Comparison

VoltaStage vs Strofa

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

Head to head
About

VoltaStage

This app helps musicians organize lyrics and setlists for live performances. It features automatic setlist generation based on song energy and desired duration, with clear, readable lyrics and performance-enhancing tools. It also supports hands-free navigation and custom notes for each song.

Highlights
  • Auto Flow setlist generation
  • Performance Mode with live clock
  • Set Duration Designer
  • Smart Bluetooth pedal navigation
  • Moments and per-song notes
  • Offline-first performance
  • PDF setlist export
Features
Read full description

VoltaStage is the setlist app built for one thing: getting you through your gig. Big readable lyrics, drag-to-reorder setlists, smart Bluetooth pedal page-turn, and rock-solid offline performance. No ads. No surprise paywalls. No bloat. Built by a working musician for working musicians. AUTO FLOW BUILDS YOUR SETLIST FOR YOU The first setlist app that actually plans your gig. Tag your library and rate each song's energy from one to five. Pick an energy curve template. Set your target time. Hit build. Auto Flow picks songs from your catalog, sequences them so the energy flows the way you want, and lands on your target down to the minute. The math that takes 45 minutes at soundcheck takes Auto Flow about two seconds. PERFORMANCE MODE THAT'S ACTUALLY PERFORMABLE Lyrics big enough to read from the back line. Section-by-section pedal scroll that lands on the next verse, not three lines into it. Live clock, set timer, next-song hint, key, capo, and BPM at a glance. The screen never sleeps mid-song. Optional hands-free auto-scroll at the rate you set. THE SET DURATION DESIGNER Drop songs in and watch your estimated time tick up against your target. Color-coded so you know instantly if you're over, under, or right on target. Add a banter buffer for between-song talking. Drop an "Extras" moment and your safety pool stops counting toward duration, so 30 backup songs don't blow up your 90-minute estimate. SMART BLUETOOTH PEDAL NAVIGATION Works with any HID-compatible Bluetooth pedal or keyboard (tested with AirTurn). Section-by-section scroll for verse-by-verse advance. Long-press the pedal to jump entire songs. Smart skip at song boundaries so phantom presses don't send you to the wrong tune. MOMENTS AND PER-SLOT NOTES Drop in moments (Break, Talking Point, Intro, Encore, Tuning, custom) alongside your songs. They render in amber in Performance Mode so they're impossible to miss. Add a per-song note ("Capo 2," "Wait for MC intro," "Key change") that shows on the row. Your setlist becomes a real running order, not just a list of titles. EVERYTHING ELSE A WORKING MUSICIAN NEEDS - One-to-five energy ratings on every song - Multi-select tag filtering across hundreds of tags - Lyric search across your entire library - Sort by title, artist, key, duration, energy, last updated - Section parsing with *Verse* or [Verse] syntax - PDF setlist export to share with bandmates - Offline-first: full app at a venue with no signal - Multi-device sync (Pro) - Full backup export and import - Plain text import from any other lyrics app - No ads, no popups, no "rate us" mid-show HONEST PRICING Free covers a real gig at 15 songs and 2 setlists, with every feature unlocked. Pro is $4.99 per month, $49.99 per year, or $99.99 lifetime. No feature locked behind another tier you don't need. BUILT BY A WORKING MUSICIAN "I gigged for years using setlist apps built by people who'd never been on stage with one. I knew exactly what I wanted, and nobody was making it. So I built it for myself, and now I'm putting it in your hands." Try VoltaStage at your next gig. The free tier covers a real show. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Strofa

Features
Read full description

Strofa — the songbook for performing musicians. Built for the moment the count-in starts: your charts, your set, and the tools that keep the screen out of the way. FEATURES • ChordPro chord & lyric charts — transpose to any key instantly, capo-aware • Setlists you navigate hands-free with a foot pedal (AirTurn, MIDI, HID, Flic) • Auto-scroll that follows the song's length • Share your whole repertoire and setlists with your band, live • Backing tracks that transpose with you, without changing tempo • A built-in tuner and a sample-accurate metronome • Practice recordings, a MIDI backing band and stage control • Gig calendar, venues and contracts in one place • AI helpers — clean up messy imports, format charts and auto-tag your library • Strofa Display — put a screen at the venue so the crowd can send song requests and see what's playing and what you've played Strofa requires a subscription to use. Start with a 7-day free trial. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends; manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings. Prices vary by region and are shown in the app before you subscribe. Made by a working musician in Norway. Privacy policy: https://strofa.no/privacy Terms of use: https://strofa.no/terms

Screenshots

VoltaStage4 screens
Strofa4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Strofa at every 4 days against VoltaStage's every 3 months. Strofa also leads on iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. VoltaStage sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Strofa sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

VoltaStage ships an update every 3 months, Strofa every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
VoltaStage versus Strofa: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterVoltaStageStrofa
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB98 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDALLAS DWIGHT BALLFRANK IVERSEN

In-app purchases

3 purchases

VoltaStage

Subscriptions2
  • VoltaStage Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • VoltaStage Pro Annual$49.991 Year
One-time1
  • VoltaStage Pro Lifetime$99.99
2 purchases

Strofa

Subscriptions2
  • Strofa Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Strofa Pro Yearly7 Days trial$39.991 Year

Questions

Is VoltaStage free?
VoltaStage is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Strofa free?
Strofa is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do VoltaStage or Strofa have ads?
Neither VoltaStage nor Strofa shows ads.
Which is updated more often, VoltaStage or Strofa?
VoltaStage ships an update every 3 months, and Strofa every 4 days. Most recently, VoltaStage was updated on October 2, 2026 and Strofa on October 16, 2026.

Other comparisons