Disclosure: I build StemConsole, one of the tools below. Details read from each vendor’s own pages in September 2026. Plans change, so confirm current terms before you pay.
What people want from a Chordify alternative
Chords for more songs, on more devices. Chordify’s free version limits how many songs you can open a day, and uploading your own files is a paid feature.
Chords they can trust. Automatic chord detection is a good first guess, not a transcription. Extended chords, inversions and busy arrangements trip every detector, so you still need to check by ear.
More than chords. Chordify is built around chords. When the thing you want to learn is a riff, a melody or a specific voicing, you need to hear the part itself, slowed down and looped, or read it as tab.
At a glance
| Tool | Runs on | Chords | Beyond chords | Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chord ai | iPhone, Android | Chords, beats, tempo and key; chords and beats free without limits | Stem export, pitch shift and PDF on Pro | Pro about $9/mo or $69/yr |
| Moises | Web, desktop, iPhone, Android | Chord finder; free covers the first minute | AI stems, speed, pitch, loops, metronome | Shown after login, varies by region |
| Capo | Mac, iPhone, iPad | 168 chord types, from your own files | Slow down, loop, spectrogram; note transcription on Mac | Free Edition; yearly subscription |
| Songsterr | Web, iPhone, Android | Tabs rather than detected chords | Synced audio, speed, loops, solo and mute tracks on Plus | Free with limits; Plus about $10/mo |
| Ultimate Guitar | Web and apps | Chord and tab sheets written by users | Interactive official tabs, loop, transpose on Pro | Pro price varies by country |
| Transcribe! | Windows, Mac, Linux | Chord guessing from a spectrum | Slow down, named loops, pitch in cents | $39 one-off, 30-day free trial |
| StemConsole | Any browser, desktop or phone | No chord detection | AI stems, live mixer, loop; speed and key on Pro | Free plan; Pro $6.99/mo or $49/yr |
Details read from each vendor’s own pages in September 2026. Where a vendor does not publish a detail, the table says so.
The alternatives, one by one
1. Chord ai: chords on your phone, from anything
Chord ai runs on iPhone and Android and listens to a song from YouTube, SoundCloud, your own files or the microphone. It detects chords, beats, tempo, key and lyrics, and the free version gives you beats, chords and positions as much as you like. Pro adds 700+ chord types and voicing recognition, a smart capo, alternate tunings, pitch shift, PDF export and stem export. The app also offers 4-stem separation and audio to MIDI. Pro is about $9 a month or $69 a year in the US, and less in some other countries.
Official reference: Chord ai.
2. Moises: chords, stems and practice tools together
Moises runs on the web, desktop, iPhone and Android and combines a chord finder with AI stem separation, speed, pitch, loops and a metronome. The chord finder has transpose and capo modes; the free plan covers the first minute of each song, and Premium and Pro unlock the whole song. Prices appear after login. See the best Moises alternatives.
Official reference: Moises chord finder.
3. Capo: chord detection on Apple devices
Capo runs on Mac, iPhone and iPad and works on music files you own, offline. It detects 168 chord types, slows down, loops, changes pitch, shows a spectrogram, and on Mac transcribes notes and exports MIDI and lead sheets. The Free Edition has no time limit but does not save your edits; the full app is a yearly App Store subscription.
Official reference: Capo.
On Windows or Android and want something like Capo? See the best Capo app alternatives.
4. Songsterr: the part as tab, synced to the record
Songsterr shows tabs synced to playback on the web, iPhone and Android. The free version pauses tab playback after ten bars. Plus, about $10 a month and monthly only, adds the original audio in sync, speed without pitch change, loops, soloing and muting tab tracks, downloads, and AI transcription of up to 50 full tabs a month. It suits players who read tab and want the exact part rather than the chords.
Official reference: Songsterr Plus.
5. Ultimate Guitar: a huge library of chords and tabs
Ultimate Guitar is a huge library of chord sheets and tabs written by its users, on the web and in its apps. Pro adds interactive official tabs you can switch between tab and chords, a tab player, looping, auto-scroll, transpose and chord simplification. Pro prices vary by country and platform, and the site shows yours when you start a trial.
Official reference: Ultimate Guitar help centre.
