Comparison

Mandolin Sight Reading vs Guitar Tabs

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

Head to head
About

Mandolin Sight Reading

Features
Read full description

Learn to read and play notes easily on your instrument. Learn to hear the notes when you see them on the staff and be able to play them by hearing their sound in your head. This builds upon our revolutionary method of learning instruments by ear, allowing you to become musically literate in the way that is much more effective as is done through imagining sounds that you are going to play when you see a note - not mere mechanical playing. And all that without too much thinking - you just will learn to sight-read and play with our app.

About

Guitar Tabs

Learn to play guitar songs quickly and easily on a single string. No prior music knowledge or complex fingerings required. Enjoy familiar melodies with a visual fretboard guide and built-in audio playback.

Highlights
  • Learn songs on one string
  • Visual fretboard guide
  • Built-in audio playback
  • Songs sorted by difficulty
  • New melodies added weekly
  • Works with acoustic/electric guitars
Features
Read full description

Play your first guitar song in 60 seconds, on just one string. One String Guitar Songs is the easiest way to start playing guitar. No chords, no music theory, no complicated finger positions. Just one string, simple fret numbers, and melodies you already know. HOW IT WORKS - Pick any melody from the catalog - Follow the fret numbers on a single string - Tap Play and hear how it should sound - Practice at your own pace SONGS YOU KNOW AND LOVE From Smoke on the Water and Iron Man to Happy Birthday and Jingle Bells, all arranged for a single guitar string. New melodies added regularly. PERFECT FOR - Absolute beginners picking up a guitar for the first time - Kids learning music - Self-taught players who want quick wins - Anyone who tried guitar before and quit, this time it's different WHY ONE STRING? Traditional guitar apps throw chords, scales, and theory at you from day one. We believe the fastest way to fall in love with guitar is to play a real song immediately. One string. Real melodies. Instant motivation. FEATURES - Visual fretboard guide for every song - Built-in audio playback - Songs sorted by difficulty - New melodies added every week - Works with any guitar, acoustic or electric Start playing today, no experience needed. SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION - Pro Monthly: $4.99/month with a 3-day free trial - Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period - Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period - You can manage and cancel your subscriptions in your App Store account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://onestringsongs.com/privacy-policy

Screenshots

Mandolin Sight Reading4 screens
Guitar Tabs3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Guitar Tabs at Free against Mandolin Sight Reading's $4.99. Guitar Tabs also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 22 months). Mandolin Sight Reading's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and device support (3 vs 1). On ads 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

Guitar Tabs is free to download; Mandolin Sight Reading costs $4.99 up front. Guitar Tabs sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month. Mandolin Sight Reading asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mandolin Sight Reading ships an update every 22 months, Guitar Tabs fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 4 level
Mandolin Sight Reading versus Guitar Tabs: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMandolin Sight ReadingGuitar Tabs
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (6 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—6 — better
Update frequencyEvery 22 monthsFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS13.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size77 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperOleg SokolovKirill Germanov

In-app purchases

None

Mandolin Sight Reading

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Guitar Tabs

Subscriptions1
  • One String Songs Pro3 Days trial$4.991 Month

Questions

Is Mandolin Sight Reading free?
Mandolin Sight Reading costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Guitar Tabs free?
Guitar Tabs is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Mandolin Sight Reading or Guitar Tabs have ads?
Neither Mandolin Sight Reading nor Guitar Tabs shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mandolin Sight Reading or Guitar Tabs?
Mandolin Sight Reading ships an update every 22 months, and Guitar Tabs fortnightly. Most recently, Mandolin Sight Reading was updated on November 7, 2026 and Guitar Tabs on November 5, 2026.

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