Comparison

Guitar Tabs X vs TabStudio

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

Head to head
About

Guitar Tabs X

Create, edit, and save professional-looking guitar, bass, and ukulele tabs. Preview and play your compositions, and export them as PDF or MIDI files. Ideal for musicians of all levels to capture and organize musical ideas.

Highlights
  • Interactive tablature interface
  • Special tab editing keyboard
  • Insert chords with a slide
  • Export tabs to PDF
  • Export song to MIDI
  • Supports bass and ukulele tabs
  • Preview and play tabs
Features
Read full description

Guitar Tabs X is a powerful guitar tabs editor. It is intended as the guitar and bass players' notebook so you can easily write and save your ideas and songs as pro looking guitar tabs. As an addition the app supports ukulele tabs. All tabs can be previewed and played. 
Supports bass tabs. Great tool for bands, composers, guitar schools and even beginners. 
With Guitar Tabs X you can write your chords fast so you never again forget your ideas. Guitar Tabs X exclusive features:
 - Interactive tablature interface
 - Special tab editing keyboard (like fretboard)
 - Insert chords with a slide
 - Full screen guitar tab read and edit
 - Smart bar metrics algorithms
 - dedicated tab file format - readable and small
 - easy chord edit
 - export tabs to PDF ( print ready )
 - export song to MIDI (which you can import to any DAW) other features:
 - Fast tempo change
 - One touch bar metrics change
 - Copy, paste, insert, delete and clear bars
 - In-place edit title, artist and author
 - legato
 - bend up and bend down 
- vibrato
 - P.M.
 - Bass tabs support
 - Ukulele tabs support - undo last actions
 - send songs via email
 - send songs to server
 - free guitar tabs server
 - fast repeat chords - distortion guitar and bass sounds You can access your tabs via iCloud or iTunes share feature. To export songs as MIDI or PDF and to store more than 5 songs on the device you should unlock the PRO features via In-App purchase. All other features are available free and the app has no ads. Should you choose to upgrade to a Pro features, payment will be charged to your iTunes account at confirmation of purchase. Your may choose monthly subscription (paying per month),yearly subscription (paying per year) or one-time payment. (Price may vary by location.) Your subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours prior to the end of the current period and cancellation of the current active subscription period is not allowed. Auto-renewal may be turned off in your Account Settings in iTunes after purchase. You can also manage your subscriptions in Account Settings after purchase. Guitar Tabs X Terms of Service: http://guitartabsx.com/termsandconditions/ Guitar Tabs X Privacy Policy: http://guitartabsx.com/privacypolicy/

About

TabStudio

Create, edit, and listen to guitar and bass tablature on your mobile device. Quickly compose musical ideas with intuitive tools, add articulations, and export your work as professional PDFs. Ideal for musicians and teachers on the go.

Highlights
  • Intuitive tablature editing
  • Full rhythm control
  • Guitar articulations and chord notations
  • Real-time audio playback
  • Multi-instrument and custom tuning support
  • PDF export and sharing
Features
Read full description

Ever come up with an amazing guitar riff or solo line during practice, only to forget it because you didn't have staff paper or a laptop nearby? Looking for a fast, intuitive way to write and listen to guitar tabs on the go without wrestling with heavy desktop software? TabStudio is a streamlined, powerful guitar and bass tablature creator designed for guitarists, bassists, songwriters, and music teachers. Turn your musical ideas into clean, playable tabs in seconds, listen to instant audio playback, and export professional sheet music right from your iPhone or iPad! [ Effortless & Fast Tablature Editing ] - Intuitive fretboard and number input interface designed specifically for touchscreens—no steep learning curve required. - Full rhythm control including whole notes down to 32nd notes, dotted notes, triplets, and rests. - Speed up your songwriting workflow with easy measure management, copy/paste, and instant undo/redo. [ Rich Guitar Articulations & Chord Notations ] - Express every nuance of your playing with essential guitar techniques: Hammer-ons, Pull-offs, Slides, Bends, Vibrato, Palm Muting, Harmonics, and more. - Add chord names, fret diagrams, and performance notes above your measures to build complete lead sheets. [ Real-Time Audio Playback & Practice Tools ] - Hear your composition immediately! Play back your tabs to check melodies, harmonies, and rhythm accuracy on the spot. - Fine-tune your tempo (BPM), turn on the built-in metronome, and loop challenging sections to practice at your own pace. [ Multi-Instrument & Custom Tuning Support ] - Create tabs for 6-string Acoustic/Electric Guitar, 4-string/5-string Bass, Ukulele, and more. - Easily switch between Standard tuning, Drop D, Half-Step Down, Open tunings, or customize each string to match your setup. [ Crisp PDF Export & Instant Sharing ] - Export your finished tabs as clean, print-ready PDF documents with a single tap. - Share your sheet music effortlessly with bandmates, students, or friends via AirDrop, Email, or messaging apps. [ 100% Privacy & Zero Distractions ] - No sign-ups, no accounts, and zero ads to interrupt your creative flow. - All your scores and musical ideas stay safely stored on your device. Download TabStudio today and never let a great guitar riff slip away again!

