Comparison

Taper's Section vs SetMate

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

Head to head
About

Taper's Section

Access a vast library of live music recordings from archive.org. Stream, save, and organize your favorite shows, build playlists, and enjoy offline listening. Features background playback and powerful search capabilities.

Highlights
  • Stream live music from archive.org
  • Save favorite bands and shows
  • Background streaming
  • Offline listening
  • Powerful search and filtering
  • Build and share playlists
  • Manage play queue
Features
Read full description

Taper's Section gives you access to the Live Music Archive from archive.org in the palm of your hand. * Stream your favorite shows from over 5,000 bands * Save your favorite bands and shows for quick access * Easily access your recently played shows * Background streaming with Bluetooth and AirPlay compatibility * Powerful search and filtering options * Build playlists and share them with your friends * Build a play queue, reorder your queue, and make it a new playlist * Offline listening - save your data plan while listening to your downloaded shows while away from WiFi.

About

SetMate

Organize your music library, practice effectively, and perform with confidence using this comprehensive toolkit for musicians. Import or create chord charts, customize song layouts with various widgets, and utilize practice modes for scales, chords, and more. Seamlessly build setlists and perform on stage with a dedicated full-screen view and hands-free scrolling.

Highlights
  • Import and create chord/lyric charts
  • Customizable song layout with widgets
  • Practice mode for scales, chords, and tabs
  • Setlist builder and full-screen performance view
  • Hands-free auto-scroll for lyrics
  • Nashville Number System toolkit
  • Guitar tab editor
Features
Read full description

SetMate is the all-in-one guitar toolkit built for gigging musicians. Build setlists, organize chord charts, transpose songs, use Nashville numbers, and take everything you need on stage. From learning a song at home to playing it live, SetMate keeps your charts, setlists, tabs, notes, backing tracks, and guitar tools in one place. BACKING TRACKS & STEM SEPARATION Bring the recording on stage with you. Import a song you own and SetMate splits it into parts you control separately. • Separate any song into vocals, drums, bass, and instruments • Mute your own part and play it live over the rest of the band • Import from your music library, Files, or iCloud • Already have multitracks? Upload your own — WAV, AIFF, FLAC and more • Rename every stem to match your session • Volume, mute, and solo on each part • Scrubbing, restart, and 15-second skip • Floating mixer in perform mode — drag it anywhere, shrink it to a pill • Keeps playing in the background and from the lock screen SETLISTS & PERFORM MODE Turn every song into a stage-ready workspace. • Build setlists and arrange songs in any order • Add venue, set time, and performance notes • Set each song's key for the gig and SetMate remembers it • Full-screen stage view, portrait or landscape • Hands-free auto-scroll; tap lyrics to pause • One-tap transpose and capo display • Large, stage-friendly song controls • Screen stays awake throughout your set SONG LIBRARY • Import chords and lyrics or ChordPro • Create and edit chord charts • Edit lyrics, chords, key, BPM, and capo • Transpose any song with one tap • Duplicate songs for alternate arrangements • Keep your library available offline GUITAR TOOLS Add the widgets each song needs: • Backing Track — play the song's stems and mute any part • Lyrics & Chords — chords or Nashville numbers above lyrics • Chord Shapes — visualize every chord in the song • Scales — explore 20+ scales and modes across the fretboard • Triads — find diatonic triad shapes across the neck • Nashville Numbers — convert and create number charts • Note Finder — find any note across the fretboard • Guitar Tabs — create tabs for riffs, solos, and parts • Tuner — reference tones for each string • Notes and Images — cues, reminders, and attached chord sheets TABS & NASHVILLE NUMBERS • Build tabs or paste existing tablature • Hammer-ons, pull-offs, slides, bends, vibrato, and muted notes • Convert song chords to Nashville numbers instantly • Build number charts with a dedicated keyboard • Save and share tabs and number charts with bandmates WORKSHOP Practice without creating a song. Pick any key and explore scales, modes, triads, chord shapes, Nashville numbers, and arpeggios. LEARN 49 interactive guitar lessons designed to help you understand what you're playing — not just memorize shapes. Six parts: Fretboard Fundamentals, Chord Anatomy, Harmony & Theory, Rhythm & Technique, Improvisation, and Jamming with Others — from the major scale and pentatonic vocabulary through chord construction, diatonic harmony, ii–V–I progressions, modes, and playing over changes. Interactive fretboards, chord diagrams, arpeggio explorers, and ChordMorph let you see concepts in any key. SHARING & COMMUNITY • Export clean chord charts • Publish charts and share them with a link • Browse charts shared by other musicians SETMATE PRO Unlock unlimited songs and setlists, stem separation for your songs, all 49 lessons, every scale and mode, and cloud sync across your devices. Pro includes 20 stem separations a month, and your stems stay in your library. Choose monthly, annual, or lifetime access. SetMate is free to download with up to 3 songs, 2 setlists, 2 backing tracks, one free stem separation, and 11 interactive guitar lessons. Build your library. Make the setlist. Hit the stage. Privacy Policy: https://setmateapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://setmateapp.com/terms.html

Screenshots

Taper's Section4 screens
SetMate4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SetMate at 5.0 against Taper's Section's 4.5. SetMate also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and review sentiment (100% vs 90%). Taper's Section's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (40 vs 3). 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. SetMate sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Taper's Section asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SetMate holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Taper's Section has 40 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Taper's Section's written reviews are positive against 100% of SetMate's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Taper's Section ships an update every 3 months, SetMate every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
Taper's Section versus SetMate: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTaper's SectionSetMate
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (40 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews90.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings40 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB67 MB
Age rating12+12+
DeveloperFranklin KeslerNoah Davison

Customer experience

Taper's Section

All ratings39 ratings
Positive87.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.8%
Written reviews10 reviews
Positive90.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative10.0%

SetMate

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Taper's Section

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SetMate

Subscriptions2
  • SetMate: Gig Sheets Pro Monthly14 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • SetMate: Gig Sheets Pro Annual14 Days trial$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • SetMate Pro — Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Taper's Section free?
Taper's Section is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SetMate free?
SetMate is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Taper's Section or SetMate?
SetMate is rated higher. Taper's Section averages 4.5 out of 5 from 40 ratings, while SetMate averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Taper's Section or SetMate have ads?
Neither Taper's Section nor SetMate shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Taper's Section or SetMate?
Taper's Section ships an update every 3 months, and SetMate every 2 weeks. Most recently, Taper's Section was updated on November 2, 2026 and SetMate on October 31, 2026.

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