Aria vs ABC2Tab
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Aria
Create, edit, and play back musical scores on your iPhone or iPad. This app supports MuseScore and MusicXML files, offering intuitive touch controls for note entry and playback. Organize your library, manage parts, and export your compositions in various formats.
- Edit MuseScore and MusicXML files
- Intuitive touch-based notation controls
- Score playback
- Library organization
- Part management
- Export in multiple formats (MSCZ, PDF, MusicXML, audio)
Read full descriptionHide full description
Aria is a notation editor for iPhone and iPad that lets you create, edit, and play back MuseScore files on the go. Open existing MuseScore and MusicXML files, make changes with intuitive touch-based notation controls, play back your score, organize your library, manage individual parts, and export your music when you’re ready to share. Built for musicians who want a lightweight, mobile-friendly way to review, create, and revise scores wherever they are. Features: * Open MSCZ and MusicXML score files * Create new scores from templates * Edit and enter notes with touch controls, Apple Pencil, or a MIDI controller * Play back scores locally * View and manage individual parts * Export and share your work as MSCZ, PDF, MusicXML, audio, and more. Aria is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by MuseScore, Muse Group, or any related project. Aria is open-source software licensed under the GNU GPLv3. Source code, license notices, and build instructions are available here: https://github.com/hdi200/aria
ABC2Tab
This app transforms ABC notation into playable TAB and music notation for various instruments. It supports multiple tunings and instruments, offers practice tracking, and allows for melody playback and recording.
- Convert ABC notation to TAB
- Support for banjo, mandolin, guitar, tin whistle, and fiddle
- Multiple guitar tunings
- Search The Session for tunes
- Play melody from ABC field
- Record or upload melodies for matching
- Save tunes and track practice
Read full descriptionHide full description
ABC2Tab turns tunes written in ABC notation into practical TAB and music notation for traditional instruments. KEY FEATURES • Convert ABC notation into playable TAB in seconds • Tenor banjo and mandolin support in GDAE tuning • Guitar TAB for Standard, Drop D, DADGAD, and DADGBD • Tin whistle fingering and fiddle notation • Search The Session by title and choose between multiple ABC settings for the same tune • Play the melody directly from the ABC field • Record or upload a melody to see multiple possible tune matches • Save tunes and track your practice progress • Export PDF, PNG, and LilyPond files with Pro HOW IT WORKS 1. Paste ABC notation or find a tune on The Session. 2. Choose an instrument. 3. Select Show TAB. Audio matching is designed for clear, single-note performances of Irish traditional tunes. Results are presented as candidates so you can confirm the correct tune and ABC setting. Free use includes up to 30 conversions per day. ABC2Tab Pro adds unlimited My Tunes, watermark-free output, and file downloads. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is monetization model: Aria at free against ABC2Tab's freemium. ABC2Tab's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 88%) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 4 days). 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
Both are free to download. Aria sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and ABC2Tab sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Aria ships an update every 4 days, ABC2Tab every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on November 12, 2026 and November 4, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Aria | ABC2Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (33 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 87.5% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 33 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 16.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 279 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Jack Gruber | yoshiaki okazaki |
Customer experience
Aria
ABC2Tab
In-app purchases
Aria
- Aria Full Access$9.99
ABC2Tab
- ABC2Tab Pro Monthly$2.991 Month









