# FretNotes vs TabWriter

The clearest difference is price: TabWriter at Free against FretNotes's $0.99. TabWriter also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 weeks). FretNotes's advantage is iOS requirement (17.6 vs 26.5). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

TabWriter is free to download; FretNotes costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

FretNotes ships an update every 5 weeks, TabWriter daily. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | FretNotes | TabWriter |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretnotes/id6740220957/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1** | — |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.6** | 26.5 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yuekun Zou](https://appshunter.io/developer/1407829679) | [Drew Koewler](https://appshunter.io/developer/1850172178) |

## What reviewers say

### FretNotes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/fretnotes/id6740220957)

Easily create and annotate guitar tablatures, capture musical ideas, and streamline your learning process. This tool helps beginners and experienced players alike visualize the fretboard, practice scales, and refine compositions.

**Highlights:** Automatic tablature generation, Quick note placement, Fretboard visualization, Personalized practice tab creation, Instant riff recording, Readable tab sharing

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### TabWriter

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tabwriter/id6788876223)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is FretNotes free?

FretNotes costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is TabWriter free?

TabWriter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Do FretNotes or TabWriter have ads?

Neither FretNotes nor TabWriter shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, FretNotes or TabWriter?

FretNotes ships an update every 5 weeks, and TabWriter daily. Most recently, FretNotes was updated on October 8, 2026 and TabWriter on September 28, 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.*