Screenshots

Guitar Tabs X4 screens
TabStudio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TabStudio at none against Guitar Tabs X's 3. TabStudio also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Guitar Tabs X's advantage is ratings volume (360 vs 1) and iOS requirement (10.0 vs 26.5). On price, rating, 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 Tabs X sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. TabStudio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.1 for Guitar Tabs X against 4.0 for TabStudio. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guitar Tabs X has 360 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guitar Tabs X ships an update every 3 months, TabStudio every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Guitar Tabs X versus TabStudio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitar Tabs XTabStudio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (360 ratings) — better4.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews54.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings360 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS10.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB149 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAleksandar MlazevJOOYOUNG MAENG

Customer experience

Guitar Tabs X

All ratings353 ratings
Positive76.5%
Neutral9.3%
Negative14.2%
Written reviews155 reviews
Positive54.8%
Neutral20.0%
Negative25.2%

TabStudio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Guitar Tabs X

Reported bugs

13 issues
  • Songs automatically deleted when creating new tabs
  • Multiple songs overwritten to same filename
  • File save not confirmed properly
  • App freezes with 'stop playback to edit' message
  • Playback stops at high tempos (150+ BPM)
Show 8 more
  • Ties/slurs ignored across measure boundaries
  • Incorrect note playback in certain tunings
  • Double copy when changing song title
  • Accidental delete function too sensitive
  • No sound on some newly created tabs
  • Pro version purchase breaks save functionality
  • Slider tempo control glitchy and unresponsive
  • Coding issue with special characters in composer field

Requested features

26 requests
  • Capo/Capodastre functionality
  • Hammer-on and pull-off notations
  • Custom tuning editor for any string configuration
  • 7-string and 8-string guitar support
  • 5-string bass support with more tuning options
Show 21 more
  • Chord names above tabs
  • Tempo changes mid-song
  • Additional time signatures (6/8, 7/4, 8/8)
  • Dotted note options
  • Rest/silence notation
  • Harmonics and pinch harmonics
  • Slides and bend notations
  • Copy and paste functionality
  • Multiple tracks/instruments in one project
  • Text annotations and lyrics
  • First and second ending markers
  • Better metronome and tempo control
  • Auto-save functionality
  • Larger font sizes for printing
  • Ghost notes support
  • Glissando notation
  • Percussion/drum tabs
  • Better sound samples for guitar
  • Shuffle rhythm option
  • Bar numbering
  • Search functionality for saved tabs

TabStudio

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Guitar Tabs X

Subscriptions2
  • Guitar Tabs X Pro - monthly$0.991 Month
  • Guitar Tabs X Pro - yearly$5.991 Year
One-time1
  • Guitar Tabs X PRO features$11.99
None

TabStudio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Guitar Tabs X free?
Guitar Tabs X is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TabStudio free?
TabStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Guitar Tabs X or TabStudio?
Guitar Tabs X is rated higher. Guitar Tabs X averages 4.1 out of 5 from 360 ratings, while TabStudio averages 4.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Guitar Tabs X or TabStudio have ads?
Neither Guitar Tabs X nor TabStudio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Guitar Tabs X or TabStudio?
Guitar Tabs X ships an update every 3 months, and TabStudio every 9 days. Most recently, Guitar Tabs X was updated on November 2, 2026 and TabStudio on November 7, 2026.

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