Comparison

MIDI Guitar vs Guitar Tab Maker

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

Head to head
About

MIDI Guitar

Transform your guitar into a MIDI controller in real-time. This app accurately transcribes your playing into MIDI data, allowing you to control any synth or virtual instrument. It offers low latency and high accuracy, comparable to professional hardware.

Highlights
  • Real-time guitar to MIDI transcription
  • Low latency and high accuracy
  • Control any synth or virtual instrument
  • AudioUnit (AUv3) plugin support
  • Standalone app for hosting other synths
  • MIDI output to DAWs like GarageBand
Features
Read full description

Play any synth or virtual instrument with your trusted guitar. ##### Lots of user videos: jamorigin.com ##### MIDI Guitar is the World’s first app to transcribe guitar playing into MIDI in real-time, with latency and accuracy comparable to expensive and inconvenient hardware MIDI guitar solutions. MIDI Guitar is over 10 years in development(!) and based upon state-of-the-art polyphonic pitch detection and –prediction technology that can accurately recognize guitar playing and -articulation with very low latency and without spurious hits. The technology has been validated by thousands of guitarists over the years. MIDI Guitar comes as AudioUnit plugin (AUv3) and as a standalone app which can host other iOS synth apps or send virtual midi to Garageband or other DAWs. You need a guitar interface for best results. We recommend a digital interface (using the lightning connector) over analog (via headphone jack), preferably with input gain control. Using an acoustic guitar with the built in microphone works for some purposes but is not optimal. The free version will interrupt every few minutes, asking you to buy an in-app purchase. If you have problems please refer to the website: www.jamorigin.com/docs or the user forum: jamosapien.com.

About

Guitar Tab Maker

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
Read full description

Create, edit, and share guitar tabs with ease. Here’s the Riffs & Licks: Guitar Tab Maker is a powerful yet straightforward tablature editor designed for guitarists, bassists, and other stringed-instrument players. Whether you're capturing a new riff, transcribing a song, or organizing your ideas, Guitar Tab Maker makes writing tabs fast and intuitive. Available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with seamless syncing across your devices. FREE FEATURES • Create and edit guitar tabs in an intuitive editor • Sync your tabs automatically with iCloud • Listen back with built-in audio playback • Export tabs for sharing and backup • Support for guitar, bass, ukulele, and 7- and 8-string instruments • Available across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS PREMIUM FEATURES • Upgrade to Premium to unlock: • Unlimited tab creation • Advanced editing tools • Watermark-free exports • Backup all tabs ability • Additional organization & customization options • Future Premium enhancements as they're released ~ New User Special ~ Start with a free 7-day Premium trial. No strings attached. Whether you're sketching ideas, practicing songs, or building a personal tab library, Guitar Tab Maker helps keep your music organized and accessible wherever inspiration strikes. User Guide: https://kylegorlick.com/guitartabber/guide/ Questions, feedback, or feature requests? Email: kyle@kylegorlick.com Your support is much appreciated. Thank you! Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MIDI Guitar1 screens
Guitar Tab Maker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Guitar Tab Maker at 4.6 against MIDI Guitar's 4.3. Guitar Tab Maker also leads on ratings volume (507 vs 136). MIDI Guitar's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. MIDI Guitar sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and Guitar Tab Maker sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Guitar Tab Maker holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 136 and 507 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of MIDI Guitar's written reviews are positive against 80% of Guitar Tab Maker's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MIDI Guitar ships an update every 2 weeks, Guitar Tab Maker monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 19, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MIDI Guitar versus Guitar Tab Maker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMIDI GuitarGuitar Tab Maker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.3 (136 ratings)4.6 (507 ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.3% of reviews79.7% of reviews — better
Number of ratings136507 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJam OriginKyle Gorlick

Customer experience

MIDI Guitar

All ratings136 ratings
Positive80.9%
Neutral5.1%
Negative14.0%
Written reviews159 reviews
Positive72.3%
Neutral8.2%
Negative19.5%

Guitar Tab Maker

All ratings507 ratings
Positive91.5%
Neutral4.3%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews158 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral8.9%
Negative11.4%

User reviews

MIDI Guitar

From 136 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🎸 Exceptional polyphonic MIDI tracking accuracy
  • 💡 Innovative pitch-to-MIDI conversion technology
  • 🎵 Works with any guitar without special pickups
  • ⚡ Low latency performance on modern devices
  • 🎹 Seamless integration with synths and virtual instruments

Room to improve

  • 💸 Multiple in-app purchases required for full functionality
  • 🔐 Confusing IAP structure and pricing model
  • ⏱️ Noticeable latency on older iOS devices
  • 🎼 Requires adjusted playing technique and style
  • 🔊 Struggles with fast lead lines and complex fingerpicking

Guitar Tab Maker

From 507 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Bugs and requests

MIDI Guitar

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • App crashes on iOS updates
  • AU3 controls unresponsive (rotary knobs snap back to zero)
  • Freezing in AUM with buzzing sound
  • Audio cutouts despite full purchases
  • Microphone input cannot be disabled
Show 7 more
  • AU3 not discoverable in some hosts after purchase
  • Latency locked at 256ms on newer iPhones
  • Contact form and support registration issues
  • Occasional dropped notes in external MIDI mode
  • AU3 fascia too small to read on large screens
  • Beta version pulled repeatedly
  • Compatibility issues with GarageBand on iOS

Requested features

12 requests
  • Lower tuning support (below D, baritone guitars, 8-string support)
  • 432Hz tuning option
  • Audiobus and IAA compatibility improvements
  • Higher sample rate support (96kHz standalone)
  • Pitch bending and slide detection
Show 7 more
  • MIDI FX slots for MIDI-only effect plugins
  • Improved AU3 interface scaling and controls
  • Cross-platform IAP compatibility (iOS to macOS)
  • Better bass guitar tracking
  • Faster iOS beta release cycle
  • Restore purchases functionality
  • Unified pricing model instead of multiple IAPs

Guitar Tab Maker

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MIDI Guitar

One-time2
  • AudioUnit Hosting$9.99
  • MIDI Outputs$19.99
6 purchases

Guitar Tab Maker

Subscriptions5
  • Premium (Monthly)7 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Premium (Monthly)$1.991 Month
  • Premium (Annual)7 Days trial$12.991 Year
Show 2 more
  • Premium (Annual)$12.991 Year
  • Premium (Annual Family)3 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium One-Time Buy$29.99

Questions

Is MIDI Guitar free?
MIDI Guitar 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, MIDI Guitar or Guitar Tab Maker?
Guitar Tab Maker is rated higher. MIDI Guitar averages 4.3 out of 5 from 136 ratings, while Guitar Tab Maker averages 4.6 from 507 ratings.
Do MIDI Guitar or Guitar Tab Maker have ads?
Neither MIDI Guitar nor Guitar Tab Maker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MIDI Guitar or Guitar Tab Maker?
MIDI Guitar ships an update every 2 weeks, and Guitar Tab Maker monthly. Most recently, MIDI Guitar was updated on September 19, 2026 and Guitar Tab Maker on September 21, 2026.

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