Comparison

TabWriter vs OnScore

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

Head to head
About

TabWriter

Features
Read full description

Hey, I'm Drew. I love playing guitar, but I got tired of losing my song ideas, so I built this clean, simple tab writer to jot down my tabs and chords right on my phone. If you're passionate about playing and just want a simple grid that stays out of your way and lets you capture your music, I hope this helps you out too.

About

OnScore

This app serves as a digital music stand for musicians, allowing them to import, annotate, and organize sheet music. It includes practice tools like a metronome and tuner, and supports hands-free page turning. Users can also create and edit music notation, and collaborate with others.

Highlights
  • Import and organize sheet music (PDF, MusicXML)
  • Annotate with Apple Pencil or finger
  • Hands-free page turning via gestures
  • Built-in metronome, tuner, and tempo trainer
  • Create setlists for performances
  • Edit and write music notation
  • Collaborative rehearsal features
Features
Read full description

OnScore is a music stand for musicians: import your scores, mark them up, order them into setlists, and perform straight through. Metronome, tuner, tempo trainer and recorder are built in. Bring your music in as PDF or MusicXML, photograph paper with the camera, or search free public domain scores. Then read it, mark it up, practise it and perform from it, all in one place. READING Page turns that keep up with you. Tap the edge of the page, swipe, or use a Bluetooth pedal. Choose the layout that suits the music: single page, two page spread, half page so there is no gap at the turn, continuous scroll, or reflow, which re-engraves a structured score to fit your screen. HANDS FREE Turn pages with a glance. Wink, turn your head, nod, raise an eyebrow or open your mouth. You choose the gesture and how sensitive it is. The camera work happens on your device and nothing leaves it. MARKING UP Fingerings, bowings, dynamics, cues and reminders, written with the Apple Pencil or your finger. A full set of musical stamps drawn in professional notation, plus text, highlights and shapes. Keep your marks on separate layers, so a teacher's notes and your own can be shown or hidden independently. Originals are never altered. SETLISTS AND PERFORMANCE Put pieces in the order you will play them, with markers for sections, intermissions or a note to yourself. Performance Mode clears the screen, keeps it awake, and preloads pages so turns never stutter. PRACTICE A metronome with tap tempo, count in and subdivisions. A chromatic tuner with adjustable reference pitch and transposition for wind and brass players. A tempo trainer that raises the tempo stage by stage. A recorder for takes you want to hear back. Your sessions and streak are kept so you can see the work adding up. WRITING AND EDITING Edit structured scores note by note: pitches, accidentals, dynamics, lyrics, whole staves. Write by hand on blank manuscript paper in the layout you choose. Export MusicXML, MIDI, a single part, or a PDF with your annotations included. PLAYING TOGETHER Lead a rehearsal over the local network. Everyone follows the same piece, the same page and the same place in the setlist. YOUR LIBRARY Folders, tags, collections, composers, genres and instruments, with search across all of it. Backup and restore when you want to move to a new device. DRAW MUSIC. Turn drawings into music. Every line you draw plays as music: height sets the pitch, colour picks the instrument, and shapes make rhythm. Choose from sounds like grand piano, strings and synths, add layers like tracks, and pick a style from lo-fi to cinematic. Made for every age, with no music knowledge needed. Export a video with your drawing coming to life, and share it anywhere. You can even turn it into sheet music and edit. BUILT FOR IPAD AND IPHONE Designed for the iPad on the stand and the iPhone in your pocket, with the layout adapting to whichever you are holding. Available in multiple languages. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://harmono.app/onscore/privacy

Screenshots

TabWriter3 screens
OnScore4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: TabWriter at daily against OnScore's every 4 days. OnScore's advantage is iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.5). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TabWriter ships an update daily, OnScore every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TabWriter versus OnScore: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTabWriterOnScore
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 4 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.518.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB114 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDrew KoewlerHarmono LLC

In-app purchases

None

TabWriter

No in-app purchases

None

OnScore

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TabWriter free?
TabWriter is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OnScore free?
OnScore is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TabWriter or OnScore have ads?
Neither TabWriter nor OnScore shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TabWriter or OnScore?
TabWriter ships an update daily, and OnScore every 4 days. Most recently, TabWriter was updated on October 25, 2026 and OnScore on October 29, 2026.

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