch detection with frequency smoothing and adjustable noise gate. Tune with precision. • Metronome — Adjustable BPM, time signatures from 1/4 to 12/4, subdivisions (quarter, eighth, triplet, 16th), swing, tap tempo, and multiple sounds. Visual beat ring with optional flash. • Live Fretboard — Play your guitar and see notes appear on an interactive fretboard in real time. • Reference Charts — Scales, chords, intervals, and guitar charts — everything you need to study music theory. WHY SERPHONICA? • Uses your device's microphone to detect what you play — no MIDI cable needed • Works with guitar, bass, ukulele, piano, voice, or any pitched instrument • Clean, focused design with no distractions • No account required. No ads. No tracking. Whether you're a beginner learning your first intervals or an experienced musician sharpening your ears, Serphonica gives you everything you need to practice — right in your pocket.

Screenshots

Open String Guitar Chords4 screens
Serphonica4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Serphonica at Free against Open String Guitar Chords's $12.99. Serphonica also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.7) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 7 months). Open String Guitar Chords's advantage is ratings volume (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Serphonica is free to download; Open String Guitar Chords costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Serphonica holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Open String Guitar Chords ships an update every 7 months, Serphonica every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Open String Guitar Chords versus Serphonica: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOpen String Guitar ChordsSerphonica
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (3 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFonexsisJoshua Rideout

Customer experience

Open String Guitar Chords

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Serphonica

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

In-app purchases

None

Open String Guitar Chords

No in-app purchases

None

Serphonica

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Open String Guitar Chords free?
Open String Guitar Chords costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Serphonica free?
Serphonica is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Open String Guitar Chords or Serphonica?
Serphonica is rated higher. Open String Guitar Chords averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Serphonica averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Open String Guitar Chords or Serphonica have ads?
Neither Open String Guitar Chords nor Serphonica shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Open String Guitar Chords or Serphonica?
Open String Guitar Chords ships an update every 7 months, and Serphonica every 2 months. Most recently, Open String Guitar Chords was updated on October 9, 2026 and Serphonica on October 1, 2026.

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