6. Transcribe!: work it out properly on a computer
Transcribe! is desktop software for Windows, Mac and Linux that guesses chords from a spectrum on a piano keyboard, slows audio from one-twentieth speed to double, shifts pitch in cents, and stores any number of named loops. It costs $39 one-off with a 30-day free trial. See the Transcribe! alternatives.
Official reference: Transcribe! overview.
7. StemConsole: hear the part itself
StemConsole is the tool I built, and it does not detect chords. What it does is split a song into stems with AI and open them in a live mixer, so you hear the guitar, bass, piano or vocal on its own instead of guessing at it under the whole band. Pick your instrument under I’m practising and press Hear my part, loop the phrase, then Play with the band mutes it so you can play it with the record. Pair it with a chord app: the chords tell you the harmony, the stem tells you the voicing and the rhythm.
Splitting, the live mixer, Hear my part, Play with the band and a basic A/B loop (with a free account) are free. Speed, key change, named loops, count-in and tap tempo are Pro. The plans are summarised at the end of this page, and the demo song unlocks every tool, so you can try them before you upload anything.
Where others win: no YouTube link import, no chord detection, no native phone app, and the slowest speed is 50%. Uploads are MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG, M4A, AAC or WMA up to 200 MB.
When to stay with Chordify
If you strum along to well-known songs and just need the changes quickly in a browser, Chordify does that fast, with a simple layout. Its Premium plans add tempo change, transpose, loops, a digital capo and uploading your own files. Look elsewhere when you need the individual parts, tab, or chords for obscure recordings you have to check by ear anyway.
Official reference: Chordify.
Checking chords by ear, whichever app you use
I have spent 20 years mixing and mastering records and a decade teaching audio. These are the things that make the biggest difference.
- Find the bass note first. The lowest note on the first beat of each bar is usually the root of the chord, or tells you it is an inversion.
- Strum the suggested chord against the record. If it sounds sour, the detector has picked the wrong quality or missed an extension. Try the minor, the seventh or the sus version.
- Listen to the part, not the whole mix. Solo the guitar or piano stem to hear the actual voicing. Detectors report the harmony; players use specific shapes.
- Loop the tricky change. Two bars at a time, slowed slightly, until you can hear exactly where it moves.
Which should you pick?
- You want chords for anything, on your phone: Chord ai.
- You want chords plus stems and speed in one app: Moises.
- You are all Apple and want it offline: Capo.
- You read tab: Songsterr or Ultimate Guitar.
- You want to hear and play the actual part: StemConsole.
- You transcribe seriously on a computer: Transcribe!.
More: the best apps to learn songs by ear and learn a song by ear in StemConsole.
Try every practice tool on the demo song first: open the demo. No upload, no account and nothing to install.
StemConsole plans: free covers vocal removal and a 4-stem split (vocals, drums, bass, other), 5 splits a month, the live mixer, a basic A/B loop, a saved library and share links. Pro is US$6.99 a month or US$49 a year and adds 6 stems with guitar and piano, WAV, 100 splits a month, and the practice room: speed from 50% to 150% without changing pitch, key change up to 12 semitones, multiple named loops, tap tempo and count-in. A US$1.99 credit buys one 6-stem split with MP3 downloads and basic A/B looping. WAV, speed, key change and multiple named loops require Pro.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Chordify?
It depends on what you want beyond Chordify. For chords on your phone from any song, Chord ai. For chords plus stems and practice tools, Moises. For Apple devices offline, Capo. For the exact part as tab, Songsterr or Ultimate Guitar. To hear the actual part isolated, StemConsole.
Is there a free alternative to Chordify?
Chord ai gives beats, chords and positions free without a limit on its phone app. Capo has a Free Edition on Apple devices. StemConsole is free in the browser for stem splitting and a basic A/B loop, though it does not detect chords.
Are automatic chord detectors accurate?
They are a good first guess. Extended chords, inversions and dense arrangements trip every detector, so check the result by ear against the record, ideally with the instrument isolated.
Can any app show me the actual guitar part, not just chords?
Yes. Tab apps like Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar show written parts, and stem splitters like StemConsole and Moises let you hear the guitar on its own so you can work out the voicing yourself.
Dan Murtagh is a Melbourne mixing and mastering engineer with 20 years making records and a decade teaching audio. He built StemConsole as a practice tool for his students. More about Dan.