Overview

TuxGuitar is a free editor and player for multi-track guitar tablatures, with both tab and standard notation. It suits musicians who want to edit or play scores across desktop and Android without paying for the software. Its broad file compatibility is useful, but the unsigned downloads and a version-format break call for care before installing or sharing files with older TuxGuitar users.

Key features

TuxGuitar can open Guitar Pro, Power Tab Editor, TablEdit and MIDI files, making it a practical option for working with tablatures from several formats rather than starting from scratch. It supports MIDI and playback, so users can listen to a score as well as edit it. Tab and standard notation modes give players a choice of view.

Versions 2.0.0 and later use a file format that older TuxGuitar releases cannot read. Exporting tablatures in the old format helps with backward compatibility, but users collaborating with people on earlier versions will need to choose that export deliberately.

Pricing

TuxGuitar is free: its Free plan costs 0.00 USD per free and provides a guitar tablature editor. There is no paid tier or free trial to weigh against it; the trade-off is that the package is not officially signed, and installation instructions call for temporarily disabling the operating system’s digital signature verification. That security step may be reason enough for cautious users to choose another tool.

Platforms

TuxGuitar supports Windows, macOS, Linux and Android. That range makes it suitable for users who want the same tablature editor across desktop systems and Android, though iOS is not supported.

Who it's for

Choose TuxGuitar if you need a no-cost editor and player for multi-track tabs, want to open files from several established notation formats, or value having source code available under the GNU Lesser General Public License. GitHub Discussions are available for questions, GitHub Issues for bug reports and feature requests, and email for smaller issues such as typos or translations.

It is a weaker fit if you depend on verified signed installers or routinely exchange files with older TuxGuitar versions. The project also asks users to submit vulnerability reports privately through GitHub or by email.

Pros and cons

Pros: Free use, MIDI support, playback, and tab and standard notation cover the core editing and score-review needs without a subscription.
Pros: Support for Guitar Pro, Power Tab Editor, TablEdit and MIDI files makes it useful when a music library spans formats.
Cons: Unsigned packages require temporarily disabling digital signature verification during installation, a meaningful security consideration.
Cons: Versions 2.0.0 and later are unreadable by older TuxGuitar versions unless users export in the old format.

Alternatives

For other options, see Guitar Tab Software and Music notation software.

Guitar Pro is the paid alternative for users who want tablature and notation editing with MIDI and MusicXML import and export, plus playback tools; its Guitar Pro 8 plan is 69.95 USD per month. Cesure may suit users looking for a freemium option with a free tier that includes three saved scores and five AI transcriptions per month, across desktop, mobile and web platforms. Soundslice is another freemium choice, with a free plan that includes unlimited slices but limits scans to two pages per month, one page and 32 bars per scan.

Guitar2Tabs offers a free tier for demo transcriptions up to 20 seconds, with PDF downloads, for users whose priority is turning recordings into tabs. TabMaker may fit users who prefer a browser-based editor with no registration, accepting local storage without cloud backup on its free plan. Guitar Tab Maker is a free option for users who want no account, credits or watermarks. Songsterr is an alternative with a paid Plus plan for users seeking AI transcription and a monthly allowance of 50 complete tabs. Guitar Tab Creator is another free choice, with a standard editor available without an account and saved tabs plus an advanced editor through a free account.

Verdict

TuxGuitar is a strong fit for musicians who want a free, cross-platform tablature editor and player with broad file import support. Its cost-free access and MIDI playback are compelling; look elsewhere if unsigned installers are unacceptable or compatibility with older TuxGuitar releases must be seamless.

	Frescobaldi	TuxGuitar
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Free trial	No	No
Paid from	Free	Free
Open source	No	No
Platforms	Linux, macOS, Web, Windows	Android, Linux, macOS, Windows
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Deployment	desktop	—
MusicXML support	Yes	—
MIDI support	Yes	Yes
Parts extraction	Yes	—

Frescobaldi vs TuxGuitar

Frescobaldi

TuxGuitar