Hookpad

Overview

Hookpad is a browser-based songwriting workspace built around chords, melody and music theory. It is best suited to songwriters who want guidance developing musical ideas, rather than a phone-first tool for editing on the move. Its free tier supports real composition; Standard is the upgrade for fuller arrangements and exports.

Key features

Hookpad’s chord suggestions draw on music theory and data from 75,000 songs, giving writers a structured way to explore progressions. The free plan also includes Smart Guides, transposition, tempo and looping controls, piano playback, and unlimited cloud saving. That makes it a useful place to draft and revisit ideas, although advanced chord palettes and search are limited to one-minute previews.

Standard adds more than 500 instruments, 11 band templates, up to four melody voices, lyrics, mixing, recording and MIDI input. These tools make it better suited to developing a song beyond its chord-and-melody sketch. Exports include MIDI, MP3, sheet music, guitar tablature and lead sheets; MIDI can be brought into DAWs such as GarageBand, Logic and Pro Tools. WAV or MP3 audio can also be imported. MIDI input requires a browser supporting the Web MIDI API, so that workflow depends on browser compatibility.

Aria is a separate AI add-on that can suggest chords, melodies, or both. Its data agreement says chord and melody information is converted into numerical fingerprints, logged and used by Hooktheory researchers to improve Aria. That is worth weighing if you prefer not to have composition data used in that way.

Hooktheory says users own music made in Hookpad and may release it commercially, but may not resell or redistribute its sounds as standalone sounds.

Pricing

The Free plan costs nothing and includes chords and melody, Smart Guides, unlimited cloud saving and one-minute previews of advanced features. It is a meaningful starting point, but those previews limit sustained use of advanced chord palettes and search, and exports are listed for Standard.

Standard costs $7.99 a month, billed monthly, cancel anytime, plus tax where applicable. It provides full features, including the expanded instruments, arrangement tools and exports, making it the fit for writers who need to develop and move finished work into other formats.

Aria AI add-on costs $14.99 a month, billed monthly, plus tax where applicable. It is optional and sits alongside Standard rather than replacing it, so writers interested in its suggestions should account for it as a separate subscription.

Platforms

Hookpad runs in a web browser. It is not suitable for editing on a smartphone; tablet touch mode is available. The browser format keeps it accessible across devices with a compatible browser, but phone editing is not a practical use case.

Who it's for

Hookpad suits songwriters who want theory-informed chord exploration, melody development and a path from a draft to sheet music or DAW-ready MIDI. Free is a sensible fit for composing and saving ideas; Standard is for writers who need more voices, instruments, recording or exports. It is a poor match for anyone who needs to edit songs on a smartphone, and Aria is less compelling if its data-use terms are a concern.

Pros and cons

• Useful free composing tools: Smart Guides, playback, transposition and unlimited cloud saving support ongoing work, not just a brief trial.
• Multiple export routes: Standard can produce MIDI, MP3, sheet music, guitar tablature and lead sheets, supporting both audio and notation workflows.
• Separate Aria cost: the AI suggestions require an additional $14.99 a month, beyond Standard.
• Limited phone use: Hookpad is not suitable for smartphone editing, which rules it out for mobile-first songwriters.
• Composition data use: Aria logs numerical fingerprints of chord and melody information to help improve the service.

Alternatives

Songwriting Software is the category directory for comparing more options.

Consider Song Cage if you want a freemium option spanning mobile and desktop platforms, with a free web app for one song. Nitesong is another web-based freemium choice, with a free allowance of three songs and a Pro plan at $9 a month. For a mobile-only option, Songkeeper Studio offers a free Basic plan capped at five songs and two drafts and recordings per song.

Zoundroom is a freemium alternative for Android, iOS and web. Songcraft is a web-based freemium option with a Pro plan at $5 a month and a free trial. SongSmith.io offers a free web plan for up to five songs. Suno is a mobile alternative for Android and iOS, with a free plan providing 50 credits per day and eight minutes of audio upload. Sussmayr is another freemium web option.

Verdict

Choose Hookpad if you want music-theory-informed help shaping chords and melodies, plus a clear route from free drafting to Standard exports. The strongest reason to look elsewhere is mobile editing: Hookpad does not suit smartphone workflows, and writers who want Aria must budget for a separate subscription.