# Tabs & Notes vs Staventabs

The clearest difference is rating: Tabs & Notes at 5.0 against Staventabs's 3.8. Tabs & Notes also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 16.4). Staventabs's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tabs & Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Staventabs sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Tabs & Notes holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Staventabs has 70 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 65% of Staventabs'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, Staventabs every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tabs & Notes | Staventabs |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabs-and-notes/id587927619/reviews)** | [3.8 (70 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **70** |
| Positive reviews | 40.0% of reviews | **64.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 17 MB | 123 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Oliver Buecker](https://appshunter.io/developer/587927622) | [Ivan Korovin](https://appshunter.io/developer/937929054) |

## 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 |


### Staventabs

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/staventabs-compose-and-notate/id947545539)

Compose and edit musical scores and tablature with a user-friendly interface. Create new pieces from scratch or templates, input notes intuitively, and enhance your compositions with advanced editing tools. Practice your songs with playback and metronome features, and manage your projects seamlessly.

**Highlights:** Score and tablature editing, Intuitive note input, Virtual piano and fingerboard, Instrument previews, Playback and metronome, AI-powered scale suggestions, MIDI and MusicXML import/export

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Advanced composing | $9.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited projects | $10.99 | one-time |
| Additional instruments | $10.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient music notation
- 👍 Intuitive interface
- 🎨 Customizable chord diagrams
- 💾 Supports multiple file formats
- 🎶 Realistic instrument sounds

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 💰 Paywall for basic features
- 🔀 Inconsistent note/chord handling
- 🔍 Unclear documentation
- 🔊 Lagging playback

**Reported bugs**

- Imported MIDI files lose instrument assignments
- Disappearing projects after updates
- Inability to adjust note lengths in piano roll
- Metronome not audible over instrument playback

**Requested features**

- Add support for grace notes and ornaments
- Implement repeat/coda symbols
- Allow custom font and layout options
- Integrate MIDI input and output
- Improve chord recognition accuracy


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tabs & Notes free?

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

### Is Staventabs free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Tabs & Notes or Staventabs?

Tabs & Notes is rated higher. Tabs & Notes averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Staventabs averages 3.8 from 70 ratings.

### Do Tabs & Notes or Staventabs have ads?

Tabs & Notes shows ads; Staventabs does not.

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

Tabs & Notes ships an update every 5 months, and Staventabs every 3 weeks. Most recently, Tabs & Notes was updated on October 13, 2026 and Staventabs on October 11, 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.*