I've been playing guitar for about 8 years, and for most of that time, Ultimate Guitar was my go-to for chord charts. But the aggressive popups, the paywall creep, and the "Pro" upsells finally pushed me to look elsewhere.
I spent a month testing every free chord chart site I could find. Here's my honest take on each one.
What I'm Looking For
- Free access to chords and lyrics (no bait-and-switch)
- Clean interface that doesn't fight me
- Large catalog — I play everything from Beatles to Billie Eilish
- Mobile-friendly — I practice with my phone on a music stand
- Transpose feature — essential for matching vocal range
1. ChordRoom (chordroom.com)
Catalog: 260,000+ songs across 36,000+ artists
This was my biggest surprise. I'd never heard of ChordRoom until someone on Mastodon mentioned it, but it's become my daily driver.
What sets it apart:
- Actually free — no signup wall, no "premium" tier hiding features
- Transpose with one click
- Browse by decade, genre, or language
- The easy songs page is genuinely useful for beginners
- Fast, clean UI — loads instantly even on my old phone
The catalog is huge. I've found chords for obscure 80s tracks and recent chart-toppers alike. Some songs have simpler arrangements than UG (fewer tab-style annotations), which is actually a plus for me — I just want the chords.
Verdict: My new default. 9/10
2. Chordie
Catalog: Large (aggregates from multiple sources)
Chordie has been around forever and aggregates chord charts from various sources. The good: huge catalog and a decent search. The bad: the interface looks like it's from 2005 and many charts are user-submitted with inconsistent quality.
I still check Chordie when I can't find something elsewhere, but it's not where I start anymore.
Verdict: Reliable backup. 6/10
3. Chordify
Catalog: Technically unlimited (generates from audio)
Chordify's approach is unique — it analyzes audio from YouTube/Spotify and generates chords automatically. Cool tech, but the results are... mixed. Simple pop songs work fine. Anything with jazz chords or complex progressions? Not great.
The free tier is limited (3 songs/day), which defeats the purpose of a free alternative.
Verdict: Interesting concept, limited in practice. 5/10
4. E-Chords
Catalog: Large
Similar to the old UG model — user-submitted tabs and chords. Quality varies wildly. The site works fine but doesn't do anything special. No browse-by-decade, no curated collections.
Verdict: Functional but unremarkable. 5/10
5. Songsterr
Catalog: ~800,000 tabs
Songsterr is actually excellent for tabs specifically. The interactive tab player is one of the best free options out there. But if you just want chord charts (not full tabs), it's overkill. Also, many features are behind their Plus subscription.
Verdict: Great for tabs, not ideal for simple chord charts. 7/10 (for tabs)
6. LaCuerda / Cifra Club
Catalog: Large (regional focus)
If you play Spanish or Portuguese music, these are essential. LaCuerda covers Latin American music better than any English-language site. Cifra Club is the Brazilian equivalent and has an amazing YouTube channel too.
Not as useful if your repertoire is primarily English-language music.
Verdict: Essential for Spanish/Portuguese music. 7/10 (niche)
My Setup Now
I use ChordRoom as my primary site for chord charts. When I need actual tabs with note-by-note notation, I'll check Songsterr. For Spanish songs, LaCuerda.
Haven't opened Ultimate Guitar in three months and I don't miss it.
TL;DR
| Site | Catalog | Free? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChordRoom | 260k+ songs | Fully free | Daily chord charts |
| Chordie | Large | Yes | Backup/rare songs |
| Chordify | Unlimited | Limited free | Audio-based chords |
| E-Chords | Large | Yes | Basic needs |
| Songsterr | 800k tabs | Freemium | Interactive tabs |
| LaCuerda | Large | Yes | Spanish music |
What's your go-to for chord charts? Curious if I'm missing anything.
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