Fretboard
Fretboard: A free Linux chord reference for exploring guitar shapes, not editing tablature. Ranked #31 of 32 in Guitar Tab Software by our editors (5.1/10); pricing: Free plan; best for linux users looking up and exploring guitar chords.
At a glance
- Editor score5.1 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forLinux users looking up and exploring guitar chords
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Facts checked23 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Search for chords by name and plot them on an interactive guitar neck
- Explore chord variations and alternative fingerings
- Bookmark chords to return to later
Where it doesn't
- Focuses on chord lookup, not creating or editing guitar tablature
- Available for Linux only
- Support is community-based
Our verdict on Fretboard
Fretboard is a free, open-source guitar chord lookup and practice app for GNOME. It is suited to guitarists who want to search for chord names, see shapes on a guitar neck, and explore alternate ways to play them. The GNOME listing describes it as suitable for beginners and advanced guitarists. Despite its name, its documented focus is chords rather than guitar-tab authoring, so it is a reference tool rather than a tab editor.
Its chord exploration tools are the main draw: users can plot a chord on an interactive neck, experiment with changing it, and view alternative fingerings. Bookmarks provide a way to save chords for later. This makes Fretboard a focused option for looking up and comparing chord shapes, rather than a broad composition workspace. Guitarists seeking tablature creation or editing should choose a tool built for those tasks instead.
Fretboard is free and open-source, and is available for Linux through Flathub as part of GNOME Circle. Its fit is clearest for Linux users who want a desktop chord reference; the listed support channel is the community. The listed deployment spans desktop and mobile, but the platform specified is Linux. Choose it for chord lookup and practice, not if you need tab authoring or a tool on another operating system.
Your product? Our editors can test Fretboard in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Fretboard pricing
Fretboard fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Supported platforms | Linux |
| Notation modes | Not verified |
| Tab playback | Not verified |
| MIDI support | Not verified |
| Audio recording | Not verified |
| Sharing or publishing | Not verified |
| Deployment | Desktop, Mobile |
| Platforms | Linux |
| Support | Community |
| Built for | Solo (editorial estimate) |
| Pricing | Free plan |
| Website | apps.gnome.org |
| Facts checked | 23 Sep 2026 |
Alternatives to Fretboard
- Guitar ProA mature, deep tab editor for musicians who need notation, playback, and broad exports.9.3
- TuxGuitarA broad free tab editor with strong format support, playback, and four-platform coverage.9.0
- Guitar2TabsA flexible audio-to-tab tool with editing, playback, sharing, and broad export support.8.5
See all Fretboard alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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