Compare · updated 20 September 2026
Four ways to get the chords of a song, and what each is for
Automatic recognition from a video, recognition from the microphone, or charts written by people. They are not the same tool, and the honest answer to “which is best” starts with what you are playing from.
| How it gets the chords | Best for | Free | Paid | Platforms | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AnyChord | Automatic recognition from the YouTube video, on a server; the grid scrolls in time with the video on iPhone and iPad. | Playing along with a specific YouTube recording, tonight, without an account. | Four new songs a month, all previous ones, tuner, metronome, diagrams. | €3.99 a month or €39.99 a year for unlimited analyses. | iPhone, iPad |
| Chordify | Automatic recognition from YouTube, Deezer, SoundCloud or uploaded files; a large catalogue with community corrections. | A big library across instruments, on the web and on mobile. | Limited features. | Subscription; see chordify.net. | Web, iOS, Android |
| Chord AI | Automatic recognition from the microphone, from files or from links, on the phone. | Chords for a recording that is not on YouTube. | Limited. | Subscription; see the App Store. | iOS, Android |
| Ultimate Guitar | Tabs and chord sheets written by people, with lyrics, voted and corrected by users. | A hand-made chart for a well-known song, with the lyrics. | Most chord sheets, with advertising. | Pro subscription for official tabs and tools. | Web, iOS, Android |
Competitor details as published on their own sites on 20 September 2026; prices are not quoted because they vary by country and platform.
AnyChord vs Chordify
Same starting point, a different idea of who owns the grid.
Chordify is the larger service by far. AnyChord is one developer's answer to a narrower question: what does a guitarist need on the phone, tonight, to play the song they just heard.
Read the comparison →
AnyChord vs Chord AI
Two apps that listen. One follows the video.
If you want chords for something that is not on YouTube, Chord AI is built for that. If the song is on YouTube and you want to play along with that exact version, AnyChord is built for that.
Read the comparison →
Questions people ask
What is the best app to get chords from a YouTube song?
It depends on what you play from. If you play along with the video on an iPhone, AnyChord and Chordify both turn the video into a chord grid that scrolls with playback; AnyChord needs no account and keeps analysed songs free for good, Chordify has the larger catalogue and more instruments. For a recording that is not on YouTube, Chord AI listens through the microphone. For a hand-written chart with lyrics, Ultimate Guitar.
Are automatically recognised chords accurate?
Mostly, not always. Every automatic recogniser hears the third of a chord to tell major from minor, and a riff played on fifths has no third: the chord then comes out major where the song is minor. Bar lines and tempo are usually right; qualities are where mistakes happen. AnyChord lets you correct a chord in two taps and keeps the correction with the song.
Does AnyChord need an account?
No. There is no account, no email, no advertising and no tracking. Payments go through the Apple account already on the phone.
What does AnyChord cost?
Nothing to start: four new songs every calendar month, every song already analysed, the tuner, the metronome and the diagrams are free. Premium is €3.99 a month or €39.99 a year for unlimited analyses.
Which instruments does AnyChord support?
The diagrams are for guitar, with a left-handed setting and seven chord qualities. The grid and the chord names apply to any instrument.
Does AnyChord work on Android or on the web?
No. AnyChord is for iPhone and iPad. The songs already analysed can be browsed on anychord.app, but the grid that scrolls with the video is in the app.
Hear a song. Play it tonight.
AnyChord on iPhone and iPad. Four songs a month free, no account.