chords·lol vs HarmonyBuilder
chords·lol
chords.lolHarmonyBuilder
harmonybuilder.comSide by side
| Figure | chords·lol | HarmonyBuilder |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | $14/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 7 |
| Spec score · Chord Finder Software | 7.4 (#21) | 7.8 (#9) |
| Purpose | chords·lol is a music education platform with interactive chord references, printable PDF charts, and music theory guides. | HarmonyBuilder is music notation and composition software focused on writing and hearing four-part harmony. |
| Support | The maker invites users to report mistakes or request features through GitHub. | The maker directs users with technical support questions to contact it and provides user manuals, tutorial videos, and FAQs. |
Plans
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
chords·lol
chords·lol is a free browser platform for learning and referencing chords, scales, keys, progressions, and music theory. Its index contains 360 chords across 30 qualities and twelve roots, with notes, intervals, keys, and playable diagrams for guitar, piano, ukulele, bass, mandolin, and banjo. The learning library lists 107 scales, 30 keys, 30 progressions, and 26 theory guides. Nine browser tools include chord and scale finders, a transposer, ear training, a progression generator, and a metronome. The site provides 19 printable PDF charts covering chords, scales, and keys. Tools require no account or signup; the maker says there are no email gates or paywalls. Chord and scale data, audio, and PDFs may be downloaded for personal, classroom, and non-commercial use. Privacy information describes anonymous Vercel Analytics and PostHog usage data, Do Not Track support, no data sales, and no third-party advertising scripts. Terms provide no warranty of accuracy or fitness for a particular purpose.
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.