# Guitar Notation vs TabStudio

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: TabStudio at none against Guitar Notation's 6. TabStudio also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months). Guitar Notation's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, TabStudio every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Guitar Notation | TabStudio |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.0 (249 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-tabs-and-chords/id1144464459/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **249** | — |
| Positive reviews | 58.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Subscription | — |
| Size | 153 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13** | 26.5 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) | [JOOYOUNG MAENG](https://appshunter.io/developer/6781108540) |

## 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


### TabStudio

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabstudio-guitar-tab-creator/id6783146798)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Guitar Notation free?

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

### Is TabStudio free?

TabStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Guitar Notation or TabStudio have ads?

Neither Guitar Notation nor TabStudio shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Guitar Notation or TabStudio?

Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, and TabStudio every 2 months. Most recently, Guitar Notation was updated on October 29, 2026 and TabStudio on October 25, 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.*