# Tabs & Notes vs Play Guitar Hits

The clearest difference is rating: Tabs & Notes at 5.0 against Play Guitar Hits's 3.0. Tabs & Notes also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15). Play Guitar Hits's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). On price, review sentiment, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tabs & Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Play Guitar Hits sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $8.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tabs & Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Play Guitar Hits has 17 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 40% of Tabs & Notes's written reviews are positive against 37% of Play Guitar Hits's.

Tabs & Notes ships an update every 5 months, Play Guitar Hits every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tabs & Notes | Play Guitar Hits |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabs-and-notes/id587927619/reviews)** | [3.0 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-guitar-hits/id1328248954/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **17** |
| Positive reviews | **40.0% of reviews** | 37.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 27 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oliver Buecker](https://appshunter.io/developer/587927622) | [Arobas Music](https://appshunter.io/developer/400666117) |

## 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 |


### Play Guitar Hits

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/play-guitar-hits/id1328248954)

Learn to play your favorite songs on guitar with interactive, synchronized scores and multi-angle videos. Masterclasses from renowned guitarists and practice tools like slow-motion and looping help you progress at your own pace. Choose from various difficulty levels and song genres.

**Highlights:** Interactive synchronized scores, Multi-angle video lessons, Masterclasses from famous guitarists, Adjustable playback speed, Practice tools (metronome, loop), Multiple difficulty levels, Backing tracks with vocals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthtly Subscription | $8.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $54.99 | per year |
| Cocaine 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| Crossroads 1 | $0.99 | one-time |
| The thrill is gone, B.B.King 2 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Blackbird | $1.99 | one-time |
| Black Dog 1 | $1.99 | one-time |
| Angie | $1.99 | one-time |
| Creep | $1.99 | one-time |
| Crossroads 2 | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tabs & Notes free?

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

### Is Play Guitar Hits free?

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

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

Tabs & Notes is rated higher. Tabs & Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Play Guitar Hits averages 3.0 from 17 ratings.

### Do Tabs & Notes or Play Guitar Hits have ads?

Tabs & Notes shows ads; Play Guitar Hits does not.

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

Tabs & Notes ships an update every 5 months, and Play Guitar Hits every 2 months. Most recently, Tabs & Notes was updated on October 13, 2026 and Play Guitar Hits on October 26, 2026.

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