Guitar Pro vs TuxGuitar

Guitar Pro9.3Visit TuxGuitar9.0Visit

Higher score Guitar Pro #1 in Guitar Tab Software 9.3/10 7-day trial Free trial✓ 1 of 4 features Visit Guitar Pro

vs

TuxGuitar #2 in Guitar Tab Software 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 4 features Visit TuxGuitar

• Guitar Pro fits best

  Mature professional tab editing

• TuxGuitar fits best

  Free open-source desktop tab editing

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	Guitar Pro 9.3/10 Visit ↗	TuxGuitar 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.3	9.0
Ranking	#1 in Guitar Tab Software	#2 in Guitar Tab Software
Best for	Mature professional tab editing	Free open-source desktop tab editing
Pricing model	Paid	Free
Starting price	$69.95 one-time	Free plan
Free plan	—	✓ (best)
Free trial	7 days	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Features Guitar Pro 1/4 · TuxGuitar 2/4
Tab playback	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
MIDI support	✓	✓
Audio recording	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Sharing or publishing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Not checked yet	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android
Notation modes	Not checked yet	Tab and standard
Our review
Pros	Deep multitrack tablature and standard notation editing MIDI and MusicXML import/export with broad score formats Playback, looping, metronome, and speed-training tools	Multi-track editing with both standard notation and tablature views Imports Guitar Pro, PowerTab, TablEdit, and MIDI files Exports audio, MusicXML, PDF, SVG, LilyPond, and ASCII formats
Cons	No free plan is available The desktop license costs $69.95 upfront Mobile apps are separate from the desktop license	Playback uses MIDI-based sound output rather than audio recording No collaboration features are listed The broad feature set stays focused on tablature and score editing
Our verdict	Guitar Pro is notation and tablature software for guitarists, bassists, composers, transcribers, teachers, and other instrumentalists. Guitar Pro 8 combines multitrack score editing with standard, tablature, numbered, and slash notation.… Read the review →	TuxGuitar is a free, open-source application for creating, editing, viewing, and playing multi-track guitar tablature. It is suited to guitarists, arrangers, students, and songwriters who want desktop or Android software for combining… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Guitar Pro — where it wins

  • Deep multitrack tablature and standard notation editing
  • MIDI and MusicXML import/export with broad score formats
  • Playback, looping, metronome, and speed-training tools

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • The desktop license costs $69.95 upfront
  • Mobile apps are separate from the desktop license

• TuxGuitar — where it wins

  • Multi-track editing with both standard notation and tablature views
  • Imports Guitar Pro, PowerTab, TablEdit, and MIDI files
  • Exports audio, MusicXML, PDF, SVG, LilyPond, and ASCII formats

  Where it doesn't

  • Playback uses MIDI-based sound output rather than audio recording
  • No collaboration features are listed
  • The broad feature set stays focused on tablature and score editing

• Guitar Pro9.3/10 · 7-day trial

  A mature, deep tab editor for musicians who need notation, playback, and broad exports.

  Visit Guitar ProFull verdict →
• TuxGuitar9.0/10 · Free plan

  A broad free tab editor with strong format support, playback, and four-platform coverage.

  Visit TuxGuitarFull verdict →