FretTab review
A focused $10 ukulele tab editor for simple melodies, chords, and teaching materials.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
FretTab is a desktop editor for creating simple ukulele tablature, including melodies, riffs, chord progressions, and teaching materials. Its fretboard-like layout is designed around ukulele notation and supports GCEA tuning, making it a focused choice for players, teachers, and arrangers who want to write straightforward ukulele parts on Windows or macOS. The software is not aimed at broad guitar-tab workflows or conventional notation.
The published plan is simple: FretTab Software costs $10 as a one-time purchase, with no free plan listed. That plan includes the ukulele tablature editor, Mac and Windows versions, and standard and advanced chord sets. Entry can be handled through copy and paste, while character and keystroke information helps with keyboard-based input. macOS supports both black-and-white and color display, including compatibility with Aquila Kids colored strings; Windows provides black-and-white output.
FretTab’s main strength is its narrow, practical feature set. It supports measures, repeats, bar lines, pull-offs, hammer-ons, and slides, covering common elements for simple ukulele arrangements. The trade-off is equally clear: it is designed for tablature rather than conventional guitar tablature, and the category specifications identify tablature as its only notation mode. Playback, MIDI, sharing, and broader guitar-oriented functionality are not part of the published feature set. Pick FretTab if you need an inexpensive desktop tool for basic ukulele tabs and chord-led teaching materials; choose an alternative if you need audio playback, MIDI, collaboration, sharing, or conventional guitar notation.
FretTab pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Supports GCEA ukulele tuning and fretboard-style note entry
- Includes standard and advanced chord sets
- Offers measures, repeats, pull-offs, hammer-ons, and slides
- Where it doesn't
- Designed for ukulele rather than conventional guitar tablature
- Provides tablature only, without conventional notation
- Does not include playback, MIDI, or sharing features
FretTab fact sheet, pricing and score →
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