# Guitar Notation vs Guitar Tab Maker

The clearest difference is rating: Guitar Tab Maker at 4.6 against Guitar Notation's 4.0. Guitar Tab Maker also leads on monetization model (freemium vs subscription) and review sentiment (80% vs 58%). Guitar Notation's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 15.0). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Guitar Notation sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days and Guitar Tab Maker sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Guitar Tab Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 249 and 514 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 58% of Guitar Notation's written reviews are positive against 80% of Guitar Tab Maker's.

Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, Guitar Tab Maker every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guitar Notation | Guitar Tab Maker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (249 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-tabs-and-chords/id1144464459/reviews) | **[4.6 (514 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-tab-maker/id1384053393/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 249 | **514** |
| Positive reviews | 58.1% of reviews | **79.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 5 weeks** |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Freemium** |
| Size | 153 MB | 14 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) | [Kyle Gorlick](https://appshunter.io/developer/541831739) |

## What reviewers say

### Guitar Notation

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-tabs-and-chords/id1144464459)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Access | $6.99 | per 7 days |
| Unlimited Access Monthly | $9.99 | per month |
| Unlimited Access Yearly | $49.99 | per year |
| Guitar Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Bass Instrument Group | $0.99 | one-time |
| Extras Package | $14.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Good app
- 🚀 Useful
- 👍 Simple and effective
- 🚀 Excellent tool
- 👍 Nice app

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Excessively paid version
- 🐛 Buggy and constantly asking to pay
- 🚫 Free version is basically unusable
- 🚫 Can't even use anything but 4/4
- 🚫 No tutorial on how to use

**Reported bugs**

- 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**

- Add ability to change tuning
- Add palm muting feature
- Add more examples
- Add instructions/tutorial
- Add ability to transpose


### Guitar Tab Maker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-tab-maker/id1384053393)

Create and edit guitar tablature with ease on your iOS or macOS devices. Sync across platforms, export to various formats, and even listen to your compositions with audio playback. Supports multiple string instruments and offers advanced features through an optional purchase.

**Highlights:** iCloud sync across devices, Export to PDF and GTAB, Audio playback of tabs, Support for multiple string instruments, Designed for guitar tabs

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Annual) | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium (Annual) | $12.99 | per year |
| Premium (Annual Family) | $17.99 | per year |
| Premium One-Time Buy | $29.99 | one-time |
| Premium Lifetime | $34.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🚀 Quick and efficient
- 💡 Customizable tunings
- 👍 Great for beginners and experienced players

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or data loss
- 🔍 Limited annotation options (no hammer-ons, pull-offs, etc.)
- 🔍 No playback or audio features
- 🔍 Difficulty organizing and managing tabs
- 🔍 Lack of print or export options

**Reported bugs**

- Tabs randomly deleted or lost
- Infinite loading screen when accessing tabs
- Inability to change tunings in some cases

**Requested features**

- Add support for advanced tab notation (slides, bends, etc.)
- Implement playback and audio features to hear the tabs
- Improve tab organization and management tools
- Add print and export options (PDF, MIDI, etc.)
- Expand to desktop/web version for better workflow


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guitar Notation free?

Guitar Notation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Guitar Tab Maker free?

Guitar Tab Maker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Guitar Notation or Guitar Tab Maker?

Guitar Tab Maker is rated higher. Guitar Notation averages 4.0 out of 5 from 249 ratings, while Guitar Tab Maker averages 4.6 from 514 ratings.

### Do Guitar Notation or Guitar Tab Maker have ads?

Neither Guitar Notation nor Guitar Tab Maker shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guitar Notation or Guitar Tab Maker?

Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, and Guitar Tab Maker every 5 weeks. Most recently, Guitar Notation was updated on October 29, 2026 and Guitar Tab Maker on October 26, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*