# Tabs & Notes vs Guitar Notation

The clearest difference is rating: Tabs & Notes at 5.0 against Guitar Notation's 4.1. Tabs & Notes also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription). Guitar Notation's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (246 vs 1). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tabs & Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Guitar Notation sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tabs & Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Guitar Notation has 246 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 40% of Tabs & Notes's written reviews are positive against 58% of Guitar Notation's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Tabs & Notes ships an update every 5 months, Guitar Notation every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tabs & Notes | Guitar Notation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabs-and-notes/id587927619/reviews)** | [4.1 (246 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/guitar-notation-tabs-and-chords/id1144464459/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **246** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **58.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 17 MB | 153 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 13 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oliver Buecker](https://appshunter.io/developer/587927622) | [嵩 张](https://appshunter.io/developer/1091921941) |

## What reviewers say

### Tabs & Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabs-and-notes/id587927619)

This app displays and plays song tablature and notes, supporting gp3, gp4, gp5, and gpx files. It offers full General MIDI sound playback, making it ideal for guitar practice anywhere. Features include easy song downloads, track switching, flexible playback speed, and editable metadata.

**Highlights:** Plays gp3, gp4, gp5, gpx files, Full General MIDI sound playback, Flexible playback speed, Free instrument to track mapping, Editable song metadata, Easy song download

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tabs & Notes Full Version | $0.99 | one-time |


### 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


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tabs & Notes free?

Tabs & Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Guitar Notation free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Tabs & Notes or Guitar Notation?

Tabs & Notes is rated higher. Tabs & Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Guitar Notation averages 4.1 from 246 ratings.

### Do Tabs & Notes or Guitar Notation have ads?

Tabs & Notes shows ads; Guitar Notation does not.

### Which is updated more often, Tabs & Notes or Guitar Notation?

Tabs & Notes ships an update every 5 months, and Guitar Notation every 4 months. Most recently, Tabs & Notes was updated on October 13, 2026 and Guitar Notation on October 14, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*