Chordio vs HarmonyBuilder
Chordio
chordio.co.ukHarmonyBuilder
harmonybuilder.comSide by side
| Figure | Chordio | HarmonyBuilder |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $14/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| iOS | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 4 | 7 |
| Spec score · Chord Finder Software | 8.9 (#2) | 7.8 (#9) |
| Composition tools | Composition supports custom chords, voicings, inversions, chord transformation, playlists, backing rhythms and MIDI/PDF export. | The Professional edition includes a Chord Selector wheel, Voicing Generator, and tools to harmonize melodies or bass lines. |
| Purpose | Chordio is an interactive music composition and theory app for producers, composers, teachers and learners. | HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software focused on writing and hearing four-part harmony. |
| Support | Support is offered through a contact form, email, FAQ and video tutorials. | The maker directs users with technical support questions to contact it and provides user manuals, tutorial videos, and FAQs. |
Plans
Chordio
- FreeFree
- Free downloadFree
- Full Unlock$14.99, paid once
- Content PacksPrice not published
HarmonyBuilder
- Basic$14 a month
- Educational$49 a month
- Free TrialFree
- Basic$14, paid once
- Professional$19, paid once
- Educational$49, paid once
- InstitutionalPriced on request
In their own words
Chordio
Chordio is a music composition and theory app for iOS and macOS, with workspaces for composition, scales, modes, sheet music, music theory and lessons. Its library includes more than 40 scales. Connect a USB, MIDI or Bluetooth MIDI keyboard and it identifies chords in real time, naming them on the grand staff. Harmony Explorer finds matching scales and suggests diatonic and borrowed chords, secondary dominants and tritone substitutions. Progressions can be dragged into Logic Pro, Ableton Live, FL Studio and other DAWs as MIDI; MIDI chords can also be imported for re-harmonization. Sheet Music includes tempo adjustment, looping, separate-hand practice, transposition and PDF printing. Lesson Packs let users play pieces in any key and at any tempo. The free download includes built-in sounds, an on-screen keyboard and every workspace. Full Unlock costs $14.99 as a one-time purchase and includes Mac, iPad and Vision Pro, plus lifetime updates. The iPhone version is purchased separately, and there is no Android app.
HarmonyBuilder
HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software for writing and hearing four-part harmony. Its editions range from score creation and MIDI export to harmony instruction, composition tools, and teacher-student collaboration. Basic supports moving notes and experimenting with harmony and rhythm. Educational checks voice-leading errors, color-codes chord notes, and identifies and names chords. Professional adds a Chord Selector wheel, a Voicing Generator, and tools for harmonizing melodies or bass lines. Institutional provides a dedicated database for sharing assignments, homework, and compositions; its score accounts are password-protected. Compositions can be saved to a computer or public web archive, or in MIDI format, and a private link can open a score in a browser. HarmonyBuilder runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, and requires Java 6 or higher. The trial lasts up to 28 days and includes Basic, Educational, and Professional functionality. Basic costs $14 a month; Educational costs $49 a month.