Comparison

Guitar Notation vs Gigbusters

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

Head to head
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

About

Gigbusters

Features
Read full description

Gigbusters is the gig radar, wherever you are. And it is not another social network: bands find where to play, venues find who to book and audiences discover the gigs that show up nowhere else, on a map fed by the scene itself. FOR AUDIENCES - A gig radar by area, style and date: what is on near you this weekend. - A plan list with a reminder in your phone's calendar. - A radio to discover bands you will like. - Prove you were at a gig and collect badges and rank. FOR BANDS AND MUSICIANS - Gig offers come to you: set your style, area and minimum fee. - A technical rider at the push of a button, matched against each venue's gear. - Negotiation and agreements on record: date, fee and cancellation terms. - Publish your own gigs straight onto the map. FOR VENUES AND PROMOTERS - Publish a date and receive comparable applications. - Claim your venue for free and make it a verified venue. - Agreed and protected cancellation notice. THE WHOLE CIRCUIT, INSIDE THE TOOL 1. Someone publishes a date: a verified venue with a slot, a band with a booked gig. 2. It reaches the radar of the bands that match by style and area. 3. They negotiate and close the agreement, on record. 4. The gig appears by itself on the audience's map. Without stages there is no next generation. Every slot that disappears never comes back. Gigbusters is free and will stay free. No commissions. Ages 16 and up. One account for everything: audience, band and venue.

Screenshots

Guitar Notation4 screens
Gigbusters4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Gigbusters at none against Guitar Notation's 6. Gigbusters also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 4 months). Guitar Notation's advantage is iOS requirement (13 vs 15.1). 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. Gigbusters asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, Gigbusters weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Guitar Notation versus Gigbusters: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGuitar NotationGigbusters
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (249 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews58.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings249 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS13 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size153 MB34 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developer嵩 张ERA CREATIVA AGENCIA DIGITAL SL

Bugs and 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

Gigbusters

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
None

Gigbusters

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Guitar Notation free?
Guitar Notation is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gigbusters free?
Gigbusters is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Guitar Notation or Gigbusters have ads?
Neither Guitar Notation nor Gigbusters shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Guitar Notation or Gigbusters?
Guitar Notation ships an update every 4 months, and Gigbusters weekly. Most recently, Guitar Notation was updated on November 11, 2026 and Gigbusters on October 31, 2026.

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