NextPage Sheet Music Reader vs ABC2Tab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
NextPage Sheet Music Reader
This app allows musicians to digitally organize, annotate, and perform sheet music on their iPad. It offers features like hands-free page turning, setlist creation, and song information management, all designed for live performance and rehearsal environments.
- Hands-free page turning
- Digital annotation tools
- Setlist creation and management
- Song information display
- Cloud backup and sync
- Dark mode for low light
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Imagine having all of your music on one iPad, and never another page turn to worry about. NextPage was made by a lifelong musician and software engineer for one job: reading music in rehearsal and on stage. TURN PAGES WITHOUT THINKING ABOUT IT • Tap or swipe to turn, or use a Bluetooth page-turn pedal and keep both hands playing. • Page Links jump straight to any page, a repeat, a coda or the next verse with one tap. • The bars fade away while you play, so the music fills the screen. • Crop away wide margins, and rearrange, repeat or skip pages without touching the PDF. MARK IT UP LIKE PAPER • Use pens, a highlighter that tints the page without hiding the notes, musical symbols, shapes and text notes. • Write with Apple Pencil using Apple's own pens, pencil and marker. • Share any song as a PDF with all your markings, ready to send to the band or print. BUILD THE SET • Line up your songs for the performance and step easily through them from one to the next. • Keep as many set lists as you need and reuse them. • Bring in charts from the Files app, iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive and Planning Center. KNOW EVERY SONG AT A GLANCE • Song Info keeps the key, tempo, composer and arrangement for each song, with a circle of fifths for picking the key. • Attach a rehearsal track from the Music app or the Files app and play along from the bar at the bottom of the screen. • A built-in metronome keeps counting as you move from song to song. KEEP IT SAFE • Back up your songs, set lists and markings to iCloud or Dropbox, and bring them back on a new iPad. • Show the music on an external display or projector. • Dark music mode shows white notes on black paper for dim stages. NextPage Annual subscription NextPage is free to try: 5 songs in your library and one set list of up to 3 songs. A NextPage Annual subscription removes those limits and unlocks everything: • Every song in your library — import as many charts as you like • Set lists of any length, and as many of them as you need • Backup & Restore for your library, set lists and markup Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your Apple Account settings at any time. Cancelation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://nextpageapp.com/privacy/ Designed and built in the USA
ABC2Tab
This app transforms ABC notation into playable TAB and music notation for various instruments. It supports multiple tunings and instruments, offers practice tracking, and allows for melody playback and recording.
- Convert ABC notation to TAB
- Support for banjo, mandolin, guitar, tin whistle, and fiddle
- Multiple guitar tunings
- Search The Session for tunes
- Play melody from ABC field
- Record or upload melodies for matching
- Save tunes and track practice
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ABC2Tab turns tunes written in ABC notation into practical TAB and music notation for traditional instruments. KEY FEATURES • Convert ABC notation into playable TAB in seconds • Tenor banjo and mandolin support in GDAE tuning • Guitar TAB for Standard, Drop D, DADGAD, and DADGBD • Tin whistle fingering and fiddle notation • Search The Session by title and choose between multiple ABC settings for the same tune • Play the melody directly from the ABC field • Record or upload a melody to see multiple possible tune matches • Save tunes and track your practice progress • Export PDF, PNG, and LilyPond files with Pro HOW IT WORKS 1. Paste ABC notation or find a tune on The Session. 2. Choose an instrument. 3. Select Show TAB. Audio matching is designed for clear, single-note performances of Irish traditional tunes. Results are presented as candidates so you can confirm the correct tune and ABC setting. Free use includes up to 30 conversions per day. ABC2Tab Pro adds unlimited My Tunes, watermark-free output, and file downloads. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: ABC2Tab at 100% against NextPage Sheet Music Reader's 48%. ABC2Tab also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 2 months). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. NextPage Sheet Music Reader sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per year and ABC2Tab sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
NextPage Sheet Music Reader ships an update every 2 months, ABC2Tab every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | NextPage Sheet Music Reader | ABC2Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.8 (25 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 47.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 25 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Freemium |
| Devices | iPad | iPhone, iPad — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 111 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | OnStage Technologies, LLC | yoshiaki okazaki |
Customer experience
NextPage Sheet Music Reader
ABC2Tab
In-app purchases
NextPage Sheet Music Reader
- NextPage Annual Subscription$12.991 Year
ABC2Tab
- ABC2Tab Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
Questions
Is NextPage Sheet Music Reader free?
Is ABC2Tab free?
Do NextPage Sheet Music Reader or ABC2Tab have ads?
Which is updated more often, NextPage Sheet Music Reader or ABC2Tab?
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