Guitar Pro roundup
Guitar Pro: A Complete Buyer's Guide
It's not an expensive purchase, but there are enough versions and add-ons to get wrong. Here's how to buy the right combination first time.
Before you hand over any money for Guitar Pro, it's worth working through a few questions most Guitar Pro buyers skip and then regret. It's not an expensive purchase in the grand scheme of gear, but there are enough versions, platforms and add-ons floating about that it's easy to buy the wrong combination for how you'll actually use it.
Decide desktop, mobile, or both
The desktop version of Guitar Pro is the fuller application, built for proper score creation, multitrack arrangement and export work. The mobile app is more of a companion — useful for opening files, browsing your mySongBook library and doing limited single-track editing on the move, for instruments including guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele and mandolin. If you're mainly going to be writing and arranging, buy for desktop first; if you just want to view and practise tabs on a train, the mobile side alone might do the job.
Check your operating system before anything else
This sounds obvious, but it's the step people skip when they're excited to buy. Confirm Guitar Pro actually supports your operating system and that your machine meets the stated requirements before purchasing, rather than after. It's a five-minute check that avoids a genuinely annoying afternoon.
One-time purchase versus the mySongBook subscription
Buying the software itself is generally a one-off cost, separate from mySongBook, which is Arobas Music's subscription service for professionally prepared scores. You don't need mySongBook to use the software — plenty of players write and import their own tabs, or use free tabs from elsewhere — but if you mostly want ready-made, accurately transcribed songs rather than writing your own, it's worth pricing the subscription in as part of the real cost before you decide.
| Buying decision | Question to ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Desktop vs mobile | Will you be writing scores, or mostly reading them? |
| Software vs mySongBook | Do you want to write your own tabs, or buy ready-made ones? |
| Upgrade vs fresh licence | Do you already own an older version? |
Upgrading from an older version
If you already own an earlier release, check whether an upgrade path exists before buying a full licence again from scratch — software companies generally price existing users differently, and it's worth confirming what that actually looks like directly with Arobas Music rather than guessing. It's also worth knowing that files aren't always perfectly forward- and backward-compatible: something written in a newer version may lose detail if opened in an older copy, so don't assume an old licence covers every feature you've read about in a review of the current release.
What you're actually paying for
A licence buys you the notation and tablature editor itself, a built-in sound engine with soundbanks, amp models and effects for playback, and the practice tools — tempo control, looping, a speed trainer and a metronome — that make it more than just a score viewer. It's worth remembering that the sound engine is there for checking timing and sketching ideas, not for replacing a real amp or a finished mix, so don't buy expecting production-grade audio out of the box.
Think about who else needs to open your files
If you're buying this to write charts for a band, check what version your bandmates are using, since file compatibility across releases is generally solid but not flawless. Newer effects, sounds or layout changes don't always survive being opened in an older copy. Agreeing on a shared version, or exporting a PDF alongside the editable file, avoids a surprisingly common headache. Our piece on common mistakes to avoid covers this particular pitfall properly.
Know the free alternatives before you commit
It's fair to know what else is out there before paying. MuseScore is a broader, free notation package; TuxGuitar is an open-source tab editor built specifically to be compatible with Guitar Pro files; Ultimate Guitar offers a huge database of user-submitted tabs rather than editing tools. None of these quite replace the combination of guitar-first tab entry, proper notation and instant playback in one package, but they're worth trying if you're not yet sure this is the right purchase for you. Our breakdown of value across the price range compares these options properly.
If you're completely new to this
If you've never used tab software at all, it's worth reading our beginner's guide before you buy anything, just to get a feel for what you're actually signing up for day to day.
A quick pre-purchase checklist
- Confirmed your operating system and hardware meet the requirements
- Decided between desktop, mobile, or both
- Worked out whether mySongBook is worth adding to the cost
- Checked for an upgrade path if you already own an older release
- Agreed a common file version with anyone you'll be sharing scores with
The bottom line
Work out whether you need desktop, mobile or both, check your system requirements up front, and decide honestly whether you want to write your own tabs or pay for ready-made ones through mySongBook. Get those three decisions right before you buy Guitar Pro, and you'll avoid nearly every regret people report after purchasing.
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