Gitabitan Plus vs Bandish
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Gitabitan Plus
Access lyrics, musical notations, and audio for Rabindra Sangeet. Play back songs with adjustable tempo and scale, and see notes on a live piano view. Ideal for students and teachers of Bengali music.
- Lyrics and notations
- Playable audio playback
- Adjustable tempo and scale
- Live piano view
- Tanpura accompaniment
- Multiple instrument options
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Gitabitan Plus is a complete Rabindra Sangeet app with lyrics, notations (swaralipi) and audio. The most important feature of Gitabitan Plus is the ability to playback the notations on the desired scale and tempo. The Live Piano View shows the current note being played, right on your mobile screen. Unlike the Swarabitan book by Rabindranath Tagore, where you can view only the notations (swaralipi). In Gitabitan Plus, you get the lyrics, notations and the ability to playback the notes on your desired scale and tempo. Gitabitan Plus is the perfect app for both students and teachers where they can lookup a song for lyrics or notations, with the extra benefit of listening to the actual notes that has been written on the Swarabitan book by Rabindranath Tagore. Key Features: - View lyrics - View swaralipi (Notations) - View song info - Filter songs by alphabet or genres - Filter songs by notations or audio - 260+ songs with notation audio - View lyrics, notations and other info for each song - Tanpura - Multiple Instrument option (Piano, Harmonium & Esraj) - Ability to change scale - Control playback tempo - Seek song playback to any position - Background playback In the free version: - User can play 1/4th of the song - No background playback - Advertisements Note: 1. Not all songs have notations/audio 2. We are in no way affiliated to or associated with Rabindra Bharati University.
Bandish
This app provides authentic tabla, tanpura, and manjira sounds for Indian classical music practice. It offers customizable pitch, tempo, and volume, along with a vast library of taals and variations. Premium features include voice recording, exclusive taals, and advanced pitch tuning.
- Studio-quality tabla, tanpura, and manjira sounds
- Seamless pitch, tempo, and volume adjustments
- 75+ taals with 200+ variations
- Customizable tanpura with different speeds
- Voice recording and playback (premium)
- Beat counter and background playback
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Bandish – Tabla, Tanpura & Manjira: Elevate Your Indian Classical Music Practice Whether you are a seasoned musician or just starting your journey, Bandish is your ultimate digital accompanist for Indian classical music. With authentic tabla, tanpura, and manjira sounds, Bandish transforms your riyaz (practice), teaching sessions, or performances into immersive experiences. Designed for both students and professionals, Bandish offers an intuitive interface, powerful tools, and professional-quality sound. Key Features for Every Musician • Studio-Quality Sound: Enjoy the rich tones of professionally recorded tabla, tanpura, and now manjira, designed to capture the authenticity of live instruments. • Seamless Adjustments: Fine-tune pitch, tempo, octave, and volume instantly without interrupting your practice flow. • 75+ Taals & 200+ Variations: Practice with teentaal, dadra, ektaal, jhaptaal, rupak, and many more—complete with multiple variations and real-time theka display. • Customizable Tanpura: Match your shruti with precision, and choose between different tanpura speeds to suit your vocal training. • Boosted Tabla Volume: Clearer, louder tabla designed for both vocal accompaniment and instrumental practice. • Beat Counter: Train your rhythm with an accurate counter that stays in sync with the taal cycle. • Background Playback: Keep Bandish running seamlessly while you multitask. New in Bandish Plus (Premium) Take your practice to the next level with Bandish Plus: • Voice Recording & Playback – Record your riyaz, lessons, or concerts inside the app and listen back instantly. • New Manjira Instrument – Add manjira patterns to your tabla and tanpura for a fuller, more authentic accompaniment. • Professional Pitch Finetuning – Adjust shruti and fine-tune tabla, tanpura, and manjira to your exact pitch. • Always-on Focus Mode – Keep your device awake with a distraction-free view for long practice sessions. • 50+ Exclusive Premium Taals – Explore advanced thekas and variations beyond the core taal set. • Tap Tempo – Set your BPM by tapping the rhythm you feel. Upgrade to Bandish Plus with a monthly or annual subscription and try it free for 7 days. Extended Tools & Benefits • Favorite Taals – Save and quickly access your most-used taals. • Displayed Thekas – See the current theka and switch between variations easily. • Push Notifications – Stay consistent with reminders for daily riyaz. • Lock Screen Controls – Manage playback from lock screen and notification center. • Accessibility-Friendly – Thoughtfully designed for musicians of all abilities. Why Choose Bandish? • Bandish goes beyond a basic shruti box or tabla app. It combines tabla, tanpura, manjira, metronome, and recording into one app—perfect for Hindustani and Carnatic music. Whether you’re a vocalist, instrumentalist, or composer, Bandish adapts to your needs. • Many musicians switching from iTabla Pro, Rhythm, SurTaal, or iLehra find Bandish familiar yet more streamlined—with features like Tap Tempo, pitch finetuning, voice recording, and modern UI design. • Stay ad-free, practice smarter, and enjoy authentic sound. Download Bandish Today Whether you’re a beginner seeking guidance or a professional preparing for a concert, Bandish is the perfect companion for your Indian classical music journey.
Screenshots
Verdict
Gitabitan Plus and Bandish both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 94% of Bandish's written reviews are positive against 50% of Gitabitan Plus's. Bandish also leads on ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (142 vs 26). Gitabitan Plus's advantage is update cadence (every 5 weeks vs every 6 months). On price, rating, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Gitabitan Plus sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Bandish sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Gitabitan Plus against 4.7 for Bandish. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Bandish has 142 ratings behind it against 26, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Gitabitan Plus's written reviews are positive against 94% of Bandish's.
Gitabitan Plus ships an update every 5 weeks, Bandish every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 7, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Gitabitan Plus | Bandish |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (26 ratings) | 4.7 (142 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 94.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 26 | 142 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks — better | Every 6 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 107 MB | 77 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Pradipta Das | Metapod LLC |
Customer experience
Gitabitan Plus
Bandish
Bugs and requests
Gitabitan Plus
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
Bandish
Reported bugs
5 issues- Not able to hear using headphone after update
- Bluetooth and audio jack no longer work after update
- App stops playing through Bluetooth speaker after recent update
- Taalas are out of taal at certain points
- “To go back “ button missing
Requested features
8 requests- Maximize the quality of the tabla
- Add a timer to automatically stop playing
- Add a tuner and metronome
- Add a recording feature
- Add swarmandal with ragas
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- Add volume control in the app
- Add dark mode option
- Improve accessibility for voice over (volume and tempo control)
In-app purchases
Gitabitan Plus
- Premium Pack$5.99
Bandish
- Bandish Plus - Monthly$4.991 Month
- Bandish Plus - Annual7 Days trial$39.991 Year
Questions
Is Gitabitan Plus free?
Is Bandish free?
Which has better reviews, Gitabitan Plus or Bandish?
Do Gitabitan Plus or Bandish have ads?
Which is updated more often, Gitabitan Plus or Bandish?
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