# SideBand vs Nota ABC

The clearest difference is price: Nota ABC at Free against SideBand's $2.99. Nota ABC also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 22 months). SideBand's advantage is review sentiment (80% vs 38%) and in-app purchases (none vs 10). On rating, ratings volume, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Nota ABC is free to download; SideBand costs $2.99 up front. Nota ABC sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. SideBand asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nota ABC holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 5 and 6 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 80% of SideBand's written reviews are positive against 38% of Nota ABC's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

SideBand ships an update every 22 months, Nota ABC weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SideBand | Nota ABC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.0 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideband/id721401314/reviews) | **[4.2 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nota-abc-session-trad-tunes/id6446770292/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | **80.0% of reviews** | 37.5% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 22 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 15 MB | 206 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wil Macaulay](https://appshunter.io/developer/301735019) | [Davide Benini](https://appshunter.io/developer/1488928246) |

## What reviewers say

### SideBand

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sideband/id721401314)

This app helps musicians learn songs by ear. It allows users to slow down music, loop sections, and change the key to match their voice or instrument. Import music from various sources like the Music app or iCloud.

**Highlights:** Adjust tempo, Transpose key, Change tuning, Loop sections, Import unprotected music, Supports iPhone and iPad

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Nota ABC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nota-abc-session-trad-tunes/id6446770292)

Manage and browse a vast collection of traditional music tunes with this app. Features include a zoomable score, audio player, tune identification, and the ability to edit and organize your music.

**Highlights:** Manage ABC tunes collection, Zoomable score and audio player, Tune identification with Folkfriend, Organize tunes into sets and books, Edit and create new tunes, Offline archive of 40,000+ tunes, Automatic iCloud sync

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 Month Subscription | $0.99 | per month |
| Base - 1 month - M | $1.99 | per month |
| 3 Months Subscription | $2.49 | per 3 months |
| 6 Months Subscription | $3.99 | per 6 months |
| 3 Months Subscription | $3.99 | per 3 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $5.99 | per year |
| 6 Months Subscription | $7.99 | per 6 months |
| 1 Year Subscription | $10.99 | per year |
| Lifetime subscription | $14.99 | one-time |
| Lifetime subscription | $31.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SideBand free?

SideBand costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Nota ABC free?

Nota ABC is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, SideBand or Nota ABC?

Nota ABC is rated higher. SideBand averages 4.0 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while Nota ABC averages 4.2 from 6 ratings.

### Do SideBand or Nota ABC have ads?

Neither SideBand nor Nota ABC shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SideBand or Nota ABC?

SideBand ships an update every 22 months, and Nota ABC weekly. Most recently, SideBand was updated on November 6, 2026 and Nota ABC on November 3, 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.*