Comparison

Aria vs ABC2Tab

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Edit MuseScore and MusicXML files
  • Intuitive touch-based notation controls
  • Score playback
  • Library organization
  • Part management
  • Export in multiple formats (MSCZ, PDF, MusicXML, audio)
Features
Read 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

About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read 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

Aria4 screens
ABC2Tab4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Aria versus ABC2Tab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAriaABC2Tab
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (33 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 4 daysEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1716.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size279 MB1 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperJack Gruberyoshiaki okazaki

Customer experience

Aria

All ratings33 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative6.1%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative0.0%

ABC2Tab

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Aria

One-time1
  • Aria Full Access$9.99
1 purchases

ABC2Tab

Subscriptions1
  • ABC2Tab Pro Monthly$2.991 Month

Questions

Is Aria free?
Aria is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ABC2Tab free?
ABC2Tab is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Aria or ABC2Tab have ads?
Neither Aria nor ABC2Tab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Aria or ABC2Tab?
Aria ships an update every 4 days, and ABC2Tab every 2 days. Most recently, Aria was updated on November 12, 2026 and ABC2Tab on November 4, 2026.

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