Comparison

Universal Chords vs Guitar Notation

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Universal Chords

Access a comprehensive library of chords for various instruments like guitar, ukulele, and piano. Easily switch between instruments, discover alternate fingerings, and adjust for right or left-handed play.

Highlights
  • Chord lookup for multiple instruments
  • Alternate fingerings
  • Right/left-handed toggle
  • Instrument switching
Features
Read full description

The only app you need to look up chords for Guitar, Banjo, Mandolin, Ukulele, Piano and more! Features: * Easily switch between instruments * Scroll down to find alternate fingerings * Toggle right or left handed Want to see something new? Found a bug you want fixed? Go create an issue on github: https://github.com/sealgair/UniversalChords2

About

Guitar Notation

This app allows guitar enthusiasts to read, compose, edit, and play back guitar sheet music. It supports multi-track tabs, chord charts, and various notation elements, enabling users to create music on the go.

Highlights
  • Read, compose, and edit guitar sheet music
  • Playback functionality with high-quality sound
  • Multi-track tab support
  • Chord chart configuration
  • Export in MusicXML, MIDI, PNG, and PDF formats
  • Supports up to 8 staff for editing
Features
Read full description

A great guitar tabs and chords notation app on iOS. For any guitar music lover, Guitar Notation gives you the ability to read, compose, edit, and playback guitar sheet music scores. With it you can be a talented composer and great musician anywhere. As long as you have a little knowledge of sheet music, you can write music composition simply by touch and move. Of course it could help you to learn guitar notations. It can handle multi-track tabs, also it supports for chord chart configuration. With the help of it you could easily record the flashes of inspiration wherever they strike. Are you ready to compose music in a simple way? ----------------------- Features: -Export in the industry-popular MusicXML file format, allowing for exchanging sheet music with other software (Finale, Sibelius, Encore, MuseScore, etc). -Export MIDI file. -Export PNG image and PDF document. -High quality sound for playback. -Support editing up to 8 staff at the same time. -Support many kinds of guitar and bass instrument. ----------------------- Supported notation: *A variety of note types, from whole note to 128th note and dotted note *Chord chart configuration *A variety of time signatures *All standard key signatures *Adjustable tempo *All accidentals (sharps, flats, double sharps, double flats, and naturals) *Tie, slur, and tuplet *Many types of ornament *A wide range of dynamics ----------------------- UNLIMITED ACCESS SUBSCRIPTION - Support up to 8 staff - Config parts(add, delete, reorder) - Config chord freely - Change beat type and tempo - A wide variety of guitar types - Config sound for each part - No watermark image export - No Ads - Support 2nd voice part - Config capo for each line - Import data file - The subscriptions are $9.99 monthly - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that service, where applicable - Terms of use: https://service.notationpad.com/terms_service.html

Screenshots

Universal Chords3 screens
Guitar Notation4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Universal Chords at 5.0 against Guitar Notation's 4.0. Universal Chords also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 58%) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). Guitar Notation's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 48 months) and ratings volume (249 vs 3). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Guitar Notation sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Universal Chords asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Universal Chords holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guitar Notation has 249 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Universal Chords's written reviews are positive against 58% of Guitar Notation's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Universal Chords ships an update every 48 months, Guitar Notation every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Universal Chords versus Guitar Notation: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUniversal ChordsGuitar Notation
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better4.0 (249 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better58.1% of reviews
Number of ratings3249 — better
Update frequencyEvery 48 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.013 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB153 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChase CASTER嵩 张

Customer experience

Universal Chords

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Guitar Notation

All ratings246 ratings
Positive75.6%
Neutral4.5%
Negative19.9%
Written reviews191 reviews
Positive58.1%
Neutral6.3%
Negative35.6%

Bugs and requests

Universal Chords

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Guitar Notation

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Audio playback only works through Bluetooth
  • Can't create a D chord, forces barre chord
  • Freezes on login screen
  • Incompatible with older devices

Requested features

6 requests
  • Add ability to change tuning
  • Add palm muting feature
  • Add more examples
  • Add instructions/tutorial
  • Add ability to transpose
Show 1 more
  • Add ability to input chord symbols

In-app purchases

None

Universal Chords

No in-app purchases

6 purchases

Guitar Notation

Subscriptions3
  • Unlimited Access7 Days trial$6.997 Days
  • Unlimited Access Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Unlimited Access Yearly$49.991 Year
One-time3
  • Guitar Instrument Group$0.99
  • Bass Instrument Group$0.99
  • Extras Package$14.99

Questions

Is Universal Chords free?
Universal Chords is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Guitar Notation free?
Guitar Notation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Universal Chords or Guitar Notation?
Universal Chords is rated higher. Universal Chords averages 5.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Guitar Notation averages 4.0 from 249 ratings.
Do Universal Chords or Guitar Notation have ads?
Neither Universal Chords nor Guitar Notation shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Universal Chords or Guitar Notation?
Universal Chords ships an update every 48 months, and Guitar Notation every 4 months. Most recently, Universal Chords was updated on November 2, 2026 and Guitar Notation on November 11, 2026.

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